Join Team Watch Me Run! for the 2024 Portland Marathon or Half Marathon.
Alena has decided to run a marathon, her first-ever, in her dad’s memory. What better place to do it than at the Portland Marathon. It was Paul’s favorite race and she watched him joyfully cross the finish line in 2014.
Sam, Alena’s husband, was her first recruit, and together they’ve formed the Watch Me Run! team, named for Paul’s love of running and watches. Their goal is to finish the race, but to also raise money for Outdoors for All, a great Seattle non-profit that brings biking and lots of other recreational opportunities to children and adults living with disabilities.
So far, everyone Alena and Sam have told about their plans has jumped on the bandwagon. Whether they’re signing on for the full or half marathon, walking or running, or just planning to cheer from the sidelines or donate to the cause, they’re all in.
Do you want to join the fun?
The Team.
Team Watch Me Run! is honoring Paul Sorensen, whose determination to recover from a catastrophic brain injury in 2016 taught his friends, family and supporters a lot about reaching for joy in the hardest of circumstances. Kind of like running a marathon.
His last race was the 2014 Portland Marathon and we’re running, walking and cheering to remember the happiness he felt crossing the finish line. (See the happiness running, watches and friends brought Paul in our photo gallery.)
If you think you might want to join Team Watch Me Run! let us know by taking our survey.
The Race.
The Portland Marathon takes place on October 6, 2024. Registration is now open. It’s sadly not cheap to participate, but you get a $5 discount by clicking below to register as a part of Team Watch Me Run! Both full and half marathoners are encouraged to join.
NEW: Portland Marathon has added a 10K!
Team Name: Watch Me Run!
Team Captain: Alena Sorensen D’Alessio
The Backstory.
If you haven’t been a part of what we used to call Team Paul, you might want a little background. Paul was an architect in Seattle who loved running, cycling, his dog Zoe, and, of course, his family. In July 2016 he was hit by a car in downtown Seattle and suffered a catastrophic brain injury. A tremendous community of friends and supporters, therapists, nurses and doctors helped Paul defy all expectations. In August 2017, he finally made it back home in a wheelchair, but he kept on working at getting better. He learned to walk again, and then to run. He rode his bike on the Burke Gilman trail, he walked around Paris and he took great joy in new watches, books, pie, music, and being with old and new friends. His recovery was a team effort, and the love and joy he evoked has inspired many.
The Cause.
Once Paul mastered walking after his brain injury, he was determined to get back on his bike. This scared the heck out of Marianne, but she wanted to be a supportive wife. A recreational therapist suggested they check out Outdoors for All’s Adaptive Bike Center at Magnuson Park. First, they tried a side-by-side tandem, and then Paul graduated to a two-wheeler. Eventually, they rode from Magnuson out the Burke Gilman trail to where it meets the Centennial Trail in Bothell. And back again.
Outdoors for All helps children and adults with disabilities get outside to enjoy all kinds of sports. They transform lives through outdoor recreation, and we think that’s very cool. We saw how wonderful it was for Paul, and now Alena wants to help others get back to doing what they love.
Interested?
Fill out our Google survey to let us know your level of interest. This isn’t signing up, it’s just helping us plan.
Participate!
Sign up for the Portland Marathon and Team Watch Me Run!