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Apr 27, 2024

Foot Traffic Flat Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Foot Traffic Flat Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.2

Organization 3.4

Spectators 2.6

Number of comments: 91 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 > ]

Tim Pitts from Portland, Oregon (7/12/2010) "Nice, rural marathon; serene but nice day" (about: 2010) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Foot Traffic Flat Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Getting there was a hassle, and by the time I started the full marathon, the start was almost 20 minutes past. So for the first 6 miles or so, I was almost completely alone. I chose this race knowing there would be few crowds or real sights (the scenery is beautiful but isn't very diverse), so it was kind of nice to run by myself for a while. Once I caught up with the back of the pack of marathoners, it was nice to slowly weave through all of the walkers and slower runners. The vibe is much different at the back, and kind of nice - no one is throwing an elbow as they cut you off; people are just plodding along (myself included). The course was flat, the weather was great, there were no crowds to speak of, which all meant a relaxing morning marathon.
B. B. from Texas (7/11/2010) "Great little race" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Foot Traffic Flat Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 What more could you want, especially in one of the only July marathons in the U.S.? This was my Oregon marathon in my 50-mile quest, and although I had thought about Eugene, I'm glad I picked this one. Here's why: Pros: 1. Great area to visit, especially in the summer. I stayed at the Holiday Inn next to the hotel where the buses left at 5 a.m. (since that hotel was sold out). It was convenient, and next to a cool area of Portland (Nob Hill) with lots of good restaurants. Moved to a nice downtown hotel after the race and saw an impressive Fourth of July fireworks show about a half-mile away; then I drove out to Mount Hood and stayed at the Timberline Lodge and skied on Tuesday after a stop at the fun McMenamins Edgefield - great par-3 golf course, restaurants, etc. Then on to Hood River to see the wind surfers and the wonderful Skamania Lodge and Multnomah Falls, etc., if you need any vacation ideas.... 2. Course was pretty, mostly flat, and easy to run. Fewer than 400 runners. Mile markers were accurate. Plenty of aid stations and nice volunteers. All your needs were provided for. The half walkers were only a minor irritant. 3. Cute start/finish area. Good enough food at the end, with the shortcake being unique. Nice farmer's market. 4. Nice, small-town feel. The anti-Rock 'n Roll experience. 5. Lots of money raised for the local fire department. 6. Nice temps - 54 at the start? 7. I spotted a bald eagle flying over. 8. No expo to mess with. Just showed up at a running store, picked up my bib, and was out of there. No obnoxious commercialism. No t-shirt unless you wanted to pay for one. Cons: 1. Traffic coming in was kind of bad, although my 5 a.m. bus went quickly and we were there by 5:45 for the 6:30 start. Runners were sprinting to the start as we had headed out, and there was a long line of traffic. But we were all warned to get there early. And they started using buses this year and will presumably increase the number. 2. The medal is a little weak, but still cute. 3. The name is weak, and why emphasize flatness? Chicago could be called the Chicago Flat Marathon, right? Oh, for marketing, I get it. 4. No AG awards. 5. Results took 2 days to get online.
E. T. from Phoenix, AZ (7/11/2010) "Loved it. Most recommended" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Awesome. Race packet pick up was a breeze. Staffed perfectly. Helpful. Nice. Great deals on clothing too! ;) LOVED the race medal. LOVED reaching my PR goal!! 3:20! YAY!! Love the "smaller" marathons. This was my favorite by far.
Michael Martin from New Freedom, PA (7/7/2010) "Perfect PR Race!!" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Foot Traffic Flat Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 You could have not asked for a nicer course with any better weather than what was experienced at this race. Like a previous poster said, they advertised flat and fast, and it sure was!! This was my 26th marathon and with temps in the low 50's on a flat course I was able to set a new PR by 2 minutes. Like a few others, I flew across the country as well, and I also ran on about 2 hours on sleep, but it did not affect my race at all. The friendly vibe of the spectators, race officials, and fellow runners, as well as the scrumptious strawberry shortcake, were the icing on the cake of a well-put-together race. Highly recommended!!
L. T. from Dallas, TX (7/6/2010) "Very enjoyable race!!!" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Foot Traffic Flat Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I really enjoyed this race. Beautiful course! Great staff willing to accommodate the needs of the runners. Fun and supportive volunteers. Plus, the medal is one of the coolest I've ever gotten. This is a great small-town race with tons of friendly people who let you know you're appreciated. My only room for suggestion would be for the shuttles to run longer. Us 5-hour finishers didn't have any time to enjoy the festivities and spend our money to support more of the fire department's fundraisers before having to catch the last shuttle from the island. Just something to think about. Thanks for a great race!
K. A. from Key West, FL (7/6/2010) "Fast course, beautiful scenery," (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Foot Traffic Flat Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Wow, I PR'ed and almost qualified for Boston on this course! However, I am used to running in extreme heat with no water. They promised flat, and it was. They promised fast, and it was. The island is so quaint and it was a great place to hold a race. The petting barn and strawberry shortcake were nice treats. As for those complaining about the traffic, the website warned you... just plan accordingly. I still think that there could be more water stops with larger cups and I would have liked to have seen at least one timing pad and one race clock somewhere on the course. Kudos to Sean, the race director, who organized a great event and even personally helped me resolve a registration problem. All in all, a great race. I flew all the way across the country for a stay of less than 24 hours, but I was not disappointed. If you need OR for 50 states like I did, this marathon is a must-do!
M. M. from Newberg, OR (7/6/2010) "A Great Beginner's Race!" (about: 2010) 3 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This is my 3rd half-marathon - the other two I've done were larger races, but I thought the smaller, hometown feel of this race was really charming... and I felt much more relaxed!! I disagree that there weren't enough aid stations (at least for the half). One every 2 miles seemed to be enough - take 2 cups of water if you need! The weather was perfect, not too hot, and the course truly was flat. I am a slower runner (12-minute miles), but it was frustrating to have to go around so many walkers walking 4 across and not paying attention. A separate "walker start" was advertised, but it didn't seem to happen (or maybe some of the walkers didn't get the memo). I'm not knocking walkers - I think it's great - I just wish people would be more conscious of others around them. Toward the end I saw a LOT of marathoners having to dodge walkers - that has to be frustrating when you are trying to qualify for Boston. Overall, it was a lot of fun and the shortcake was delicious!
L. G. from Portland Oregon (7/5/2010) "Fun, small race" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Foot Traffic Flat Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This is the second year I have run this race. Traffic on the island remains a problem. I think more shuttles should be offered and perhaps made mandatory from a designated area? More aid stations made a huge difference. Great race and tons of fun. I highly recommend it. I would say you should be well-trained to enter this race, as medical aid seemed scarce (at least compared to big events like Portland).
Martrese White from Portland, OR (7/4/2010) "Still A Nightmare Getting There; Great Race" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The 2010 edition was my second running of the half. My carpool group left 1.25 hours early for what's normally a 30-minute drive and we still arrived 35 minutes LATE! More carpooling (and the newly-introduced shuttle buses) would solve this problem, but I still saw tons of single-occupant cars entering as I ran out (shame on them). Nice overcast skies this year, enough hydration stations (water and electrolytes), a few bands, local spectators, and enough fun activities at the end made for a festive atmosphere. (Seeing kiddies on the cow train was fun.) Strawberry shortcake is a nice, 4th-of-July touch.
D. B. from Stamford, CT (8/23/2009) "Hot... but it was July 4th, so there!" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Foot Traffic Flat Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Yes, it was 80 at the finish, but it was July 4th, so caveat emptor! Great course - I love the small-race feel. However, if you are running a low-three-hour marathon, you are going to run into all of the walkers in the half-marathon, walking 4-5 abreast. Be prepared to weave, which is tough when you're slogging in the heat at mile 22. I'd kindly request that the race director figures out a way to have a more open road for the marathoners at the finish. It was pretty frustrating. But I still had a good time.

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