By Kristen Oliphant, Events & Partnerships Manager
When Sherry Clarke talks about Mount Rainier National Park, you can hear it immediately: this isn’t just a place she visited growing up. It’s part of her family’s story.
Her childhood summers were spent camping at Cougar Rock Campground in Mount Rainier National Park with her parents and siblings, hiking, throwing rocks in the river, eating M&Ms on ski lifts, and learning to love the outdoors from her dad, Wayne.
Wayne was a runner, climber, backpacker, skier, and lifelong adventurer. He summited Mount Rainier twice, climbed Mount Adams, and introduced his children to the joy of being outside before they could even walk (much less hike). He also believed deeply in giving back to his community — a value that would ultimately shape the path his daughter would take years later.
“You could get him in the mountains, and he was just a different person,” Sherry shares. “The mountains were his happy place.”
Then, in 2007, everything changed.
Wayne was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at 56 years old, the same year Sherry finished college. Wayne’s diagnosis didn’t just shake her world — it quietly set a course for everything that would come next.
Sherry remembers thinking, “Isn’t this an old person’s disease? You’re healthy. You do all these things to take care of yourself. This doesn’t make any sense.”
Wayne unfortunately passed away in 2012 at just 61 years old.
For years afterward, Sherry carried the idea that she wanted to do something meaningful in his honor, but she wasn’t sure what that something would be.
Then, during a camping trip at Mount Rainier National Park with her husband and two children in 2018, inspiration struck.
“We were playing and something hit me,” she said. “I thought, ‘We should do a run. I wonder if the national parks have a run.’ And so, my mind just started spinning.”
She researched existing events and discovered there wasn’t a 5K dedicated to supporting Washington’s national parks. So, she set out to create one.
She reached out to Washington’s National Park Fund with a simple but ambitious proposal: “I basically said, ‘Hey, this is who I am — I’ve never done this before, but this is what I’m thinking. And if you’re willing to take a chance, I would love to do it and have all the money donated to Washington’s National Park Fund in honor of my dad and for the parks.’”
And that’s how the idea of the race was born.
View this post on Instagram
This idea became Pacific Runderland, a family-friendly 5K and kids run that raises funds to support Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks through Washington’s National Park Fund.
In its very first year, 250 people registered.
When race industry veterans heard that number, they were stunned — most first-year events consider 75 participants a success. What made it even more remarkable was that Sherry had never directed a race before. She had graphic design skills, years of event marketing experience at the Washington State Fair, and a lifetime of lacing up for races herself — but this was new territory. She figured out the rest as she went.
Since that first event, Pacific Runderland has grown into a beloved annual tradition for runners, walkers, families, and national park supporters alike. But what makes Pacific Runderland special isn’t the registration numbers. It’s the heart behind it. Sherry intentionally designed the event to feel welcoming to everyone, from experienced runners to newbies attempting their very first 5K.
“Run, walk, or skip for Washington’s national parks,” she said with a laugh. “I think anybody can be a runner — but I also don’t want this race to feel like they have to run. If you prefer to walk, go for it. Everybody starts somewhere. Any milestone is a milestone. It should be celebrated.”
That philosophy is woven into every part of the event, but especially the kids run where kids of all ages race through bubbles toward the finish line while parents and volunteers cheer them on.
“It is really fun to see how hard some of these kids work and how proud they are when they finish,” Sherry said. “The kids run is always fun because it’s just like all these little kids absolutely running for their lives. It’s really adorable.”
That same care and intention shows up in the design of the event itself. With her background in graphic design, Sherry creates the race shirts and medals herself each year, drawing inspiration from Washington’s landscapes, family memories, and the places that first sparked the idea.
And hidden somewhere in each year’s shirt or medal is a small dragonfly. This inspiration behind the dragonfly is close to home: A few days after her father passed away, Sherry and her husband were looking out their window at home and noticed hundreds of dragonflies covering their lawn — something she had never seen before. Since then, dragonflies have become a quiet symbol of her dad’s presence in her life.
“I always put a dragonfly in the shirt or medal,” she said, “because it’s something that is always a reminder of my dad.”
Throughout our conversation, what struck me most was how naturally Sherry connects community, family, and the outdoors.
Pacific Runderland is so much more than running. It’s about creating the same kinds of memories Sherry grew up with, introducing kids to the outdoors, bringing people together, and helping ensure these places remain protected for future generations.
This is why my dad liked to come to the parks with me and my family. And this is why I loved being at the parks with my kids… seeing their joy and seeing them get excited about going to the mountains. This is the why.”
That sense of connection stays with participants long after race day.
Sherry shared one especially meaningful story about a man who traveled from Elma, Washington, to participate in the race. When she mentioned the event honored her father, the participant paused and said, “Oh yeah, I knew Wayne. He was my neighbor.” He’s returned every year since.
Moments like that remind all of us why events like Pacific Runderland matter. This event is a testament to Wayne’s legacy, and his belief that national parks are more than beautiful places. They’re where traditions begin, where families reconnect, and where memories are passed from one generation to the next.
Before every race, Sherry gives a short talk. She explains the backstory: who Wayne was, why she started this, what it means to run for the parks. Many participants arrive expecting a local 5K. They leave understanding they were part of something much deeper.
When I asked Sherry what she hopes people leave with after participating, her answer perfectly captured the spirit of the race: “Knowing that they ran or participated in an event that was for a good cause and that also has a deeper meaning and story than just the name.”
That’s exactly what makes Sherry a Trailblazer.
Through one simple idea born in Mount Rainier National Park, she created something joyful, inclusive, and deeply meaningful. She built a community event that helps protect the parks while honoring the people and memories that make them matter so much in the first place.
And if Wayne could see it all? Sherry thinks he’d be proud, but she’s quick to add that he would be “humble about it,” too. He was that kind of man.
“He loved and supported community events. He loved seeing people get out to run. And obviously he loved the national parks. I think he would have been super proud and supportive. He was always really good about letting his kids shine.”
And we agree: Through this event, Sherry and her family shine.
We are grateful for trailblazers like Sherry — and for the legacy of people like Wayne, whose love of community, family, and the outdoors continues to inspire others to give back to the places they love.
We hope to see you out at this year’s event, taking place on Saturday, September 26, 2026, at Roegner Park in Auburn, Washington. For more information or to register for this year’s race, visit pacificrunderlandevents.com.
Washington’s National Park Fund is the official philanthropic partner of Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. Donations fund vital park projects, including trail maintenance, science and research, youth and family programs, and more.
Photos courtesy of Sherry Clarke