Bend’s Mike Condon finally wins Pole Pedal Paddle; Bend’s Grace Perkins takes women’s race

Published 2:06 pm Saturday, May 17, 2025

By Mark Morical

Mike Condon has raced in the Pole Pedal Paddle 19 times, including 15 as an individual.

He skipped his college graduation for the PPP. He and his wife planned the birth of their daughter around the PPP.

On Saturday, he finally won it.

In his 15th attempt in the individual division, the 38-year-old longtime Bend resident held off young triathlete Andy Krueger and seasoned veteran Marshall Greene to win Central Oregon’s signature multisport race in 1 hour, 56 minutes, 40 seconds.

“It’s just unreal,” said Condon, who could not stop smiling at the festive finish area at Bend’s Riverbend Park. “I didn’t think I’d ever win this race. There was a time when it was a goal, and then I kind of gave up on the goal. And then I thought, well maybe some year I’ll get lucky, and I guess this year’s it.”

Bend’s Krueger, the 2024 winner, finished second in 1:57:07, 27 seconds behind Condon. Bend’s Greene, a seven-time winner, placed third in 1:57:42.

The PPP includes teams, pairs and individuals racing in alpine skiing, nordic skiing, road cycling, paddling and running on a course from Mt. Bachelor ski area to Bend. The stages include an alpine ski down the intermediate Leeway run at Mt. Bachelor, a 3.7-mile nordic ski, a 20-mile bike ride from Bachelor to Bend, a 5.2-mile run along the Deschutes River, a 1.5-mile paddle on the river and the finishing sprint of .41 miles.

The 47th edition of the PPP essentially came down to the paddle leg, as Condon held a slim 7-second lead on Krueger and Greene as he entered the Deschutes River on his kayak.

“I love paddling,” Condon said. “And I knew if I got into the boat anywhere near those guys that I would be able to pull it off. Most people don’t spend much time in the boat and I love it. It’s probably my favorite thing to train for.”

Condon, who finished second last year and has finished in the top three several times, added 20 seconds to his lead during the paddle and was able to relax during the sprint to the finish.

Mike Condon paddles his kayak in the Deschutes River during Pole Pedal Paddle on Saturday near Riverbend Park in Bend. (Joe Kline/The Bulletin)

A husband and father of a 7-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son, Condon said his training mostly consists of 4:30 a.m. cross-country ski sessions and lunch-break runs.

But the project manager for Bend-La Pine Schools (he is managing the rebuild of Bend High) loves to train.

“These guys are at another level, but this is what I train for,” Condon said of Krueger and Greene. “This is my focus. Andy is a professional triathlete, and this is a workout for him. For me, the things we do in Pole Pedal Paddle, that’s what I do year-round. I love kayaking, biking and running. I do a ton of training, but I think the conditions were just right for me. The snow worked to my advantage. And I felt really healthy this year.”

Condon said his skis felt really fast and he felt relaxed on the nordic ski stage, which included rain, hail and slushy conditions at Bachelor. He caught Greene near the end of the ski, then held on for as long as he could on the mostly downhill bike ride from Bachelor to Bend. Greene caught him during the bike, and they ran together through much of the run.

Greene rolled his ankle during the run and was limping as he approached his kayak. Krueger trailed by nearly three minutes at the start of the run but made up most of that and was able to pass Greene during the paddle to take second.

So, will Condon return for a repeat attempt in 2026?

“I don’t know about repeat,” he said. “I’m just happy to win it once. I achieved my life dream of winning this race.”

Bend’s Perkins repeats as women’s champion

Grace Perkins paddles her kayak in the Deschutes River during Pole Pedal Paddle on Saturday near Riverbend Park in Bend. (Joe Kline/The Bulletin)

Bend’s Grace Perkins fought through tough conditions to repeat as the women’s elite individual winner of the PPP.

Perkins, 25, finished in 2:21:34. Hannah Rudd, of Bozman, Mont., finished second in 2:28:20, and Susie Rivard, of White Salmon, Wash, was third in 2:35:22.

“It was definitely hard to figure out what kind of gear to bring, and just kind of playing it by ear as we got up to the mountain,” said Perkins, a Bend High graduate and former distance runner for the University of Portland. “The nordic conditions were pretty tough, and that’s kind of my weakness, so I was a bit nervous coming off of that, feeling like I had expended so much energy.”

Perkins said she recovered once she got on her bike, where she took the lead and never relinquished it.

Racers had to deal with hail and wet conditions during the 20-mile bike ride.

“The first half was dry road and I was able to stay warm,” Perkins said. “The second half the road was pretty wet and splashing up on you.”

Perkins said she plans to return next year to go for her third-consecutive PPP victory.

“The pressure kind of builds with each win, so we’ll see,” she said. “But I love the race, and it’s fun having it be local and just how big of a community event it feels like. I’ll keep coming out.”

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