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May 19, 2024

Eugene Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Eugene Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.6

Organization 4.5

Spectators 4.3

Number of comments: 159 [displaying comments 101 to 111]

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J. H. from Everett, Washington (5/8/2008) "A scenic course in a great city w/ friendly folks" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Eugene Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon in 22 years. I really liked the size of this event - very well organized and not too big. Scenic course, but I didn't care for the concrete path sections of the trail. They were a little hard on my old legs. Eugene is a great destination, and the fans and volunteers were very friendly and supportive. I'd definitely recommend this race to others.
D. W. from Houston, TX (5/8/2008) "Beautiful course, great weather, nice race" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Eugene Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Eugene is a lovely city and is very green in both uses of the word: parks and recycling. Most of the course is on bike trails through parks after the first few miles. I would only classify about half a mile as a boring area along a street. There were a few hills early, with a big one at about 7.5, but after that it was pretty flat (and I live where it is really flat). Great course overall. The only glitch was they were slow in opening the gates to the parking lot at the finish so that we could take the bus to the start. The first bus left at 5:30am but we weren't allowed into the parking area until later. This was strange, since they have a huge lot for the football stadium so parking should not have been an issue. There were tons of portacans at the start, but along the route they were sparse. At about mile 6, I saw 2 portacans with a line about 10-15 people. A guy ahead of me took off a long way across a soccer field to a portacan he saw near a school. They needed to add a few more along the way, especially until the half marathon splits off at 11 miles. The volunteer tshirts were cool (tie-dyed green) but the race shirts were a dull grey with minimal printing. I love the volunteers, but why was their shirt so much nicer than the race shirt? Eugene has a special place in running history, and this race fits that tradition. There is no reason not to run this race.
Ricardo Lopez from Queretaro, Mexico (5/8/2008) "Nice, small marathon" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Eugene Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Beautiful course - almost flat. The problem is that, at least in its second half, the trails are concrete, which puts a lot of load on your legs. Good water stations. I suggest putting them on both sides of the course and clearly indicating what comes first - water or electrolytes. We had to guess. But the finish line and its party are wonderful. Highly recommended. The half and 5K are very well organized as well; my kids did them, and were very pleased.
D. D. from Texas (5/8/2008) "Scenic and beautiful" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Loved the course! It was flat, scenic, and the weather could not have been more perfect. Running the trails through the fir trees was incredibly beautiful - even when the going got tough. The volunteers were wonderful and enthusiastic and very supportive! I enjoyed the event overall but do have a few negatives: There was no finisher t-shirt at the end which I thought was a little odd, but not a deal-breaker. The one we got at the expo was nice, although everyone I talked to would've preferred to have the colorful volunteer t-shirt. The finisher medal was a little cheap-looking - definitely room for improvement. If they're not going to give out finisher t-shirts, then they should spend a little extra money to make the finisher medal more appealing (wider, more colorful ribbon, heavier medal - check out Austin, TX.) When I go to expos and see what other marathons are offering as a finisher medal, my decision about whether or not I will sign up can be greatly influenced. Food at the finish - HUGE disappointment! Granted, this was one of my slowest finish times ever, but all that was available were bagged chips, bananas, brownie crumbs, and tiny, plain bagels. Subway was supposedly there with sandwiches, but they were long gone by the time I came across the finish. Check out Austin, Dallas & Houston's marathons for tips on providing nourishing after-event food. The last negative was the pancake breakfast that I pre-registered for. I got there right at 7:30 and what they had out in the the burner trays were cold. Then they brought some out "just out of the steamer," and those were tough and barely warm. Except for the orange juice and tiny sausages, it was not worth $7. The free breakfast at my hotel was a much better bet. Eugene, Oregon is a beautiful city, but I'm not sure I would travel out-of-town to do this one again.
T. S. from Washington (5/7/2008) "Fast, flat and scenic!" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Eugene Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 A great marathon and beautiful course. The route snakes through Eugene proper and out along the river, along roads and a bike path. The starting point at the campus is central to most hotels and provides plenty of space. The volunteers were plentiful and gracious throughout. The pasta party was merely adequate, but conveniently located in the marathon host hotel. Plenty of port-o-potties at the start and food at the finish (though we missed out on the Subway sandwiches after the half-marathoners exhausted the supply). A couple of areas for improvement include the number of after-race shuttle buses (one from my count and we waited for 30 minutes in the uncovered parking lot) and the inflexibility of the host hotel for late checkouts. They may also consider staggering the start for the full and half. Overall a race worth repeating.
A. B. from Houston, TX (5/7/2008) "Well-organized, beautiful course" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Eugene Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was a very well-organized race on a lovely course. I traveled from Texas and was thrilled with the area. Beautiful scenery and wildflowers everywhere. There were not enough porta-potties on the course; although I did not need to stop, I remember thinking how frustrating that would have been had I really needed to go. Not a big fan of the Gleukos sports drink on the course and at the finish. Well-run expo, great shirts, although as a woman runner, it would be nice to see some women's sizing for shirts once in awhile. I earn my marathon shirts and it would me nice actually to have them fit. It was cool having Dathan Ritzenhein at the expo and starting the race; great speakers and Eugene-themed programming in general. The course is definitely flat and fast, with the exception of a 1/2 mile-ish hill from 7.5-8, but that is not really a big deal. I got a huge PR and a BQ, so no complaints here! I would run this one again; you'd never know it was only in its second year.
d. t. from WA (5/7/2008) "Super!" (about: 2008) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Eugene Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 We will be back! Great, little race fair; good programs; nice course. Spectators were awesome! Lots of porta-potties! Only minus was getting the bus back from Autzen Stadium to the hotel - it was not marked and it took too long to come.
K. B. from Victoria, BC (5/7/2008) "A "right-sized" marathon" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Eugene Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Highly recommended. This race has it all: gentle course (minor hill at Mile 7.5), some streets, shady trails, great volunteers, and enough people so that you always have company but don't feel crowded after the first mile or so. The city is a beautiful place. Packet pickup at the expo was quick and painless. The shirt was underwhelming - a tech shirt that looked like gray gym cotton, and available only in a boxy men's cut. The start area was well organized, although there was a crush at the bag check at the last moment. Although porta-potties were plentiful at the start, they became few and far between after that - I had expected a bank at every water stop. Apart from these quibbles, the race is outstanding. The organizers may have to cap entries to retain one of its great assets: its intimate, comfortable size.
S. S. from Newberg, Oregon (5/7/2008) "Great spectator support" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Eugene Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Very enjoyable route, although not quite the "flat" course advertised. Great aid stations, with enthusiastic volunteers. Beautiful winding course along the Willamette. The finish was far superior to last year's LONG ending around Autzen Stadium. Two improvements would be having pacers representing the Boston qualifying times (they had them in 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, etc. per-mile groups). Additionally, the turnaround at 20.5 miles could be improved (wood chip trail of ENORMOUS chips). Those two things aside, Eugene was a PR course for me and a wonderful marathon.
B. L. from Eugene, Oregon (5/7/2008) "Growing pains evident in second year" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Eugene Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 I was truly disappointed with the 2008 race as compared to last year's inaugural event. Perhaps it was expectation that the race would be stepped up given the upcoming Trials? The disappointment started at the Expo when I picked up my race packet: very disappointing shirt (can you say butt-ugly?). Other merchandise was available for a very steep price, and the selection was extremely limited. Marketing ploy? Race day parking at the finish area was a fiasco, which caused me to miss the race start (thank God for chips). The course had too many switchbacks and pinch points, mostly because the 1/2 and fulls stayed together for too many miles and started at the same time (I suggest a stagger between the two events). The food at the finish was awful- not that I come for the food, but I could use a decent refuel after 26.2. Also, the early bird price was pretty steep ($80) and they really gouged the late comers. I may be there next year because I live and run here, but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to attend.

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