I enjoyed the marathon very much. Great organization, nice course, good weather, with tons of spectators and aid stations. Yes, there are some hills, but nothing compared to St. George, Utah! There were many bands and other entertainment throughout to distract you. The entire city knows about the marathon. I have run a few marathons where no one in town actually knew there was a marathon happening that weekend. Everyone in the area was very friendly and courteous to us. I only have 2 negative comments, and they are very minor. We went to the pasta dinner the night before wanting to swap t-shirts as was advertised. No t-shirt swap took place this year and no one knew why?? Also the Ultima! UGH! I realize some people like it and I see the ads for it in the running magazines, but it tastes horrible! I vote for Gatorade or Powerade! Everything else was first class and I highly recommend the marathon to anyone, first timers and folks looking for a PR.

I found the course very reasonable in terms of elevation gain and loss. The aid stations were well stocked with enthusiastic volunteers, eager to help and cheer you on. The crowd support was wonderful with few gaps in their numbers. Overall it was a wonderful experience and will be one I will do again.

Great city, but marathon course needs to be rerouted to more scenic areas. Too much in industrial sections - start and first mile too crowded. Little food for slow participants. Great fans in non-industrial area.

Good aid stations, lots of volunteers. Thought the start area was a little congested, had to dodge runners that were already fading in the first mile. Although I probably went out too fast. Website overview of course was very helpful. The flat industrial area was nice but boring view.
Will probably come back, but not next year, try some other race.

I ran the marathon on October 3rd. It was my first marathon. The course was well marked and the entertainment was very well planned and executed. My only concern was that it is promoted as a fast, downhill race. I found the first half to have a lot of small hills which are not mentioned. The last half was indeed mostly downhill after mile 17. Also, everyone with GPS watches should get their satellite fix the night before because due to the large downtown buildings, nobody could get a fix until .25 miles post start. The medal, shirt and food at the end were fantastic as were the medics that treated my blisters. Overall a great marathon and I cannot wait to run it again in 2005.

The course is OK. The industrial section does get a little old. The out and back section where you get a glimpse of the elite runners and the entertainment helps. The hills are not much to speak off. I guess I am just used to running bigger and steeper hills in my every day runs.

As for oranization, I thought it was great. You get up to your pace quickly as the runners are segregated by pace. There was only one water stop where I had to wait briefly for some Ultima; the rest were very well stocked. The finish area is small, but I never felt crowded. My only problem was with how they handled checked in clothing.

Fan support in the neighborhoods was great. Keep an eye out for the guys handing out beer between miles 24 and 25. And the scattered entertainment helped keep you occupied.

I have done quite a few half marathons and this by far was the best organized event I have run.

Portland is a small city that really embraces this annual event. There is a great buzz around the city that adds to the pre-race hype. The expo was very organized and the volunteers were extremely helpful. The course was decent and the support along the course was more enthusiatic than anticipated. The residential area during Mile 12, and the University of Portland (near Mile 21) are very special to run through. My advice is not too underestimate the bridge on Mile 17... it's a massive climb, so be prepared! The finish is fabulous. I wish more of the course ran through downtown and less through the industrial areas. Hagen Daaz and Red Bull at the end amongst other goodies. All in all, a great run and weekend.

I think I've found a new favorite marathon. The city is gorgeous, the weather was perfect, and the course has a minimum of challenging hills. The enthusiastic spectators were endless and the volunteers were all very helpful and friendly. The aid stations were plentiful and well stocked. However, I can't say I like the taste of the Ultima flavors. There were lots of choices for post-race snacks and everything was well-laid out. They even give you a pine tree to plant. The medal was excellent as well. This is a must-do marathon!

This is the second time I have run the Portland Marathon, the first being in 2002, and I do think it is one of the best organized that I have done (33 in all). The course is actually very runner friendly, with some good uphills, downhills and flats...the industrial area is not at all as bad as some of the comments make it out to be, since you can occupy your time watching the other runners. The start and finish areas were fine, and we got plenty of food afterwards. The use of a loop course also makes this a very pleasant event, with no shuttle bus ride and no need to awake at 4:00 am. The crowd support was fairly large and spread out over the whole course, especially in the city itself.

One major complaint, however, is the use of Ultima as the 'sports drink.' Ultima is very poor, both in taste and its ability to serve as a replenishment drink. Basically, it is awful, and I can't see why some marathons continue to use it unless they are getting some tremendous break in the price. Switching from the advertised sports drink to Ultima about six weeks before the event was a mistake.

The weather cooperated for this year's Portland Marathon. High fog cover and cool breezes kept things from getting too warm up until the final 5-6 miles. Great volunteer support. The bands were a welcome distraction, especially along miles 7-11. I would do this marathon a 3rd time.