Eugene Marathon - Race Reviews

This is a good course for a first-time marathoner, and this city loves its athletes, so they come out to cheer. Organization at the finish festival could certainly be better.

This was a fantastically well organized and supported race. Volunteers were friendly, helpful, and plentiful. The course was very well marked, with roughly the first half through parts of Eugene and Springfield and the rest on bike paths along the river. Finishing in the re-built Hayward field was awesome, I can't imagine there is a nicer stadium dedicated to solely track and field anywhere. Expo wasn't huge, but appropriate for this size race. Pancake breakfast was great, thick fluffy pancakes Saturday (after 5k) and Sunday. Other post-race food was average, re-usable water bottle and bag were both nice. All in all a great race in Tracktown USA, well worth the trip if you're a 50 stater or just looking for a medium sized race in a relatively small/laid back city.

This is a nice course with much of it in shade along the river. The marathon starts with a run southward through town going by Hayward Field (under construction) and the the University of Oregon. There are two hills in the first half that can slow one down a bit. The weather early in the day is cool so no overheating there. About at the 13 mile mark, you turn by Autzen Stadium to run along the Willamette and with a light breeze from the north, this is the best part of the course. Cross a pedestrian bridge and head back to the stadium. A section in the sun through some meadows and then a sprint back to end on the 50 yard line of the UofO stadium. Crowds are friendly and supportive. Weather tends to be mild. Nice selection of food at the end and a jazz band. The field of runners is well above the average with many posting very fast times. Plenty of nice places in town to eat. Lovely community.

This was my 47th marathon overall and my 35th state in my 50 state quest. This marathon definitely ranks in the top 10% of the marathons I have run in. Course: First half of the course is through a variety of city and residential areas. Second half is a asphalt/concrete bike path along the river. Finish this year was at Autzen Stadium instead of the usual Hayward Field due to construction. Though they advertise the course as flat, it really is rolling with a couple short steep inclines. Logistics: I flew into Portland and drive about two hours down I-5 to Portland. Hotels were a bit pricey and rooms hard to find unless you book early. There was parking at the stadium as well as a shuttle from a few different areas. Organization: This was a well organized race with water stops (water and gatorade) roughly every 2 miles. The race director communicated via their web site, Facebook, and emails. The race director kept you well informed in the days leading up to the marathon. In addition to the marathon there is a half marathon (same day), 5K (day before), and a kids run (day before). Expo: The expo was definitely on the small size for a medium sized marathon. There were about 4 running stores there and then about 8 to 10 other booths. It was held at the Lane Center on the fairgrounds. Shirts: They were green this year. There were unisex sized and woman shirts. I heard several runners complaining the shirts were running small, but my medium seemed to be true to size. Post Race: Every finisher was handed a high quality medal, a water bottle with the race logo, and a bag with food. Personally I found the food in the bag a bit lacking; I prefer to select what I want. There was other food available for sale. I would recommend this race for a first time marathoner, a 50 Stater, someone trying to qualify for Boston, and just about any other marathoner.

Everything about this experience was fantastic. Organizers do everything with the participant in mind. Frequent hydration and gel stations strategically placed. Flat, fast, scenic and stimulating course. Nice finish festival. Cool medals. Weather was even perfect this year (50 and overcast).

This was one of my most enjoyable marathons and I highly recommend it to anyone running in Oregon, especially since there is no more Portland Marathon. The course, organization and everything were just superb. Spectators, especially from the half way point on where we started running on a path were few and far in between. Finishing in the stadum was just plain awesome. This was my 68th marathon and 47th state.

My 5th year in a row and still loving it. Fortunately the weather forecaster was wrong: again: and we had perfect running weather. Started on time. Ran like clock-work. Great aid stations and VERY frequent the last 6 miles, which is always appreciated. New medal design every year, and I loved this year's with the outline of the state of Oregon. And the finish line is fantastic at Hayward Field. Another great job by the entire team in Track Town, USA

I have run seven marathons and the Eugene Marathon is, by far, my favorite. There is such a rich running focus in Eugene that you just feel like you are at the birthplace of running in America. The race is well organized and well supported. But, easily, the highlight of the race is getting to run the finishing stretch on the Tracktown USA track. The stands were full and it is the closest I will ever come to being able to feel like an elite runner.

This was my 30th marathon and 25th different marathon course. I trained harder than usual and managed to BQ for the first time in 7 years (I ran Boston in 2010 and 2011, and want to run it one more time). The weather was perfect, and the course profile was easy enough. My only gripe was that the bike path from miles 20-25 is made of concrete, rather than blacktop, so your legs will take a pounding there. Organization was top notch, and the expo was much better than I was lead to believe it would be. Great finish on the Hayward Field track! Plus Eugene itself is a cool town circa 1970 - do not miss the Saturday Market!

Top Notch Organization!!! I PR'd by 17 minutes!!! and it really is a BQ Course. Race Course goes through residential areas for almost 13 miles and the rest on the gorgeous woods surrounding the Willamete River. There are more hills than advertised but none to hard to worry about. The bike path that runs beside the river might be a bit boring for some people, but I completely enyojed it. Weather for 2017 race was simply perfect. We started with around 4°C and by the time I finished there were 12°C. I PR'd by 17 minutes!!! and it really is a BQ Course. Expo was small and the post race festivities were great. Would do this race again without doubt.

Really enjoyed this beautiful marathon. Very little road running. Most is running next to willamette river. Couldn't have asked for a better day. 50s and sunny with a breeze. Not too hilly. Lots of water stops. Even though on the smaller end had folks every few miles. Thanks Eugene!

I'm writing this review 2.5 months after having had run it, and I gotta say I'm drawing a blank. That's not to say it was a bad experience. I remember the trip, overall, was fun. But the race, itself, wasn't memorable except the finish, and I can recall details of the other 7 races I've run this year. Finishing in Hayward Field was pretty special, tho.

This is truly a well-produced, well organized race. Easy pre-race logistics, great expo for a small race, scenic course (flat and fast) with a big finish, plenty of water stations, and great post-race food and festivities. Nice medals. Everything about this race is well planned and well organized. Bravo to the race organizers and volunteers!

The volunteers were excellent. I wasn't expecting so many rolling hills. It was memorable to finish in Hayward Field. Only disappointment was that I was hoping to qualify for Boston, but needed the pacer. Pacer never showed up. The Beast Pacers that I talked to didn't seem very upbeat. Cliff Shot pacers are better.

I ran the full marathon. Easy for friends to drop off near start line. Near start found port-o-potty's with no wait time! People actually placed themselves accordingly in corrals. Lots of space in corrals. I was not hindered by slower runners nor did i feel like was going to be run over. Adequate hydration stations every 1-2 miles. Well organized, Gatorade first water second. Bathrooms on course. More spectators than I expected. Some stations with people dressed in costumes was fun. Easy for spectators to see their runners multiple times if they wanted. Course was less flat than expected. Only 2 significant hills but lots of short mini hills, that felt 'big' in the latter half. Traffic control was excellent, never felt like I was going to be run over. Good finish line experience. Was handed space blanket, marathon branded reusable bag filled with stuff and there was a choice or drinks. Massage wait was an hour long, but was able to use the foam roller, yoga mat, stretch rope station which was nice touch. Beer tent. I would have liked to have seen more vendors with free food samples. Expo wasn't huge, but there were a fair amount of vendors with running staples as well as products I had not seen elsewhere. Overall well done. I would recommend this race to others.

I really enjoyed this race in spite of my poor training! I really struggled to finish this given I hadn't really accomplished any long runs prior! I loved the city, the fans, the organization, and all the history from this marathon!

This is my new all-around favorite marathon (past races include Big Sur, Santa Rosa, Napa Valley and CIM). The two things that stand out for me was the location (Tracktown USA) and the course. This town takes running very seriously and hosts national and international competitions. You can feel it in the air. The course is ideal - not only flat but very beautiful. The race starts and ends on the University of Oregon campus and has a great mix of scenery - paved residential streets, wide shaded bike paths and the final eight miles along the Willamette River. The thought of running the last 100 yards on the famous Hayward Field kept me going. Very well organized event with excellent spectator support. The expo was a little underwhelming.

Eugene was my first marathon, and this is a great first marathon. I chose Eugene for its fast and flat course, and the date, because I wanted to qualify for 2015 Boston. Eugene delivered! I was worried about heat in a summer marathon, but I trained in Sacramento so that helped. I was lucky and the weather was perfect: some clouds, not too hot. Running along the river was beautiful and shady, loved seeing the giant 'O' as I ran past the football stadium, enjoyed the many supportive fans but didn't mind the quiet places in the park, and enjoyed the green neighborhoods at the start. The finish area was phenomenal and uncrowded, with good stuff to eat and drink. Definitely beat sitting on a curb. And finishing on the track was just awesome for a non-elite like myself! I liked the Expo and benefitted from the speakers I heard. I highly recommend this city and this marathon. We enjoyed the area and the restaurants a lot as well. Thanks, Eugene!

This was my 31st state and arguably the most gorgeous course. The miles on river hugging trails were in great shape and offered lots of greenbelt and nature views. Starting by and finishing inside Hayward Field helped runners feel a connection to top track athletes who've run there over the years. The flat course makes this a consideration for folks seeking a Boston qualifier. The huge (FREE) massage and foam roller tent in the finisher area was too good to believe. I highly recommend this race.

The race overall was great, I look forward to the Eugene Marathon every year. It's always so big and there are always people cheering on the runners. But this year was the exception; changing the date from middle end of May to the END of July. First of all, there was MAYBE a quarter of the amount of runners there has been in the past years, which was super disapointing... I always look forward to the huge crowd, this seemed like one of your small town marathons you sign up for before the BIG Eugene Marathon. Also the expo was soo much smaller and for some reason they wouldn't give us our tshirts and said that they would be sent in the mail. Well it's Aug 15, and I still have yet to recieve mine. So overall, great run, I love the course, but the ligistics need to go back to the way they were. Sorry Eugene marathon, you broke my heart.

This a great race with a very nostalgic finish on Hayward field. The volunteers were very helpful and the comments regarding the trash cans / hoses are ridiculous. I drank from every station and had no issues. Moreover, this is a PR course. I exceeded my PR by 9 minutes. The course lends itself to a nice combination of small gentle up and down hills. The only improvement opportunity that I would suggest is looking at better parking arrangements.

The water situation needs to be addressed. They were filling garbage cans lined with garbage bags from a hose. this is EXTREMELY unsanitary. Hoses have bacteria and chemicals in them, and neither hoses or garbage bags are manufactured for consumption purposes. My husband and I both got very sick in tummy around mile 20. The health department needs to stop races from providing water in this fashion. Perhaps my view of 'scenic' is different than others, but my husband and I both thought it was not scenic. It was isolated and quiet, but not scenic. I won't run this again. Glad I did, but never again. The road surfaces were rough in certain areas. A lot of spectators rode bikes next to participants for many miles. A lot of public use on the course while on the river section: almost got run down three times by people on bikes flying through the participants. There is one part of the course where the road slants drastically....hard on the knees. Very very very hard to get a hotel because of the Jr. track championships. I loved being in track town, but won't waste my time and money again. There are far too many nice courses in the NW, and this rates last on our list.

Truly a destination marathon located in historic Eugene, ending in Hayward Stadium. Oregon makes a wonderful vacation opportunity to vist incredible places like Crater Lake, Mount Hood, drive along Pacific Coast Highway and even Redwoods National Park in Northern California before or after the marathon. Low humidity really makes a difference where 70 or 80 degrees does not feel too bad. Of course if you run a sub 4 hour marathon you will be finishing when it's still relatively cool. Course is mostly flat with few elevations that are not too challenging. The cons - few spectators on portions of the course, part of the course is on concrete - while most is either on the road or asphalt bike path. The portion on the bike path is NOT closed to cyclists and there was an idiot who was riding in between runners around mile 22 at a fast pace! Some of the water stops were not properly arranged. Volunteers handing out water were standing too close and bunched together. While on the course I stopped to assist a runner who had collapsed. I waited along with some spectators until paramedics arrived. The paramedics seemed to be taking their time strolling up casually. This is not a negative against the organizers of the marathon but a concern regarding the attitude of the local EMT . I hope the lady is fine and be back on another marathon course soon. Medal was boring and not particularly memorable. Recovery area was a definite 'A' - well organized finishers' area with volunteers providing ice wraps, massage therapist students (mine was awesome), fair food including pancakes, chocolate milk, bagel, peanut butter, rice crispy treat and Clif bar sample. I wished there was also a bottle of electrolyte solution. Event website was well organized and updated quickly with results afterwards. Hotel accommodations can be difficult due to coincidence with junior international track and field competition. There are not many hotels in walking distance. If this marathon becomes more popular the organizers will have to consider. this. Expo was small. Speakers were not very interesting at least for me (sorry). Pace group at least the 4:00 leaders were awesome. Good job Darrin! Wished I could have caught back up with you.

This was my 7th marathon. I am amazed at the level of organization, attention, and services available at a relatively small marathon. One of the best parts was the placement of water stops and cheer zones, particularly in the last 10k. Nothing beats hearing that next mile marker before you can see it. It really helps you keep going. The course was very nice. There were lots of changes in scenery and just enough twists and turns to keep it interesting. The spectators were as amazing as you would expect in Eugene. Where else will you be encouraged to 'settle in' in a calming voice in the middle of mile 2? Throughout the course, there were fantastic marathon groupies following us. I counted at least 7 bikes rigged with music and several spectators with funny signs were following the runners as they progressed. In the last mile, everyone was yelling 'you are almost home!' I know they were referring the Hayward, but Eugene made the whole race feel like home.

The Eugene Marathon is a good race. For 2014 it was rescheduled to the end of July which is too warm for a marathon. Although the start time temperature was comfortable, it was around 80 degrees when I finished. The high temperature for the day was 91.

I have run 22 marathons ranging from small out of the way races in remote places to large events like Los Angeles, Disney World, and Boston. I have to say that this race has the best post race runner's area by far. Instead of being shuttled through a corral set up on a street, this one was set up on a field behind the track with the idea of allowing the runners ample time to recover. The runner's only area had tables and seating where participants could sit and eat their pancakes, bagels, and chocolate milk. Sure beats sitting on the curb after running for 3 hours. I was very happy to have a chair to plop down into while regaining my composure. Once in the family reunion area, there was a live band, a large massage tent, and an even larger stretching tent. Finishing on Hayward Field was great. I don't know that there are prettier gates on the planet than the green iron gates that mark the entrance to the track. Of course it may just be because I was hurting a lot as I approached the finish. The course was very well laid out with just enough elevation change to keep the legs from getting too stale on continually flat terrain. I could have done with a little less concrete path, though. There may not be the huge crowds in Eugene, but the fans that were out there understand running. I was never told 'You're looking great,' or 'You're almost there,' (even though I still have the last 10k to go). Rather there were signs such as '6 miles to beer,' and 'Go Random Stranger, Go' to keep us amused. With the way the course is looped, spectators have the capability to watch their runners at several points without too much traveling on the congested roadways. The cheering spectators in Hayward Field, lining the track and filling the lower portion of the grandstand were great. I have never heard a field of runners get so quiet so quickly as we did for the moment to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Rather than set a somber tone, the memory of what happened in Boston just 2 weeks prior was handled in a way that gave us (I talked to several runners after the race) a sense of pride to be running our own 26.2. Other than our shuttle bus taking a few wrong turns on the way back to the hotel, this event went great. I highly recommend this race to anyone.

I traveled from N.J.to Eugene to cross off Oregon and was very pleased with my decision! Most of the 'cons' from previous years comments were addressed. The expo was just the right size, easy to find, no crowds, free parking and just enough shopping. The volunteers were very helpful with my questions as an out of town guest. We ventured over to Hayward Field to get a feel for the finish & to try & figure out spectator parking for race day. There is so much history here and it was great to run in the foot steps of legends. We found 'Pre's Rock' and even met one of Steve's college professors who knew the history of his accident. Eugene was a great town to stroll around and have lunch. Props to the staff at The Holiday Inn Express in Springfield. We had food & grab bags at 4:00 a.m. and were walking distance to the shuttles. The buses were great and dropped us in front of gear check near the start. The tribute to Boston was touching just before the start. The corrals and wave start were perfect. Props to the Cliff Bar Pace Team who was very motivating and dead on with the splits for all 26.2 miles. Crowd support was good & the weather was perfect. Plenty of water stops, pot-a -potties and even some music on the course. Con: My wife had a terrible time getting to the finish despite leaving our hotel at 8:30. The road closures were not defined the night before, she got lost and could not find parking. She missed my finish and was a basket case when I found her.This is tough because parking is so limited near the finish. Spectators were not allowed on the shuttles as part of the extra security from the Boston Marthon experience.Not sure how an out of towner could have handled this any better. All in all a great race!

I registered for this race after reading about it in Runner's World. Pros - 1) The course is relatively flat. I think some of the comments are a little exaggerated on how flat the course really is. There are definitely sections that are rolling, and much of the course is at least at a slight incline. However, there are many downhills to compensate, and the largest hills on the course are not very big. 2) The course is very scenic. I had never been to Oregon, and the scenery is truly unique. The many bridges along the course were a highlight for me. 3) I thought they did a good job with the aid stations. This is an area most runners complain about, but I think they got it just right - about every other mile until the last 4 or 5 miles, where they had it every mile. Most of the aid stations were manned by kids, and they were super professional and helpful. Cons - 1) The concrete was a very real challenge. Many of the comments on here echo this, and for good reason. I should have trained on more concrete, but my focus is always to make it to the starting line healthy. My advice to anyone running this race for the first time would absolutely be to get some concrete training in - your legs will thank you for it. 2) I'm generally not a fan of mixing in the half and full marathoners. Because the course is open for 7 hours for the full, you have quite a lot of half marathon walkers coming in to the finish around the same time as most of the mid-pack full runners. At the end of an exhausting race, the last thing i want to be doing is dodging walkers. There were people around mile 25ish trying to separate them out, but it didn't seem to be working very well - something to work on for next year. 3) I'm not sure what happened with the 'Running with Legends' theme. It's all over their website, and even on the back of the medal, but if it was actually represented on the course, I never noticed it. I thought each mile marker was supposed to be labeled with a Eugene legend. If they were, it didn't stand out. It's a cool theme, so they should put more emphasis on it. Overall, it was a good race - can't complain about a PR, and this is definitely a PR friendly race. A little hard on the legs and sometimes congested, but overall pretty good. Worth running once.

OMG what a FANTASTIC marathon. I am in the process of running a marathon in all 50 states. I had Eugene picked out for my Oregon state and it was such an emotional experience running into historic Hayward Field. I am not built for speed. My finish times are around 4:20 but at the Hayward Field moment I sprinted like a Jamaican Olympian and ran out of breath and at the same time I was engulfed with emotions! The crowd support was out in force. There must have been hundreds of children eagerly waiting for a high-five. Adults were cheering on every single runner it seemed not only their significant runner! Most had Oregon hats/t shirts/jackets on. Many had creative signs and noise makers...they were all simply and genuinely happy to be there to cheer us all on! This was my 59th career marathon and it takes the cake for crowd support. The race director Richard also was great in communicating information about the race when I called him. Also the feed zone had fresh made to order pancakes, bottles of chocolate milk, bagels with peanut butter in little dixie cups, cookies, chips. It was a great race all the way around. Track town did it right!

This was my first full marathon, but I've done several halfs. They could not have organized this better. The course was flat and great for a PR. The city gave us plenty of room on the streets. About 1/3 or the course was on nice, wide bike paths along the river. The crowd support was amazing. Eugene loves their runners. Some of the signs the students made were hilarious. 'Run quieter, I'm hungover.' The finish might just be the best of any marathon. running into legendary Hayward Field with a stand full of people cheering and seeing yourself finish on the jumbo-tron was incredible. They even had a live link on the website to watch the finish. There is nothing like making it back to the hotel room, pouring a glass of champaign and watching more runners come in.

I came to Eugene to run my Oregon race and feel I chose wisely. Running in 'Track Town USA' and on Hayward Field is just to cool. The expo is about what you'd expect from a mid-sized race like this. Big enough to pick up last minute supplies or souvenirs but not an all day Mega shopping experience (which suits me just fine). I got my packet and some gel very quickly and only hung around to hear Meb speak. That was a nice perk. The course itself is nice. It is quite flat. We hit a small hill around 4 miles and then a larger one at mile 7. Neither hill is overwhelming and after that there is barely a roller to be found. The second half is run on a paved bike path along the Williamette River. This is a nice section that the halfers miss. As Advertised the race ends on Hayward Field and running on that historic setting and seeing youself up on the Jumbo tron as the announcer calls your name really caps the day. The medal is nice (this year's had Hayward Field) and you get a nice long sleeve tech shirt (Halfers got a short sleeve). I can never eat much after a marathon but for those of you with stronger constitutions you could get pancakes after the race. My main criticism is that the race felt to me like it had grown some in recent years but the infrastructure and planning hadn't kept up. There weren't enough porta-potties. I got back in line for one last time at 6:30 and didn't get close to the front when I finally bailed and headed for the start line. Tons of folks were just using the bushes and I'm sure the U of Oregon folks were not happy about that. Also there were only 3 corrals and that wasn't enough. The roads stayed very congested for miles. I didn't feel as though I could settle into a steady pace until after mile 4. This over crowding also made the early water stops a real mess. The volunteers at those early stops were working their butts off. Otherwise the race seemed to be well organized. The shuttle buses worked well for me. Fans support was, like the expo about what you'd expect for a mid-sized race. Small pockets of enthusiastic folks separated by long quiet sections (which is fine by me). Weather was near perfect this year and having lived in the Pacific Northwest in the past this is what you can expect in late April. I ran my final tuneup on Pre's trail and made the pilgrimage to Pre's Rock. If you come to Eugene try to do the same.

Eugene had the whole package for the 3 of us from NM great restaurants, an enthusiastic and well-run expo, scenic-enough course, an opportunity to hear Meb, a beautiful campus with blooming trees,and a relaxed hippie vibe. I don't need many spectators, but the ones that were out knew the drill. And the icing? Running a Friday evening casual 3 miler with Lauren Fleshman (on her elliptigo) on a super-inspiring, little advertised run with the Eugene Running Company. I set my sights on a PR and BQ and nabbed both. Yeah, it hurt the last 4 miles, but as soon as I saw Hayward and knew I would be on that historic track the pain transformed into energy. What a feeling.

Entered to have a shot at BQ and to train with a friend who was running Boston 2 weeks earlier. Really enjoyed the atmosphere of the town and the expo. Traveled from Alabama, so a bit of an 'event' marathon for myself and 2 other runners. Website, communication, and packet pickup all easy. Expo better than I expected, boosted by opportunity to meet and take picture with Meb. Transportation and start organization fine. As per most races, not enough portable toilets pre race. Course beautiful and flat. We were fortunate enough to get fantastic weather (40s-60s w/sun). Only a couple significant hills and really didn't affect the effort. Thought the lanes were a little narrow at times, even late in the race-however, it was usually b/c you were on scenic trails, so the pros outweighed the cons. Tables could have been laid out a little better at aid stations-had a couple episodes of not being able to get a drink b/c of the setup. Was a little disappointed at volume of folks at course-side; town certainly supports running and those present were enthusiastic, but only patches of crowds here and there. Postrace was great-pancakes, chocolate milk, chips, drinks, postrace massage, and of course, Heyward Field. Tons of room in recovery area and transportation was easy. In summary, wouldn't hesitate to run again. Only reason I didn't do as well as expected was my hitting the wall at 22, nothing to do with the course. Would recommend.

I've run this marathon every year and the race course is generally good, but I think the start should be staggered between the half and full marathon, and the route for the half should take better advantage of the river routes. I understand splitting the race earlier would require additional timing spots, but I think the half would be more enjoyable if there were fewer miles on city streets and more on the river path. If the half started say, an hour later, this would put the finishes for the first runners from each race closer together, which would make it more interesting for spectators at the end.

This was my 3rd marathon and my best experience overall. Great course. Friendly support and spectators. Very well-organized. Perfect weather (50ish at start). Loved running by the stadiums and up and down the river, through the parks. Enough runners to have someone around you but not crowded. Only negative- ran out of my size shirt at expo- bummer because I had registered ahead of time but not a huge deal. Will definitely try to do this race again!

What a great place to hold a Marathon and the organizers do a great job. Although this is a smaller Marathon they get it right. Well run with all the things you need to run a great time. Course has a little hill early on but miles of flat easy running. The weather was perfect, Pace Leaders were fantastic, the field is fast (where else would a 3:40 not be in the top 20% of the field), miles well marked, water stops plentiful, medal and T-shirt were great. It is super easy to get around, to the start, home after the race, heck, anywhere in town. Everyone was so nice, so friendly. Eugene is an interesting town with everything you need for a nice Marathon weekend, hotels for everyone, lots of good food and a college / hippy feel that is just fun. I highly recommend this race to anyone wanting a fun weekend topped off with a BQ and a PR.

I was so excited to see Meb at the Expo. He signed my race ready tee and bib. He's local, from Mammoth Lakes, CA and me being from Bishop so I have the altitude training year round and IT DOES HAVE BENEFITS (ENERGY!). I do agree that they should stag start times between the full marathoners and half. Should be 1 hr. in between. Seemed it took forever before packs opened up. Part of the course was like running on a car race-way and there was no flats; had problems with ITB after that. The Gatorade was really watered down until the last couple of water stations then got better. It was terrific finishing into Hayward stadium and hearing the cheering crowd's. Great spread of food at the finish. One of the security personnel at the end of the finish into the food area wouldn't let a sick gal go back through, he told her to find a trash can in the food area and use it, but she then convinced him to let her go back into the medical aid tent area. Have sympathy please... Bus shuttle's worked out well back to the Hilton after the race and the wait time was minimal. If Oregon is one state you need to check off, Eugene is definitely worth it. Oh and yes there are hills (especially mile 7), so hillwork pays off.