Portland Frontrunners 'public face of queerness'
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Rex Surface is a runner. Always has been. At 77, he still runs marathons. For nearly half his life, he's been a member of the Portland Frontrunners, one of the LGBTQ+ sports clubs in the area.
The Frontrunners began back in 1982, and Surface joined in 1989. The group went dormant in 1996 for a few years, but came back to life in 2001. Through it all, Rex Surface has been there, running. And he's stayed friends with many of the runners.
"I got an opportunity to meet with those people— who are in their 80s now— just (recently). They came back to town to get together. That's how this group hangs on to people," he told KOIN 6 News. "Now, it's very nice because we're so intergenerational. I have such a goodtime with much younger runners."
The group's benefits are not just physical. They're mental as well. They have social functions after most runs and have several social events a year.
"It is a rather difficult time again, so it's really nice for us to have lots of different kinds of experiences so we can help each other cope," Surface said.
He said the Portland Frontrunners experience is perhaps more unique than any of the other leagues in Portland.
"We are actually probably the most 'out', literally, because we're literally on the sidewalks and streets," he said. "Everything we do is outside right in front of the public so we're, like, really the public face of queerness in town."
One of the biggest events the Portland Frontrunners do every year is their Portland Pride Run and Walk. The event will take place on June 14 at 9 a.m. on the Eastbank Esplanade.
It is open to everyone, but if you would like a medal and to be submitted in the event's raffle, you can register online at the Portland Frontrunners website.
"It's just so special," he said. "It's just so special."