Marathon Details - Portland Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > OR > Portland > Portland Marathon

Portland Marathon & Half-Marathon

Portland, OR USA

~~October 7, 2018~~ - CANCELLED

http://www.portlandmarathon.org

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Results:	2017 \| 2016 \| 2015 \| 2014 \| 2013 \| 2012 \| 2011 \| 2010 \| 2009 \| 2008 \| 2007 \| 2006 \| 2005 \| 2004 \| 2003 \| 2002 \| 2001 \| 2000 Top 3 Finishers by Year
Course Maps:	View Course Map/Elevation Chart

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Name:
Address:	The Portland Marathon House 1888 SW Madison Portland OR 97205
Phone Number:	503.226.1111
Email:	Email the organizers



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Reviews

Course 3.5

Organization 4.2

Spectators 4.3

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Number of comments: 295 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 30 > ]

R. H. from Seattle, WA (11/28/2017) "This is a poor excuse of a race" (about: 2016) 4-5 previous marathons \| 3 Portland Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 2016 was my third time running the Portland Marathon... and my last. As mentioned by others, the expo is in a parking garage... come on. There's no bag check at the race, frustrating when it rains on race day. The organizers will say 'well it likely won't rain, so no need for bag check'... but that doesn't help when it does rain. It poured race day and when I crossed the finish line, I was so cold and asked the first aid booth for any type of blanket, hand warmers, something to help me warm up. They told me to keep walking... really helpful. The 2016 course, going up through north Portland was great, a portion I know they've removed since then... too bad, as that was my favorite part of the race (fantastic spectators and views). Out and back courses aren't a great way to show off your city, especially along an industrial highway (the current course). Let's also not forget to mention the fact that they took us off course at the beginning of the 2016 race, adding 0.5 miles to the total length of the marathon, but the race organizers never took responsibility. The race organizers rarely respond to questions via email or social media... really frustrating to those traveling for a race. There are so many other fall races, don't bother with this one... find another. Run on!
Wayne Wright from Palmdale, California USA (11/11/2017) "Still in Bloom" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Portland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 INTRODUCTION: I am a race-walker with a median marathon completion time of 5:18:47. The Portland Marathon was my forty-sixth 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a perfect day for a marathon: weather at the start line was 48 degrees, 93 percent relative humidity, calm and partly cloudy. Unique to marathon events, it was we who sang The Star-Spangled Banner prior to race start in downtown Portland. Two blocks in, our mostly out-and-back course turned north on Northwest Naito Parkway / Northwest Front Avenue, alongside the Willamette River, for the first three miles. Backtracking south to Northwest Nicolai Street, but for a slight detour, we headed west until rounding north on Northwest Saint Helens Road at mile 5. At mile 6, we parted ways with the half-marathoners and our course narrowed down to one lane for marathoners travelling both outbound and return. Prior to mile 9, we encountered our biggest ascent, about a 100 foot climb which culminated at the crest of the Saint John's Bridge approximately one mile later. At this point, looking right we had our best view of downtown skyline. On the other side of the bridge, we spent most of our time on North Willamette Boulevard, passing by University of Portland, and further along, on a bluff overlooking the Willamette River, giving us another glimpse of Portland. We turned around halfway between miles 13 and 14 at North Jessup Street and mostly retraced our steps back to the start line on Southwest Salmon Street between Southwest 2nd Avenue and Southwest 3rd Avenue. Finish line temperature was 59 degrees, 60 percent relative humidity, calm with few clouds. ORGANIZATION: Well executed. Packet pickup at the Hilton Portland Downtown was efficient; included in our premium was an event poster. Superb course support, and although no gels were given, crews handed out cups full of gummy bears and pretzels. Beginning with congratulations by the race director at the finish line, we receive not only our medal, but a coin and pendant bearing the same design, a rose, a tree seedling, and a long-sleeve finisher shirt. Excellent food and drink assortment as well, including, rare to find in marathon finishes, chocolate milk. SPECTATORS: Typical fan support for a marathon of this size. The most excellent and diverse assortment of musical ensembles seen anywhere to date, including in the first mile, a drum corps whose sound was amplified by the Morrison Bridge, which they were positioned underneath. CONCLUSION: A lot has been written about the difficulty surrounding this year's marathon. Fortunately, none of this was in evidence during the event weekend. The organizers did a magnificent job pulling this one off. Yes, it may be disappointing a more scenic marathon course was not used, but given the choice between the course we traversed and no course at all, one should be grateful to the residents of this city to be able to continue the tradition. Well done, Portland. POSTSCRIPT: Race-walkers are few and far between in events such as these, and rarer still is to find one of similar ability. It was a pleasure to share the course with Judy between miles 2 and 3, and later on between miles 13 and 18.
w. C. from Rochester NY (10/30/2017) "Nice come back job race committee!" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Portland Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Despite all the challenges surrounding the 2017 race, this marathon was fantastic! Organization was superb! The volunteers were more than plentiful, and so helpful. I was hoping for a more scenic route, but other than that, it was a crazy-fun and well-run marathon. LOVED all the great swag at the end too! Thank you !
K. V. from TX (10/11/2017) "Fast course, but not pretty" (about: 2017) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Portland Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 The out-and-back wasn't very scenic (as people acknowledge) but I seemed to like the race more than most. The months leading up to the race were a train wreck - with permit denials and DOJ investigations - but race day went pretty well. The course had very few turns and was mostly flat. There weren't a ton of spectators but the ones that were there were great, and the numerous bands were a nice distraction though some were pretty weird. The second half of the course was pretty empty even though I finished well in the first half of the pack. Got stuck behind a pace group for a couple of miles on the part that runs on the narrow highway shoulder between 7 and 9. An extra lane closure would have been nice. Great medal, great volunteers, and grilled cheese at the finish line were all bonuses.
R. g. from Tigard, OR (10/9/2017) "I don't like the out and back course" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Portland Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The Portland Marathon is my home town race. It was my first marathon, and this is where I ran my PR. So I have fond memories of the old loop course. I don't like the new, out and back course. In general I prefer loop courses over boring out and back courses. Just running St. Helen's Road once is bad enough. Now you have to run it again on the return. You need to be careful running down the steep hill from the St. John's bridge on the way back. The Portland Marathon is not a bad race. It's just not as good as it once was.
M. J. from U.S. (10/8/2017) "Out and back course. Not scenic. Wrong mileage?" (about: 2017) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Portland Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 Volunteers and entertaintment was awesome. Water stations and snacks were great! Running an extra 'spur' out and back just to get the right mileage was kind of weird. Hopefully the race is improved next year. Portland is a great City and the race has so much potential. I'll be back. One last probably trivial thing and I've seen this at other races. Who in the world picks out the T shirt colors? With all the great primary colors- why nursery room pastel teal? I'll never wear this thing, not to play golf, not to the sports bar, not to mow the lawn and definitely not to work. The half marathon shirt was great, basic blue good for everyone that entered. Even blacks and greys are good colors, don't overthink it.
G. K. from Illinois (12/5/2016) "Terrible Organization - Major Disappointment" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Portland Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 It is shameful that the organizers have tried to minimize the fact that, through their own incredible incompetence, they added 1/2 mile to the course for LOTS (not just the few they claimed) of the runners (myself included). I wouldn't have been nearly as disappointed if they had just come out and said, 'We screwed up. We're really sorry.' I expected so much more from the state that is the epicenter of distance running in this country. Sad. I'm working on 50 states, so now I can cross Oregon off my list. However, I'm never going back to that race - and I advise other runners to avoid it like the plague. The volunteers and fans, on the other hand, were great. The rain didn't stop them from doing everything they could to support the runners.
Michael McAndrew from Sacramento, CA (11/15/2016) "Portland Miserable Marathon1" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Portland Marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 Poorly organized, no bag check, 1/2 mile added to course, had to run right next to car lane through industrial area, no race officials available. Very weak expo in cold parking garage. No place for cover at end of race when it was raining hard. They did have great music and some diehard fans along the way in the rain but could not make up for this poorly administered event. I believe this was my last Portland Marathon. They need to reorganize!
M. M. from Chicago, IL (10/24/2016) "OK race, not worth the money" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Portland Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 This was my 25th marathon and I have enjoyed every race I have ran. This race was no different; there was a lot that was great and I had a wonderful time. The weather sucked, but that was nobody's fault and I have ran in much worse. Running an extra 1/2+ mile was something that could have been avoided and was very frustrating. I was unable to see any mile markers for the first 3 miles. When I finally did see one at mile 4, I thought my pace was very slow and it really threw me off for the rest of the race. It would be nice if the mile markers were more prominently displayed. The issues the race had with the city of Portland leading up to doubts that the race would even move forward are also troubling. I got on my plane to head to Portland not knowing if the race was even going to happen. The shirt was OK, the medal was cool, and all the 'extras' were very cool. All in all, not a bad race. But, for paying $150, I expected better organization.
Allyn Snowhite from Benton City, Washington (10/17/2016) "It was tough; but I thoroughly enjoyed the race." (about: 2016) 4-5 previous marathons \| 4-5 Portland Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I understand why the alternate route was required, but I feel it was unfair to the runners and walkers who had to use it. We were required to stop at all traffic lights which really added to our times. If at all possible, it would be much better if a street route could be used for future races.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 30 > ]

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R. H. from Seattle, WA (11/28/2017) "This is a poor excuse of a race" (about: 2016) 4-5 previous marathons \| 3 Portland Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 2016 was my third time running the Portland Marathon... and my last. As mentioned by others, the expo is in a parking garage... come on. There's no bag check at the race, frustrating when it rains on race day. The organizers will say 'well it likely won't rain, so no need for bag check'... but that doesn't help when it does rain. It poured race day and when I crossed the finish line, I was so cold and asked the first aid booth for any type of blanket, hand warmers, something to help me warm up. They told me to keep walking... really helpful. The 2016 course, going up through north Portland was great, a portion I know they've removed since then... too bad, as that was my favorite part of the race (fantastic spectators and views). Out and back courses aren't a great way to show off your city, especially along an industrial highway (the current course). Let's also not forget to mention the fact that they took us off course at the beginning of the 2016 race, adding 0.5 miles to the total length of the marathon, but the race organizers never took responsibility. The race organizers rarely respond to questions via email or social media... really frustrating to those traveling for a race. There are so many other fall races, don't bother with this one... find another. Run on!
Wayne Wright from Palmdale, California USA (11/11/2017) "Still in Bloom" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Portland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 INTRODUCTION: I am a race-walker with a median marathon completion time of 5:18:47. The Portland Marathon was my forty-sixth 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a perfect day for a marathon: weather at the start line was 48 degrees, 93 percent relative humidity, calm and partly cloudy. Unique to marathon events, it was we who sang The Star-Spangled Banner prior to race start in downtown Portland. Two blocks in, our mostly out-and-back course turned north on Northwest Naito Parkway / Northwest Front Avenue, alongside the Willamette River, for the first three miles. Backtracking south to Northwest Nicolai Street, but for a slight detour, we headed west until rounding north on Northwest Saint Helens Road at mile 5. At mile 6, we parted ways with the half-marathoners and our course narrowed down to one lane for marathoners travelling both outbound and return. Prior to mile 9, we encountered our biggest ascent, about a 100 foot climb which culminated at the crest of the Saint John's Bridge approximately one mile later. At this point, looking right we had our best view of downtown skyline. On the other side of the bridge, we spent most of our time on North Willamette Boulevard, passing by University of Portland, and further along, on a bluff overlooking the Willamette River, giving us another glimpse of Portland. We turned around halfway between miles 13 and 14 at North Jessup Street and mostly retraced our steps back to the start line on Southwest Salmon Street between Southwest 2nd Avenue and Southwest 3rd Avenue. Finish line temperature was 59 degrees, 60 percent relative humidity, calm with few clouds. ORGANIZATION: Well executed. Packet pickup at the Hilton Portland Downtown was efficient; included in our premium was an event poster. Superb course support, and although no gels were given, crews handed out cups full of gummy bears and pretzels. Beginning with congratulations by the race director at the finish line, we receive not only our medal, but a coin and pendant bearing the same design, a rose, a tree seedling, and a long-sleeve finisher shirt. Excellent food and drink assortment as well, including, rare to find in marathon finishes, chocolate milk. SPECTATORS: Typical fan support for a marathon of this size. The most excellent and diverse assortment of musical ensembles seen anywhere to date, including in the first mile, a drum corps whose sound was amplified by the Morrison Bridge, which they were positioned underneath. CONCLUSION: A lot has been written about the difficulty surrounding this year's marathon. Fortunately, none of this was in evidence during the event weekend. The organizers did a magnificent job pulling this one off. Yes, it may be disappointing a more scenic marathon course was not used, but given the choice between the course we traversed and no course at all, one should be grateful to the residents of this city to be able to continue the tradition. Well done, Portland. POSTSCRIPT: Race-walkers are few and far between in events such as these, and rarer still is to find one of similar ability. It was a pleasure to share the course with Judy between miles 2 and 3, and later on between miles 13 and 18.
w. C. from Rochester NY (10/30/2017) "Nice come back job race committee!" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Portland Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Despite all the challenges surrounding the 2017 race, this marathon was fantastic! Organization was superb! The volunteers were more than plentiful, and so helpful. I was hoping for a more scenic route, but other than that, it was a crazy-fun and well-run marathon. LOVED all the great swag at the end too! Thank you !
K. V. from TX (10/11/2017) "Fast course, but not pretty" (about: 2017) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Portland Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 The out-and-back wasn't very scenic (as people acknowledge) but I seemed to like the race more than most. The months leading up to the race were a train wreck - with permit denials and DOJ investigations - but race day went pretty well. The course had very few turns and was mostly flat. There weren't a ton of spectators but the ones that were there were great, and the numerous bands were a nice distraction though some were pretty weird. The second half of the course was pretty empty even though I finished well in the first half of the pack. Got stuck behind a pace group for a couple of miles on the part that runs on the narrow highway shoulder between 7 and 9. An extra lane closure would have been nice. Great medal, great volunteers, and grilled cheese at the finish line were all bonuses.
R. g. from Tigard, OR (10/9/2017) "I don't like the out and back course" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Portland Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The Portland Marathon is my home town race. It was my first marathon, and this is where I ran my PR. So I have fond memories of the old loop course. I don't like the new, out and back course. In general I prefer loop courses over boring out and back courses. Just running St. Helen's Road once is bad enough. Now you have to run it again on the return. You need to be careful running down the steep hill from the St. John's bridge on the way back. The Portland Marathon is not a bad race. It's just not as good as it once was.
M. J. from U.S. (10/8/2017) "Out and back course. Not scenic. Wrong mileage?" (about: 2017) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Portland Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 Volunteers and entertaintment was awesome. Water stations and snacks were great! Running an extra 'spur' out and back just to get the right mileage was kind of weird. Hopefully the race is improved next year. Portland is a great City and the race has so much potential. I'll be back. One last probably trivial thing and I've seen this at other races. Who in the world picks out the T shirt colors? With all the great primary colors- why nursery room pastel teal? I'll never wear this thing, not to play golf, not to the sports bar, not to mow the lawn and definitely not to work. The half marathon shirt was great, basic blue good for everyone that entered. Even blacks and greys are good colors, don't overthink it.
G. K. from Illinois (12/5/2016) "Terrible Organization - Major Disappointment" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Portland Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 It is shameful that the organizers have tried to minimize the fact that, through their own incredible incompetence, they added 1/2 mile to the course for LOTS (not just the few they claimed) of the runners (myself included). I wouldn't have been nearly as disappointed if they had just come out and said, 'We screwed up. We're really sorry.' I expected so much more from the state that is the epicenter of distance running in this country. Sad. I'm working on 50 states, so now I can cross Oregon off my list. However, I'm never going back to that race - and I advise other runners to avoid it like the plague. The volunteers and fans, on the other hand, were great. The rain didn't stop them from doing everything they could to support the runners.
Michael McAndrew from Sacramento, CA (11/15/2016) "Portland Miserable Marathon1" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Portland Marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 Poorly organized, no bag check, 1/2 mile added to course, had to run right next to car lane through industrial area, no race officials available. Very weak expo in cold parking garage. No place for cover at end of race when it was raining hard. They did have great music and some diehard fans along the way in the rain but could not make up for this poorly administered event. I believe this was my last Portland Marathon. They need to reorganize!
M. M. from Chicago, IL (10/24/2016) "OK race, not worth the money" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Portland Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 This was my 25th marathon and I have enjoyed every race I have ran. This race was no different; there was a lot that was great and I had a wonderful time. The weather sucked, but that was nobody's fault and I have ran in much worse. Running an extra 1/2+ mile was something that could have been avoided and was very frustrating. I was unable to see any mile markers for the first 3 miles. When I finally did see one at mile 4, I thought my pace was very slow and it really threw me off for the rest of the race. It would be nice if the mile markers were more prominently displayed. The issues the race had with the city of Portland leading up to doubts that the race would even move forward are also troubling. I got on my plane to head to Portland not knowing if the race was even going to happen. The shirt was OK, the medal was cool, and all the 'extras' were very cool. All in all, not a bad race. But, for paying $150, I expected better organization.
Allyn Snowhite from Benton City, Washington (10/17/2016) "It was tough; but I thoroughly enjoyed the race." (about: 2016) 4-5 previous marathons \| 4-5 Portland Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I understand why the alternate route was required, but I feel it was unfair to the runners and walkers who had to use it. We were required to stop at all traffic lights which really added to our times. If at all possible, it would be much better if a street route could be used for future races.

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Marathon Details - Portland Marathon