Flash - Photography from every corner of running.
Track, road, trail, ultra, cross country, and beyond. Enter your best work for a chance to be shown at the Flash gala, auctioned to guests at the gala, and judged by a jury that spans the sport.
Free to enter. One entry per person. Submissions close November 4, 2026.
Key dates
October 4, 2026 - Submissions open
November 4, 2026- Submissions close (11:59 PM Pacific)
Late November - Shortlisted photographers notified
December 16, 2026 - Flash 2026 Gala
AWARDS
Photo of The Year - $500
Category Awards - $250 each
Action
Portrait
Abstract
Landscape
Community Awards - $250 each
TBD
About the competition
Flash is Portland Track's annual photography competition celebrating the athletes, moments, and artists of running. It began in 2021 as a gala and silent auction of running photography and has grown into an open competition for photographers around the world.
Whether you shoot elite track meets, local road races, mountain ultras, or your friends on a Saturday trail run, this competition is for you. Entry is free.
What's new this year
Open to every corner of running. The jury includes professionals from track, road, and trail and ultra, and the rules welcome work from any sector.
Abstract now welcomes illustration and composites. Digital painting, collage, composites, and other photo-based artwork can compete alongside in-camera techniques.
Blind judging. Judges see images and entry IDs only. Names are removed before anyone scores.
A simpler entry form. Choose your category, upload your image, and describe it in your own words. One entry per person.
A clear AI policy. AI-assisted editing tools are fine. AI-generated imagery isn't.
The four categories
Action An athlete in motion.
Portrait An athlete as the subject, in a studio or candid setting.
Landscape An athlete's relationship to their surroundings.
Abstract Creative work that interprets running beyond straightforward documentation: in-camera technique, illustration, digital painting, collage, and composites.
Each person may submit one entry: one image, in the category that fits it best. Additional entries will be disregarded. [Not sure which category fits? Read the category guide.]
Who can enter
Anyone can enter, from first-time photographers to working professionals.
Portland Track staff and organizers, and judges, can't enter.
Your photo needs a clear connection to track and field, road racing, ultras, trail running, cross country, or athletics. It can feature elite or recreational athletes and doesn't need to be from Oregon or a professional event. It must have been made between November 4, 2025 and November 4, 2026.
How to enter
Choose your image. Each person may submit one entry. Additional entries will be disregarded.
Prepare your files. JPEG only. There's no minimum size.
Fill in the entry form. Choose your category and add a title and description. Use your description to tell us how Abstract or heavily edited work was made, whether AI-assisted tools or third-party material were involved, and if it's a multi-frame sequence. You'll need to sign in with a Google account to upload your images. [Start your entry]
2026 JuRY
Howard Lao - Head Judge
As an award-winning photographer and former D1 athlete, Howard Lao knows what it takes to capture the heartbeat of athletics. He's photographed everything from the US Olympic T&F Trials, to the NFL, NBA, March Madness and more. Howard is returning for his 5th year as Head Judge.
Amy Wolff
Amy Wolff is a photo/video director and producer whose extensive experience spans leading brands and publications, including Apple, ESPN, Runner’s World, Bicycling, Fortune, and nonprofit organizations. Amy brings deep expertise in creative production for photo and video shoots across print and digital platforms.
Yas Marrero
Yasmin "Yas" Marrero is a Chicago-based Creative Strategist and Brand Manager at Conscious Minds, where she partners with Nike Running’s global teams on elite sport moments and seasonal campaigns. Her creative vision is rooted in how people consume information today, and she specializes in bringing a next-generation style of storytelling to brand campaigns.
Mark McCambridge
Mark is the inbound Executive Creative Director at Vuori and former VP of Global Brand Creative at Arc’teryx. A lifelong photographer and writer, he fell in love with Track and Field as an undergraduate at University of Oregon, leading to a career that included an 8-year run at Nike helping lead storytelling of the Rio Olympics, Breaking2, and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Cortney White
Cortney is a self-taught photographer, director, and producer behind the production company Gym Class. Known for her ability to capture raw emotion in sport, White has worked with brands such as Nike, Salomon, Adidas and more. A founding contributor of Flash, this is Cortney's 5th year on the jury.
The rules at a glance
One entry per person. Only the first entry received from each person is considered, and any additional entries are disregarded. You can edit your entry until the deadline.
Editing. Action, Portrait, and Landscape entries should show the scene as it appeared in front of the camera. Standard adjustments (exposure, color, contrast, cropping, sharpening, noise reduction) are fine, as are panorama stitching, focus stacking, and exposure blending of the same scene. Adding, removing, or combining elements from different scenes or moments belongs in Abstract. Multi-frame sequences and time-slice images of one athlete can be entered in Action or Abstract.
AI. AI-generated imagery isn't eligible in any category. That includes text-to-image tools and generative fill, expansion, or replacement. AI-assisted tools that adjust your own capture, such as masking, noise reduction, and retouching, are allowed. If AI-assisted tools played a significant role in your process, mention it in your image description.
Minors. Images that show minors are considered at the discretion of the jury.
Rights. You keep the copyright. By entering, you let us use your image only for Flash 2026: to run the competition and to promote Flash on our website, social media, press materials, and event materials. Our Flash event partners may use entered images only to promote Flash 2026. Neither we nor our partners will use your image for anything else, including our own advertising, products, or merchandise. Shortlisted and winning images may stay in the Flash archive on our website in future years. If your image is shortlisted, we make a single print for display at the gala, and it's sold at the gala auction only if you opt in. If it isn't auctioned, we may keep the print or give it to a Flash event partner, but it won't be sold. No other prints are made or sold. You're responsible for any releases or permissions your work needs.
[Read the full rules]
How judging works
Every entry is judged blind. Judges see an image and an entry ID, not your name.
Our team first removes entries that can't be considered, such as out-of-focus or unusable images, images unrelated to running, and repeat entries, and strips out identifying details. Then three rounds of judging follow:
Round 1: Quick scoring. Each juror gives every remaining image a quick overall score. Roughly the top 20 to 30 percent in each category move on, with at least 15 per category where possible.
Round 2: Detailed grading. The jury scores each remaining image in detail against published criteria, and the highest scores determine the shortlist.
Round 3: Ranked voting. Each juror ranks their top five shortlisted images in each category. Ranked voting decides the top three, a winner in each category, and the Photo of the Year.
The criteria. In Round 2, Action, Portrait, and Landscape are scored on impact and story, composition and visual craft, technical execution, and originality. Abstract is scored on concept and originality, craft and execution, impact and story, and connection to running.
[Read the full rubric]
Judges recuse themselves from any entry they may have a personal or professional connection to. Decisions are final.
The shortlist, the auction, and the awards
The shortlist. Thirty images are shortlisted each year: five in every category, plus ten additional places filled by the highest-scoring remaining entries. Shortlisted photographers are notified at least two weeks before the gala and are featured at the gala. We encourage all photographers to attend the event!
The auction. On the entry form, you tell us whether you'd like your image auctioned if it's shortlisted, and how you'd like the proceeds shared: 100% to you, 100% to Portland Track, or a 50/50 split. Auctioned prints are made by Portland Track, stamped, and issued with a certificate of authenticity as the Flash competition copy. Each auctioned image is sold as a single Flash competition copy, and bidding happens online but is open only to guests attending the gala in person at the Portland Art Museum's Sunken Ballroom, so there's nothing to ship. Opening bids start at $100. We make a single print of each shortlisted image for display at the gala, and it's sold only if the photographer opts in. No other prints are made or sold. You're free to sell your work, including other prints of the same image, however you like. Your auction choice doesn't affect selection or awards. We collect payout details when we send your shortlist notification, and payouts are made in a timely manner after the gala.
The awards. The top three images in each category are announced at the gala. Category winners receive $250, and the Photo of the Year receives $500. Prizes are supported by community sponsors. Sponsors: TBD.
FAQ
Does it cost anything to enter? No. Entry is free.
Can I enter work I've already shared online? Yes, as long as it was made in the contest window and you own the rights.
Can I enter more than one image? No. Only one entry is allowed per person, and any additional entries will be disregarded. You can edit your entry until the deadline.
What if I'm not sure which category fits? Choose the one you think fits best. If it belongs elsewhere, we'll contact you before judging begins.
Can I use AI to edit my photo? AI-assisted tools that adjust your own capture are fine. AI-generated imagery isn't allowed.
Can I enter photos of kids? Images that show minors are considered at the discretion of the jury.
Why does the entry form ask about gender? It's optional, and it helps us understand who enters Flash. Judges never see your answer, and it has no effect on judging.
Do I have to take part in the auction? No. You choose on the entry form whether to auction your image, and opting out has no effect on selection or awards.
How are auction proceeds shared? You choose on the entry form: 100% to you, 100% to Portland Track, or a 50/50 split.
Do I need a high-resolution file? It is not required for entry, but it may impact judging ability. If you're shortlisted, we'll ask for a print-quality file.
When will I find out if I'm shortlisted? At least two weeks before the gala, by email.
Can I change my entry after submitting? Yes, until the November 4, 2026 deadline.
Full competition rules (10/2/26)
Category Guide
Contact: Matt Parker, matt@portlandtrack.com
Flash 2025 is made possible by…
Interested in being a corporate partner for flash?
Please reach out to matt@portlandtrack.com