While I enjoyed this marathon, it was not even close to being the best marathon I've run in. The weather was great. For the most part the course was scenic, although a little too hilly for me. The fan support was great and the musicians along the way gave it a real Oregon feel.
The Portland marathon touts itself as the best organized in the US. I started to question this at the first water stop, where the volunteers were still pouring water and powerade as the runner's arrived. At each water station you had to stand and wait for the volunteers to get the drinks and hand them out. Not a big deal to someone who runs as slow as me, but not a sign of organization.
While the course was pretty, it was so narrow that you never completely got away from the other runners. The Los Angeles Marathon with three times as many runners didn't seem this crowded. After the finish they make you walk down into the basement of a building to get your t-shirt.
I don't mean to sound negative. This was a good marathon; it just doesn't deserve the reputation of being well organized.

Portland was my first marathon, and I loved every moment of it (the first 18 miles anyway). The course, weather, entertainment, runners, fans, organization, perks--they were all first rate. Having not run any other marathons, I can't really rate it with any kind of intelligence. All I know is that I can't think of anything about the race that disappointed me. It was a hoot!

Ran my first marathon in Portland in '97. As others here have stated, it's a great course other than the 5 or so miles in the freight yards. The hill up to the St. Johns Bridge is not all that difficult. If it's a clear day, be sure to have sunglasses as you will be running into the sun from St. Johns all the way back to downtown. The first mile can get a bit congested, especially as the course enters Chinatown. If you are a PR seeker, you may want to start a bit faster than normal. Well organized race, I would recommend it.

One question for the race organizing committee...what happened to that great 1984 course?

This was my first marathon (1984), and I ran it again in 1999. The course has digressed.

I agree with the other (Oregon) marathoner: why spend so much time in the industrial area when there are so many other scenic areas in Portland?

In general I do agree with the comments about excellent logistical support in the form of beautiful finisher's medal, great finish line food, and plenty of finsih line support.

Where to start? How about the '10 minute miles' sign less than half a block from the '14 minute miles' sign? It took me almost 6 minutes to get to the start and three miles to get passed all the walkers. This is to say nothing of the spectators who insisted on lining up in the street to get better camera shots of their marathoners. Then there were the non-waterproof markers to mark drop-off bags while it was raining. Should we discuss the fact that the race expo space was about half what was needed? And the line to pick up your number and chip backed up to the escalators which hordes of people were still coming down on. I've run 13 different marathons. Maybe it was only the 2000 that was so messed up, but Portland wouldn't even make my top 10. Sorry, guys, I know you're all volunteers, but I believed your hype.

One of the reasons I registered for this race last year was because it was ranked as one of the best-organized races in the U.S. according to 'The Ultimate Guide to Marathons.'

I have few complaints: We were told by the race volunteers that Portland's light rail trains started early on race day. Wrong. Let's just say 'thank goodness for the chip.' I've never been late to the start of a race; that was aggravation I didn't need. Why is Portland just now getting the chip, apparently donated by Nike? This isn't something you expect from what is supposed to be one of the best marathons in the country. I digress . . .

I was stopped by a FREIGHT TRAIN for 3 minutes at around the halfway point -- not a big deal unless you're going for a PR, which hundreds, if not thousands, of us were. Apparently this train thing happens all the time. Funny, it wasn't mentioned on the web site. I didn't mind that the course wasn't particularly scenic. That's fine, but Portland advertises itself as a good place to come if you want to run a PR. Being stopped by a train is unacceptable.

I apologize for the sarcasm and the negative tone of this post, but I was disappointed with this race (ya think?). It certainly wasn't worth a trip across the country.

By the way, I got my PR by six minutes, thank you very much.

This is my hometown run and it's a great event - runs smoothly, good aid stations, and great fans. The one complaint we locals have (aside from the hill at mile 17) is the long mileage spent in the industrial area, just flat boredom with ugly views. No one I know goes here during the rest of the year, why do we bring guests to our city there when there are so many other beautiful sections of town?
Nevertheless, I'd encourage you to come in 2001!

This marathon has a well earned reputation of being the best organized marathon in America. Everything from the pre-race expo to the finish line is set up for the runner. They even give you a bag to haul all the food they give you at the end of the run. The course is nice, even though the hill at mile 16 (to reach the St John's bridge) is grueling. Aid station support is super, and the crowds are enthusiastic. This is the perfect race for a first timer.

We didn't have great weather for the 2000 Portland Marathon, but the locals still came out to cheer and entertain us. The hills didn't bother me, but there were very strong headwinds for much of the course that made me feel like I was on a treadmill... putting out lots of effort but going nowhere. No PR for me on this day. This is a good race for walkers and slower runners as the course stays open for 8 hours with full support. People finishing in seven hours will get just as big a reception at the finish as those who finish in three hours. Tons of food at the finish and plenty of pre-race information. My only complaint is that the course spends too much time in industrial areas where the only view is of warehouses and shipping containers. Portland is a beautiful city, but you'd never know it for many of the marathon miles..

I really enjoyed this marathon! The course was very beautiful and what a rush it was to run over the St. Johns Bridge. There are just enough hills to keep you on your toes. I loved the downhills near the end. It had the BEST T-SHIRT and MEDAL!!! The only small complaint I have is that they could have better and bigger mile markers. I missed 3 of them! The rose given to all finishers is a really nice touch. Keep up the good work!