PROS: pretty area, good weather, fast course.

CONS: that Liquid Gold stuff was disgusting and they didn't have water for another half-mile after they handed it out - I almost threw up. I don't like turnarounds when you see the people ahead/behind you so much; the city is big enough that you don't need to do that! There were not many people out to cheer people on, and meeting with friends was HARD at the end!!

I liked running across the bridges, and the people in the race were nice. I didn't train much and got a PR, so that was pretty cool (the course was pretty fast and flat). They make you walk all the way around the block and then some before you can get out of the finishing area and meet up with your friends. Some random guy ran into me and knocked my cell phone out of my hand and across the street... (he was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt so I knew he had not just run). He apologized but I was still annoyed. Spectators should give runners (it was obvious I was a runner; I was wearing the space blanket and a finisher medal) some space, especially at the end when we're tired!!

I love the city of Portland, and I ran a PR here, so I want to say this race is terrific but...
- Not enough porta-potties at the start
- Start was crowded and a zoo. People pushed way up faster than they should have clogging the start. Austin is my standard for good behavior by runners; it can be done.
- Trains interrupted the course twice that I know of. They cut the four-hour pace group in half, which would have made me cry if I wanted a four-hour finish to qualify for Boston! (I did not get caught myself.) This is really bad; I'm not surprised that the organizers do not mention this risk, as it is embarrassing for a mid-major race to have this problem, but I am shocked they don't figure out how to fix this as this race grows.
-N ot much crowd support until after 19 or so.

On the other hand...
+ Well organized water stops that were all the same: sports drink first, water second. It's funny how many races don't get that little thing right.
+ Fast course.
+ I love Portland, and there are lots of hotels to stay at within walking distance of the start and finish.
+ 15-deep age-group awards.
+ There were lots of photographers out there.
+ Good (not great) expo (surprised that Nike and/or Adidas are not a huge supporters of this race and don't show up big).

This is my second Portland Marathon, my first being in 2006. I've done 10 marathons since and have a few to compare with.

This is a well-run race. The course is really just a fine one. Like many, I liked the out-and-back portion; it's fun to see all of the other runners. The residential portion past St. John's Bridge was terrific - great fans. The organizers do a great job.

I do have two suggestions. First, please add more porta-johns at the start. This seems obvious, but the lines were too long and I suspect forced some "alternate relief," which the downtown area probably didn't want.

Second, I found the first five miles much more congested than I remembered three years ago. The route was a bit different... but it was a full five miles before I had room to run, having started with the 4:45 group. This could be alleviated with a more disciplined (i.e. roped off) wave start to create more space.

Overall, though, an excellent race and one I'd clearly run again.

This was my first Portland Marathon, and I was pleased. Overall, it is a good race, and a great city. If you are thinking about it, and maybe on the fence, go.

The course is more challenging with more elevation changes than they make it out to be. The course could be fast if run tactically. It sure as heck is not flat. Not by a long shot. As far as whether it's scenic or not, I think it is good. Portland has some attractive sections not covered on the marathon route. Why? Very simple. Logistics. And by staying close to the Willamette River, they control the elevation a little better. It is a trade-off. Simple as that.

Organization is overall good, especially considering the number of finishers. One heads-up: they give a one-off gel called Liquid Gold in these big paper cups (think like a large ketchup cup).

There was a criticism on this site from a prior year alluding to an emphasis on profits over runners. There is some truth to this, especially if you assume that there was no gel in prior years. Some things you pay extra for in Portland, like a training shirt, come free in other races. Choose accordingly.

A last plus is that there is a lot to see and do in the City of Portland. If you like to sight-see in the surrounding areas, you'll be in for a treat. The same holds true if by some chance you should happen to like microbrewed beer. I'd recommend this race at least once to anyone, regardless of experience.

I really liked this race. It had good organization and a fine course. I loved the Taiko drummers. The scenery is not spectacular, but I never notice much scenery anyway when running a marathon. St. John's Bridge was beautiful. I had trouble with with 3:45 pacers going out way too fast and did NOT like what was served on the course for drinks/replenishment. Liquid Gold?? I recommend good, old-fashioned GU. Nice goodies at the end.

This is the best large-event race I've participated in: Super organized (with a couple of small blips), course with some good variety of flat and hills, SUPER aid stations and volunteers, challenging finish (uphill and around a corner), excellent post-race food.

Pros: PLENTY of porta-potties, great organization, fast-moving registration process, timing device attached to bib so it doesn't get misplaced easily, excellent post-race food choices, no worries about running out, sense of humor near the finish line, plenty of variety in the course, top-notch aid stations, plenty of places for spectators, lots of music all around the course, clothing drop next to the start line, SUPER volunteers who were helpful and enthusiastic, finish chute was nice and wide so you can pass people comfortably, technical T-shirt.

Cons: Long lines for porta-potties (but what can you do when there are almost 10,000 people?), no gels or food on course (three gummy bears are NOT going to refuel you, and they had two stations with some nasty-looking goop no one had ever heard of instead of gels), confusing literature about parking (items handed out at expo stated that there would be free parking on Sundays; however, that wasn't true, as parking charges start at 1 p.m. and you couldn't prepay).

I brought my own fuel source thankfully, but come on, committee! Put some gels on the course or make sure people get enough gummy bears to actually refuel them. I understand wanting to reduce waste. I completely support that. Like I said, you can still work the gummy bears, but racers need more than three.

Once more, as I go around the country, I post my comments about yet another marathon.

Portland is a great city with a special vitality and excitement to it. It is a shame that the course did not show more of it. Due to the railroad tracks and the commercial/industrial areas the race goes through, I did not love the course.

I also dinged the organizers not for anything that was lacking about the ancillary events but for two big errors. First, you must cap the race size because your start area is not large enough. Second, in a city so concerned with the environment, why did you use plastic cups? Paper is much better for the runners and the environment. On a minor side, it would not hurt to give out GU on the course; if much smaller races can do it, so too can you.

Despite the flaws above, this race cannot help but be a success and fun to run. The city is just that nice and the people are that into the race.

One other thing: do not start a half-marathon. You do not need it, the course is crowded already and it will take away from the full marathon. Races that have trouble getting runners hold a half-marathon. You do not need it and should not do it. I know the distance has become popular and I understand the reasons for holding the half, but when you have a successful full marathon, do not dilute it with a half. You can hold a half-marathon, but do it as a stand-alone event - not as part of the full marathon day.

One final note to people who come from outside the Portland area. Arrive a day or two before the race and see Portland and the areas around it. It is worth your time.

Nice weather in 2009. Good quantity and choices of nutrition in the finish area. Those are about the only good things I can say about the Portland Marathon. I'm surprised that anyone would comment that this race is well organized. There were too many problems for me to recommend it.

1. Clothing drop-off was ridiculous. Runners had to stand in long lines to wait for volunteers to write each number on a bag and re-bag the clothes. Most races provide a bag beforehand so that you can just hand it over when you get there.

2. Not enough entry areas to the barricade fences at the start. In addition, the start area was far too crowded.

3. The "wave start" was not described in the pre-race literature and not well managed.

4. Too many turns too soon in the race for such a large crowd.

5. I didn't have to stop for trains, but several of my friends did. That's ridiculous.

6. Aid stations were not well spaced; some were too far apart, some too close together. Hard plastic cups couldn't be pinched for "grab and go."

Based on the overly critical reviews on this site, I had low expectations for the Portland Marathon. Many of the posters on this site either have not run many marathons or are spoiled crybabies who expect way too much. If you actually want to run a marathon, you could do a lot worse. This really is quite a good race.

The good: The race is a marathon only, with no half, no 10K, etc. The weather was perfect, although that was just luck of the draw. The course is perfect for a PR (although I didn't run one - you actually need to train for one). I liked the scenery and the dreaded "industrial" section. I've never been to Portland and you should do some sightseeing around town while you are there (it's an excellent city to visit, especially if you like beer), but I liked seeing the industrial area and train yards and seeing the runners ahead of and behind me. The view from the St. John's Bridge was among the more breathtaking marathon moments I've experienced in 36 marathons. After the bridge, the rest of the course was very friendly on tired legs. The finish was very memorable (almost everyone's name gets called out about 0.1 from the finish, giving spectators with cameras a heads up). Having your name on your BIB is also a nice feature that I can't believe more marathons don't have. I didn't have an MP3 player, but it is a nice option for those who did. I personally liked the variety of music on the course. The shirt is an excellent one (Nike Dri-Fit), and the medal is decent (though the ribbon is better than the actual medal). The expo was a good size - not as big as Boston or New York obviously, but better than most. An excellent feature after the race was the presence of kiddie pool ice baths - highly recommended for leg recovery.

The not-so-good: the start was a little weird and confusing, although I did get there a little too close to race time. I probably didn't pay close attention to the nice race program either, or take advantage of the ample opportunties to get race info at the expo. There were probably not enough porta-potties, but as I guy with no shame, that really didn't concern me.

There is a wave start, which is nice; but in execution, it could have been a little better. I would have liked a better carb source on the course (the honey was nice, but I don't think it was enough). Ultima alone does not do the trick. The only thing I hated about the course is the abrupt turnaround the cone. That's an inexcusable addition to any marathon course. Take us down a side street or through a parking lot or something. Anything but the cone. Overall, the pros far outweigh the cons on this race.

Recommended.

I'll always have a soft spot for this race, since it was my first marathon in 2006 and it seemed fitting to come back this year for my tenth marathon.

I don't mind the less-than-scenic areas, and I really like the out-and-back sections because they give me an opportunity to see the leaders and my friends who are faster (and slower) than I am. It seemed like there was a pretty long stretch after the St. John's Bridge with no aid stations - at least by the time that I got there.