My concerns about this race were all without merit.
The marathon, despite the numerous events taking place simultaneously, was extremely well organized.
I thought the expo would consist of one card table, and the expo might end early if a leg on that table broke. Boy was I wrong! The outdoor expo was huge and designed to please all the multi-sport enthusiasts in town. I made more purchases in Sunriver than I did at the Boston Marathon expo.

I've learned the hard way not to believe brochures that promise a relatively flat course. That often means I'm going to be running up and down mountains. The route would be relatively flat to a Sherpa in Tibet--maybe. However the Pacific Crest Marathon IS flat--even to a guy from the East.

After doing some backpacking for a few nights in the mountains, I was used to the altitude and I never noticed the 4200 feet. I worry a bit about dehydrating in a high and dry location but the course support was very good.

The mountain scenery and forest exceeded my expectations. The people in Sunriver went out of their way to make us feel at home and the fellow racers were outstanding. Had a lot of fun in Bend and visiting Crater Lake National Park on the way out. We flew out of Eugene and even had the chance to run a couple laps around Hayward Field, the scene of Prefontane's legendary victories.

Yes--it was worth a trip from Cleveland!

Surrounded by snow covered mountains, tall evergreens, lakes and ponds, the flat double loop bike trail course through the resort is a delight.
Although the marathoners become widely separated, the hikers, bikers and boaters you pass are very supportive.

The only downside is the 3+ hour scenic drive from Portland airport.

I was worried about the 4200 ft altitude and the heat at this race. The altitude was not a problem especially as this is a flat course. It was very hot with the last five miles being in open sun. The course is the most beautiful that I have run, the organization was excellent and the athlete's village and expo had a really festive air about it. Not many spectators but the people out on the course who were cycling and walking were very supportive. I loved this race, thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to be back. Medals and awards were excellent too. Well done!!!

I ran the marathon. It was all about location, location, location. The scenery was breathtaking. There were deer grazing by the route. The support was great...plenty of aid stations. It started out cool and ended as hot. If you like running with crowds of people, this race is not for you. As a sea-level person, the altitude was, surprisingly, not a huge challenge. The course was pretty flat. Would do it again. The Pacific Crest weekend is overall a fun time.

I ran the 1/2. This year was HOT, but hey, the race is in the very hottest part of the year here. Beautiful course. Many, many random bikers on the course. If you're going hard with your head down, you risk many near collisions. Definitelly worth it if you take it easy a bit. Yeah, i'll be back.

It was brisk at the start, but at the 4:19 mark when I finished, it was seriously hot! The last 5 miles are in the open too, so there's no relief. Overall, this was a beautiful course (but any course, no matter how beautiful, only garners 3 stars when it's a double loop). It was flat and there are few runs left in America where you can just breathe in the absolute freshness in the air like this on run (with the exception of the mile or so right by the stable). Don't expect spectators. In fact, most of the folks out and about the resort area seemed pretty clueless that this huge race weekend was going on.

This was my second 1/2 marathon. The first one was very small and I was nervous about the number of people that I saw when I arrived at Sunriver. After the first 1/2 mile everyone seemed to have made it to their 'spot'. I loved the beverage stations at every mile - it was a 'wow - I'm already here?' type of relief feeling. There was never anything to worry about, from potty stops to volunteers stopping traffic and handing out drinks. This race will be hard to match in my eyes. I thought the whole thing was great! I will for sure be back again next year.

I am another runner from the East Coast that made the 3000-mile trip across country to run in this race. I actually planned my vacation around it. The race was well worth the trip. I ran the Half Marathon and enjoyed every minute of it. In my opinion, Oregon is one of the best-kept secrets in the lower forty-eight states. If you love the outdoors, Oregon is a place to be.

Going into the race, I was concerned how I would fair at the altitude - 4200 feet above sea level and the thin air. However, it worked out very well. I spent a few days before the race in the area getting use to the altitude. During race, I did not even notice it. If anything, the thin air helped me to pace myself and I actually ran my fastest mile at #13.

The course, is a winding - well paved - bike path through the community of Sunriver. It is flat and scenic. There are not many spectators on the course but the ones that are there definitely support the runners. The water stations are ample, as are the port-o-johns. One nice touch is that they read your name and town as you cross the finish line. (I was there by myself so it made me feel like someone cheered me on.)

By the way, the race is held in conjunction with a full marathon and half iron man triathlon. So if you want to feel the full experience stay for the whole weekend. Competitors cross the finish line throughout the entire race day. To echo others, I will remember the race for many years to come and will look back fondly on the people that I met during the weekend. Great race, great support, great competitors - highly recommended.

Windy, with beautiful scenery. Looped around. Few participants. Friendly volunteers. Lots of water stations. I was disappointed with the metal. I felt for the money it could have been more creative. Wonderful temperature.

Thanks to an online running buddy in OR that told us about Pacific Crest Marathon. Maybe positive comments about this year's marathon will travel next yr because a marathon runner in the Portland area was not aware of the marathon. Thanks to all the members of the organization who worked really hard to make the first event an successful one. The volunteers were friendly and gave us words of encouragement along the way. It was definitely refreshing to have plenty of fluids provided for us. Thanks to Timex for providing the watches for first place finishers---finally an useful award. Thanks again for making this coast to coast trip worthwhile. My 31st marathon will be remembered for a long time.