There are some seriously long hills in this marathon, but the scenic views are worth the effort. Crowd support is mostly limited to the two towns; there were plenty of water stops along the way. Weather was challenging at times but we just have to deal with that. Fall colors were great, as was the rainbow at the start.

My only complaint would be the cars that drive on the course to "support" their runner. Seemed dangerous to have cars driving by while runners are going uphill against the wind and rain, in the middle of a marathon. I think they should close the course to cars.

Overall, a great experience.

This race certainly lived up to its billing as "most scenic." The scenery more than made up for the almost unrelenting uphill grade of the first half. Runners were well supported at the start, throughout the race and at the finish. Great experience!

It's not an easy course, so you might not run a PR, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a more scenic course for a marathon. The Columbia Gorge is breathtakingly beautiful. It was even a stormy, rainy day for the marathon this year (2010) and it was still stunning (and there were rainbows!) This one will be popular for next year.

Worth running to see spectacular scenery in the Columbia Gorge. The course is hilly and slow, with few spectators, but it's a must-run nevertheless.

I only did the half, and it was three weeks after a full marathon, so I had a few strikes against me. But the route was hard, especially because it started out as an uphill! Thankfully, the weather was ideal and the fall colors were grand! Support was good, though there were really no spectators - but that's not why you'd choose this race! Do it for the peace and the natural beauty.

The expo was a little chaotic, but it WAS the first year for this race, so it's understandable.

Recommended!