Here’s the itinerary. At 4.4 miles it’s not impossible to do in an afternoon, but it’s more spread out than usual (you have to consider the guy runs 100 miles at a time), so it’s a great opportunity for mortals to experiment with the Tri-Met bus system.  

Meet Yassine Diboun, and let him welcome you to Portland- where world class runners come to live and play.

Today we have a very special athlete and with him a different perspective. Portland is the home of Nike as well as Adidas America, and is known as a haven for runners of all ability levels with a variety of goals. Yassine tends to have goals more towards the long end of the spectrum- running many races up to 100 miles in length. And fast. Check out this year’s race schedule at http://www.yassinediboun.com/. We managed to get him to sit still long enough to give us a peek into what he likes about Portland. Maybe you’ll spot him in Forest Park if you go on an adventure there!

What is your occupation?

Co-Owner/Founder of Wy’east Wolfpack ( www.WyeastWolfpack.com ). I coach runners of all levels, providing customized training plans/workouts, and face to face meetups if local. I also lead Functional Fitness classes in offices around town. I’m not trying to turn everyone into runners, but to motivate people to move their bodies more and to correct imbalances, etc.

Have you always lived in Portland? If not, when did you first move here? Where are you from before that?

I moved to Portland, Oregon from Ithaca, NY in 2009 and I couldn’t have landed in a better place for my lifestyle.

Do you have more roots in the West Side or the East side of the Willamette River?

West Side – I live in SW Portland, and all the majority of the trails that I run are over here in Marquam Nature Park, Washington Park, and Forest Park.                                        

What is your favorite brunch spot in Portland?

Harlow

How do you feel about the Television series Portlandia?

I love it, & I think it’s very funny in a (Keep Portland) weird kind of way! There are many times when I am walking around the city and I just close my eyes and shake my head and say under my breath, “that’s such a Portlandia moment”

What is your favorite donut place in Portland?

I’m not a huge donut person, but if I had to choose one, I’d go w/ Voodoo!

Would you rather attend a game of the Portland Timbers or Trailblazers?

I love watching the Timbers but I have always been a HUGE basketball fan….Go Blazers!

If you had a friend visiting Portland for a weekend, which part of town would you tell them to stay in, and why?

I would tell them to stay in the same area that I stayed in when I was contemplating moving here: The Pearl area. You have access to lots of restaurants, Powell’s Books, shopping, downtown night life, and also to the many access points to Nature, such as the Washington Park Rose Garden, Japanese Gardens, and Forest Park.

Please list off a quick itinerary of a few (4-7) places in a neighborhood you may want to visit for an afternoon.

Knot Springs Spa

Ace Hotel/ Stumptown Coffee

Powell’s Books

Washington Park Rose Garden/Japanese Garden

Pittock Mansion