Richard and Andy and the rest of the crew did a fantastic job putting on a marathon in Eugene. It's about time that city got a marathon. I was raised in Eugene and when I heard it was having a marathon, I skipped Boston to run it.

The course itself if pretty fast. The 'hills' at the beginning are not bad at all and in reality, are more inclines than they are hills. I think it's a fast course but not blazing fast. At least half of the race is on a fairly narrow bike/walking path that has very gentle rolling bumps but I found it to be a bit disruptive to rhythm. Rhythm can be everything. That said, I really liked the course. It was stunningly beautiful, it is very protected from the sun and from wind and it is still pretty flat and fast.

I can't think of anything that was wrong with the race. It started 5-7 minutes late but that doesn't really matter. There were two or three missing mile markers but not a huge deal. I swear there was actually more hydration stations than advertised which is always a bonus. And despite it being 7am on a Sunday morning, the crowds were at least adequate.

I would highly recommend this race to anyone on the borderline of qualifying for Boston or anyone else that is looking for a flat, beautiful spring marathon.

I was very pleased with the course, which is mostly flat and scenic. Aid stations and port-a-potties were well placed throughout the course. The organization was terrific for any marathon, let alone a first-year marathon. My only complaint was the final 1.2-mile stretch. The University of Oregon declined the marathon access to Autzen Stadium, so we had to finish in the parking lot, which forced us to run alongside traffic. That wasn't terrible because on a 4-lane road, we had 1 lane coned off for us. The other problem this presented was a traffic nightmare leaving. I PR'ed on this course and would highly recommend it to runners of all abilities.

This was my first marathon!! It was great to run in my home town. The course offered the best scenery in Eugene. Truly unforgettable for me! I'm hooked for life!

This was a very well organized and run marathon covering a mostly flat and very scenic course. It seemed like the whole town came out to either run or watch, though on some parts of the course there were not a lot of spectators. The field thinned out very quickly as the miles unfolded and there was none of the mosh-pit elbowing of big-city marathons. This would be a great first marathon or one for those of us a little jaded by the monster events in the big cities. The local bars also seem to carry about a million varieties of beer, if that helps you decide.

You are all spectacular!! This was the best race I have ever done. I only ran the 1/2, but trust me, I will be back next year for the whole. The entire town of Eugene should be commended. You all rolled out the red carpet for us out-of-towners. Perfect course - flat and fast. The water stops were perfectly spaced and very well manned. I know you had no control of the weather, but you couldn't have asked for better. Thank you to the woman who supplied the snacks around mile 10-11. So many times my eyes filled up with tears over the sheer wonderment of where I was running. I've run many halfs, but this by far was the diamond of them all. You would never know this was an inaugural. I literally cannot wait until I can sign up for the 2008 race. I'll do the whole marathon next year and get to experience the entire wonderful course and the people. Thank you so very much. It was totally worth traveling from Florida to run this race. God bless you all. I will talk about this for a good long time. I'm still smiling even now, sitting at my desk, just thinking of Eugene.

Congratulations on a successful inaugural marathon. The starting area was well organized, with more than adequate parking and shuttle buses. The beautiful course was well-shaded from the blue sunny skies. Plenty of volunteers provided support along the well-marked course. The City of Eugene represented itself well, providing plenty of cheers. Dri-Fit finisher's shirts were actually true to size. Results were available quickly. To the race volunteers and organizers, thank you for the best spring marathon in Oregon!

Wow! The organizers of this marathon did a great job, especially for a first-time effort! Its a fast, scenic course with a good number of spectators for a small town. The only thing that would make this race better is if it finished in the stadium. I'll be back for sure!

This is a beautiful marathon! Excellent organization, enthusiastic spectators, and a really beautiful course make this a to-do marathon. It's a perfect sized race - never crowded and never lonely. There was no problem with the half marathoners splitting and then merging later on. I highly recommend this race.

Oh my gosh! This is how to put on a marathon/half-marathon event. You would never guess this was their first one.

The expo and packet pickup were great. The pasta dinner was cheap and good ($10.00). The finisher's shirt is tech fabric and a super design.

The course is FLAT and fast. The first 5.5 miles are on streets, so the runners spread out before you get to the bike paths. Then, most of the rest of the course is on very scenic bike paths with pockets of cheering spectators.

Do your training and come to Eugene to run a new PR. I chopped 14 minutes off mine! One small, itty bitty complaint.... The gear check bag was way too small and ripped out when I put my jacket in it. But that's kitty litter stuff when you are putting on an event this big for the first time. It cannot get much bigger because of the bike paths but it will get better and better. Don't miss out!

A great debut for the Eugene Marathon! Considering that this was an inaugural marathon, organization was awesome. There was good crowd support, which will only get better over the years. The course is fast and scenic.