When Moe Codino finds a running route he like likes, he stays true to it.  Moe has run all twenty of the Newport Marathons. He’s run ten Hagg Lake Mud Runs 50k races, and followed those with the 25k double eight times.  This month will be Moe’s eighth Mt. Hood 50 mile race.

As indicated by the film Moe Codino:  The Original Dirt Churner, Moe has a unique affinity for the Wildwood Trail in Forest Park.  If you have spent a fair amount of time on the Wildwood Trail, chances are you have seen Moe run by in his familiar red bandana.  No course or route has been run by Moe as much as the 30.2 miles of the trail that winds its way from the zoo to Newberry Road.

Moe has run Wildwood end to end (aka E2E) 28 times.  He’s run the E2E2E (60.4 miles) six times.  His friends and family even staged a race just for Moe called the Wildwood Wonhundred, which entailed 100 miles on the same trail.

Moe has several points on the trail that he’s named, so he broke it down just for Northwest Dirt Churners.

This coming from the Newberry end (North to South), Moe’s favorite direction to run.  The miles are the blue diamond markers on the trail.  We also mapped Moe’s spots on Wildwood.

Mile 22, The Tires- there’s just tires buried in the trail. Odd!

The Tires

Miles 14.5-16(Saltzman), The Matchsticks-the trees are all about the same size and diameter and evenly spaced. It’s a great place when the sun rises.

The Matchsticks

Miles 12-14ish-The Badlands-usually the muddiest section on Wildwood and it takes the longest to dry out.

The Badlands

The Badlands

Mile 11.5-Firelane 1, Mini Everest- a little reminder to tell you that Wildwood isn’t all flat. About 200 yards from the top are The Root Steps. Two tree roots that force you to lift tired legs a little bit higher.

Mini Everest

The Root Steps

The final section- From Firelane 1 to the end at the zoo, The Promised Land-I know I have 11 miles left but I know exactly what is ahead.

The Start of the Promised Land

Intersection of WW and Aspen trail-The Big Pecker. If you look up there is a big carved wooden woodpecker in the tree. Look carefully, you can miss it.

The Big Pecker

Upper MacLeay to Pittock Mansion- One last climb to bring the last 25 miles to reality. Always hated, always respected.

Wildwood as it crosses Upper MacLeay Trail towards Pittock Mansion

A bench between mile markers 1/2-3/4-Megan’s Hobo Bench- named for Megan Bruce’s fear of strange people sleeping on benches.

Megan’s Hobo Bench

 

Miscellaneous spots on in the last couple of miles:

The Bench, The Rooty Right Hander, Renee’s Tree- no stories, just landmarks I use when I’m really tired. These have mentally saved me during E2E2Es.

Renee’s Tree

Stinky’s Spot-named for Desiree Marek who has run more E2Es with me than anyone. It’s somewhere on Wildwood and that spot will remain just mine to know.