Third grade girls start off on the Awesome 3000 race held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush's Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)
More than 2,000 young runners filled Bush’s Pasture Park Saturday morning for the annual Awesome 3000 fun run.
The event, organized by United Way of the Mid-Willamette Valley, has races for everyone from toddlers to high school seniors, who run either 300 meters or 3,000 meters through the park, ending at McCulloch stadium.
Runners were down slightly from last year, but the events had a record number of sponsors and 395 volunteers, said Jodi Blackman, who works on educational programs for United Way.
Blackman said she expects this year’s race to raise between $30,000 and $40,000 to provide grants to local schools and teachers.
A volunteer coach answers questions and gives encouragement to runners before the Awesome 3000 Race at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Ella Walsh takes a calm approach towards the finish line at the Awesome 3000 held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Sebastian Santiago, 5th grade, runs towards the finish line during the Awesome 3000 race held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Salem-Keizer Superintendent Andrea Castañeda cheers on fifth grader Colton Paige at the Awesome 3000 race at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)A stadium full of supporters watches runners finish their races at the Awesome 3000 race held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Nataliya Meras finishes the Awesome 3000 race with an oak branch at the McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Xavier Blair starts out in the middle of the field of second grade boys at the Awesome 3000 Race at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Runners head into the chute at the Awesome 3000 event held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Nash Dye pulls ahead in the final stretch of the Awesome 3000 at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)The answer to the question of who was ready to run at the Awesome 3000 race held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Islen Johnson heading into the finish at the Awesome 3000 race held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Juniper Adkisson heads towards the finish line during the Awesome 3000 event held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Miss Linn-Benton Teen Tess Bonelli-Sanquist, Miss Marion-Polk Teen Mari Young, and Miss Mario- Polk Josie Carstensen hand out medals to Awesome 3000 finishers at the McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Trillium Zirschky flies with her own wings at the Awesome 3000 race held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Frida Camargo waves to acquaintances in the stands while heading into the finish at the Awesome 3000 race held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)The first grade girls race starts off on the course at the Awesome 3000 event held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Announcer Jacob Espinoza calls out race numbers at the Awesome 3000 event held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Cora Johnsongriffin heading into the finish at the Awesome 3000 race held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Yazid Lopez Cisneros gets ready to run before the start of the Pre-K race at the Awesome 3000 event held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)A family has some fun before participating in the 5 year age class race held at the Awesome 3000 event at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)The Pre-K race starts down the course at the Awesome 3000 race held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Everett Furqan races in the Kinder race at the Awesome 3000 held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Mila Flores and a friend run in the Pre-K race at the Awesome 3000 held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)A few race finishers were a little unsure about receiving a medal at the Awesome 3000 event held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)Giselle Cardenas receives a medal after running in the Pre-K race at the Awesome 3000 held at McCulloch Stadium in Bush’s Pasture Park on Saturday, May 3, 2025. (LAURA TESLER/Special to Salem Reporter)
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Laura Tesler has lived in Salem, Oregon for 20 years and is originally from Flint, MI. Laura has been an underwater photographer for 15 years, and is an avid scuba diver. Topside, she has been taking photographs since age 12, and currently works on assignment for the Salem Reporter, and full time purchasing land for fish and wildlife habitat in the Willamette Valley. Laura attended Oregon State University, and has traveled extensively all over the world and the United States.
