The Portland Grindfest - August @ 6pm at Benson High School!
About this race
Grindfest is one long progression run originally developed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2013. The race/workout has now been spread all over the world, arriving in Portland in 2019.
The rules are simple - start at either 9 minute mile pace (wave 1) or 8 minute mile pace (wave 2) or 7 minute pace (wave 3) and progress 20 seconds every mile (3 laps to a mile at Benson!). You stay in as long as you can until you can no longer grind the pace down any further and you wave the white flag.
Benson's newly resurfaced track is a one-of-a-kind 4 lane 535 meter track where 3 laps is around 1 mile. It's a beautiful facility that is perfect for grinding out a long progression run.
This year the Portland Grindfest will serve as a fundraiser for Benson Cross Country as we’re raising funds to help cover travel costs for end-of-season meets where runners have the chance to compete against top talent and create lasting memories. Your donation helps provide transportation, lodging, meals, and the opportunity for every athlete to finish the season strong—no matter their financial situation. Thank you for supporting Benson Cross Country!
Join fellow runners on August 15, 2025 for the The Portland Grindfest - August @ 6pm at Benson High School!. It's a fantastic Grindfest Wave 1 (9 minute pace start), Grindfest Wave 2 (8 minute pace start), Grindfest Wave 3 (7 min pace) featuring a flat and fast course in Portland.
Pick your distance
Running
Grindfest Wave 1 (9 minute pace start)
Wave 1 = 1600 meters (3 laps) starting at 9 minute mile pace (3 min / lap) and advancing 20 seconds / mile (every 3 laps)
Grindfest Wave 2 (8 minute pace start)
Wave 2 = Athletes will jump in when the race gets to 8 minute pace. 3 laps to a mile so this will be approximately 2 minutes and 40 seconds / lap.
Grindfest Wave 3 (7 min pace)
This is the last wave to jump in as the pace gets down to 2 minutes and 20 seconds / lap.
Weather Overview
These values reflect historical conditions on the race dates in Portland in 2025, from Open-Meteo archive data.
About Portland
The Portland Grindfest - August @ 6pm at Benson High School! takes place in Portland, Oregon, United States. The local timezone is America/Los_Angeles.
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Race information has been sourced from the event's official website and other publicly available resources. For the most up-to-date details, please refer to the official website directly. If you notice any incorrect or missing information, don't hesitate to reach out to us by email.