Sideline Stories: Amy Landry, Race Director and Founder, Portland Kids Duathlon

The Race I Couldn’t Find for My Daughter

By Amy Landry, Race Director and Founder of the Portland Kids Duathlon

I wanted my daughter to know how strong she was. She had watched me train for and race triathlons since she was born, and by four, she wanted to be just like mommy, setting up her own “swing, bike, run” courses in our neighborhood. Her first event was the Peaks Island Road Race fun run, and she was all smiles.

That same day, I ran the adult race and set a personal best but left with a torn hamstring that wiped my training and racing schedule clean. With more time and a yearning for the racecourse, I started looking for races for my daughter. What I found were mostly more kids fun runs built into adult races. But my daughter had seen the excitement and energy of events like Tri for a Cure and Beach to Beacon, and that’s what she wanted too.

So, I created it.

I chose a duathlon because it was more accessible than a triathlon, allowing non swimmers and very young kids to participate. The Portland Kids Duathlon was built to give kids ‘all the feels’ of a professional race day: the finish line, the medals, the swag, the cheering crowd, and the confidence that comes from accomplishing something hard.

In early 2018, I approached my friends at Cyclemania with the idea. They believed in it and agreed to host that first year. My husband, who owns Benchmark Real Estate, and I shifted much of the company’s advertising budget into making the event happen instead. We reached out to local businesses for sponsorship and chose the Foundation for Portland Public Schools as the beneficiary.

We opened just 50 spots that first year. They sold out quickly, and we donated $5,000 to the Foundation in 2018. Nine years later, thousands of kids have crossed our finish line, and we are approaching a total $112,000 raised for Portland’s public schools.

Every year, I still tear up presenting the check in front of hundreds of cheering kids, parents, volunteers, and sponsors. This year feels especially bittersweet because the little girl who inspired it all is turning 13 and swapping the racecourse for the volunteer station.

One quick story. Several years after starting the race, I noticed a kid wearing one of our first event shirts while I waited to accept an award at a local triathlon. I thanked the mom for supporting our event, and she pointed to the podium where the 18 years and under winners were standing. She said, “That’s my son up there. He did your race in 2018 and has been racing ever since. He even convinced me to finish my first triathlon today.”

That moment reminded me that you never really know what impact your dreams can have on others.

I hope you’ll join us on July 19th, 2026, for year nine of the Portland Kids Duathlon at Payson Park in Portland! Visit portlandkidsduathlon.com to learn more, sign up, or volunteer.

Images by Elusive Photography