From 3 to 81: Pacific Coast Running Festival draws 200
Published 3:40 pm Tuesday, June 3, 2025
LONG BEACH — Many walked, some jogged and others ran.
Overall more than 200 people participated — from ages 3 to 81 — in a trio of running events including a 5K, 10K and a half-marathon during the Pacific Coast Running Festival held Sunday, June 1, in Long Beach.
Nearly 60 runners participated in the half marathon, which took runners along the Discovery Trail and boardwalk before looping back to the finish line along Bolstad Avenue, with 46-year-old Brandon Muhonen, of Vancouver, finishing first overall (1:35:15), completing the roughly 13-mile course in a little over 90 minutes.
Amy VanTassel, 49, of Portland, was the first female finisher and second overall (1:37:38), followed by Logan Melvin (1:40:37) in third. The top-3 finishers kept a rapid pace, each well below eight minutes per mile.
There were 77 participants in the 10K race, ranging in age from 11 to 71, with Mitchell Whiteside, 29, finishing first overall (46:24). Tj Mulqeen, 41, was second (47:17), followed by Rithi Soeung, 51, in third place (49:24).
In the 5K race, 71 people participated, from age 3 to 81, with 15-year-old Braxtyn Muhonen (18:57) winning first overall, followed by Lucas Ballard-Miller, 12, in second (19:50) and Sydney Muhonen, 12, in third (20:04).
Young folks keep pace
In the first of two Kid’s Races — the first featuring the youngest runners — Zane Wooldridge, 7, of Yacolt, finished well ahead of the pack.
“He likes to move,” said his mom, Bonnie, who both participated in the 5K together.
In the second Kid’s Race — featuring a longer course for older runners —Harper Muhonen, 10, took first overall, followed by her brother Aspen, 8, in second place.
Each member of the Muhonen family won their respective races, including Aspen, 8, and Harper, 10, in the the kids races, Braxtyn, 15, in the 5K and their father, Brandon, taking home first in the half marathon, completing a near sweep for the family from Vancouver,
“We like Long Beach, so we love coming here,” Brandon said afterward, his third year participating in the Long Beach race.
“This time we brought the whole family, everybody is racing.”
Runners love course, camaraderie
The half-marathon course, which took runners over paved paths, sand and boardwalk portions, was praised by the runners despite facing some strong headwinds.
“It’s amazing! One of the things I love about WHY Racing Events is that they always keep it interesting,” said Amy VanTassel, 49, of Portland, the first female and second overall finisher in the half marathon.
“There was major wind and we ran on the beach for a significant amount of time. But I love changing it up, it’s not always about PRs (personal records) — it’s about the people, the scenery and the event…We saw deer, a bald eagle — and everyone was smiling, you don’t get that at usual races. You can tap into that energy and bring some fun to a sport that’s otherwise pretty boring. I’m glad I came out today, it was a great day.”
The race, sponsored by La Center-based WHY Racing Events, also included a noncompetitive ‘Tour De Pacific’ 12 -mile bicycle ride from Long Beach to Ilwaco on Saturday, May 31.
For more information or to register for upcoming races, visit whyracingevents.com
