Columbia Gorge Marathon - Race Reviews

This race has been on my bucket list for a while, since I've been wanting to come to this area of the country and explore, and I had seen reviews about how beautiful this course is. I'm glad I did the race, but it doesn't rank among my favorites, probably because of the long stretches of up/down hill and the really congested last few miles, where I had to dodge half marathoners, dogs, and cars. The course is very beautiful, with most of the scenic sections in the first few and last few miles. The middle miles are run past a lot of grassy fields and are a bit less scenic. The first 4-5 miles are on paved trail, then you merge onto a state route and have to run on the side of the road (often a bit off camber, which makes the hips hurts after a while), with cars occasionally driving by. The drivers are aware there is a race, and most of the cars that did pass were friends/family cheering us on as they drove past to the next spectator point, so it didn't feel particularly dangerous, but it wasn't particularly pleasant to have cars driving past, either. It's an out and back course, with a turnaround around mile 11 instead of at the halfway point. (That's because you run past the marathon start around mile 24 and run the last 2 miles back to Hood River.) What makes the course challenging is the long sections of hills at around 5% grade - not steep enough to justify walking, but steep enough to make things unpleasant. And the hills aren't rolling, either; you run uphill for several miles, then downhill for several miles, then uphill several miles, then downhill several miles, etc. Basically, either your lungs or your quads will be begging you for relief the whole time. The seemingly never-ending hill around miles 19-21 is much more heartbreaking than Heartbreak Hill in Boston. The last 4 miles or so are downhill, blessedly, but very congested with half marathoners. It was nice to see all the dogs having a blast during the dog half marathon :) Water stations are plentiful but erratically placed, so I carried my own water and fuel and was fine. Virtually no spectator support other than a few spots on the course. This year's race had perfect weather: sunny and in the 50s and 60s. Really beautiful fall foliage. The start area needed about double the amount of porta potties, as each shuttle bus arriving meant long lines of well-hydrated runners needing to use the bathroom. The race website recommended taking early shuttle buses, but there really wasn't a need to get there early, other than to try to get in line for the bathroom. Finish line area had free beer, woohoo!, and a taco buffet. I usually don't have much appetite after a race so I didn't care much for the tacos, but the cold IPA hit the spot. I liked this race, but I found most of the miles on the state route kind of boring and a bit of a grind, either continuously running uphill or downhill, no rolling hills. All the other runners I talked to there were very friendly and the whole race had positive vibes to it. It can be a bit lonely after the first few miles when the marathoners have spread out, so bring a friend with you to this one.

INTRODUCTION: I am a racewalker with a median marathon completion time of 5:26:31. The Columbia Gorge Marathon was my seventy-first 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a glorious day for a marathon: 50 degrees, 100 percent relative humidity, overcast, and southerly wind with speed of 6 mph. Our marathon began at the Mark O. Hatfield West Trailhead of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, heading east. The wide, paved trail comprised of pine and maple trees, with leaves already changed to yellow, offering us shade from which we benefited from, especially in the later stages of the race. We were given occasional views of the Columbia River. The short-length Mosier Tunnels were also at this stage of the course. Our route, comprised of rolling hills, changed to a steep descent beginning at mile 3.0, dropping 410 feet in elevation for the next 2.5 miles. We departed from the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail at the Mark O. Hatfield East Trailhead at mile 4.6. We first traveled on Rock Creek Road for 0.6 miles, entering Mosier, population 433. We turned eastbound onto US-30 at mile 5.2, entering our lowest point on the race course at Mosier Creek at mile 5.5. We had our longest ascent, 663 feet elevation gain over five miles, with a slight reprieve for 0.7 miles beginning at mile 9.1, where it was flat. Vegetation was less present, with the forest being substituted by grassland and buttes. In their final race instructions, and at the beginning of the race, management informed us that we would not be given protection from the highway traffic. That said, we were grateful for the consideration of the people driving on US-30. Most drivers slowed down and gave us a wide berth, some even offering a thumbs-up as we labored on. We turned around at the Rowena Crest Viewpoint at mile 11.8 and retraced our steps to the Mark O. Hatfield West Trailhead, including our challenging 410-foot elevation gain over 2.5 miles beginning at mile 18, moving onto the steep downhill (257-foot elevation loss), switch-backed Columbia River Drive taking us into Hood River. Entering city center, we headed northbound to the Hood River Event Site finish line. As the race website informed us, this was a very hilly course, with a cumulative elevation increase of 1878 feet and a cumulative elevation decrease of 2149 feet. Weather at the finish was 63 degrees, 63 percent relative humidity, partly cloudy, and west-northwest with wind speed of 5 mph. The placement of mile marker 12 before the Rowena Crest Viewpoint was inconsistent with the course maps downloaded from the website. If the course maps were to be believed, the marker was place about a quarter-mile ahead of where it should have been. Mile markers 13-24 were also placed accordingly, with mile marker 25 finally breaking the trend. This inconsistency ought to have been reconciled. ORGANIZATION: Promising at first, with the detailed final instructions available to the runners before the race. Unfortunately, execution did not quite match what was laid out in the guide. We were encouraged to arrive at 6:30 a.m. to take the 6:45 a.m. bus departure from Hood River Event Site to the marathon start, but the race day bib pickup was at 7:00 a.m. Unique to marathons, race merchandise was not available at the bib pickup the day before the race but only on race day, which was sold beginning at 7:00 a.m. By the time the later marathoners completed the race, some of the items were sold out. Aid station support ranged from excellent to nonexistent, as demonstrated by the so-called volunteer who preferred to listen to Led Zeppelin in his automobile rather than provide support to the marathon runners. SPECTATORS: Sparse. CONCLUSION: The organizers boldly claim that this is the most scenic marathon in the country. As with many things in life, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Granted, with vistas of the Columbia River gorge and witnessing the deciduous tree leaves changing color, the Columbia Gorge Marathon is a beautiful race not to be missed provided one makes allowances for some organizational defects.

They aren't lying when they say it is the most scenic marathon. The course was absolutely stunning! The lack of spectators was made up for by all of the scenery. The course was well organized and marked. I was never concerned if I was on the wrong path or not. The volunteers were spectacular! They would run to meet you with water or Gatorade. Almost every aid station had gummy bears, GUs, bananas, or oranges. The after race party was great as well. Free beer for racers, and plenty of yummy snacks. The one downside of this race (at least for me) was the hills! I was not expecting them at all. Lots of rolling hills. Brutal if you don't train for it. The last mile of the race was mainly downhill, with a few exceptions when you get downtown. 10/10 recommend if you like hills and want to see some breathtaking scenery.

This race went through my hometown of Mosier, Oregon-Go Tigers!:) and it had been a bucket-list marathon of mine for years. I agree with the comment before that you should not trust the weather forecast, as we ended up with rain at the start of the race that cleared up to a beautiful sunny morning with perfect running temps. The scenery is absolutely stunning, and even in parts of the route where you don't have a view of the gorge (which is a very small portion), the overhanging trees and greenery with fall colors are spectacular. I fall in love with Oregon all over again with this race. I never felt bored during the entire 26.2 because I was overcome with pride for the beauty of my home state and the appreciation for the race organizers who realized what a gem this area is and created this race! The only drawback of the course, and I realize they had to make some last-minute changes, was the last few miles through downtown Hood River. We ran on the side of the road and it was disappointing and difficult to have to breathe all that car exhaust. Hopefully next year they are able to have the finish at the gorgeous park they started the race at. Overall, FANTASTIC experience and I will be back to run it again as many times as I can! If you only have a chance to run one race in Oregon, have this one be it. You won't be disappointed.

I'm from Portland and have run 140 marathons, but somehow never got to this one until this year. WOW! Spectacular scenery. Bar none. Just beautiful. Sure, it's hilly, but somehow it didn't hurt my time. DO NOT listen to the weather reports. They sounded horrible right up to 4am that morning. We didn't get a drop of rain on us, partly because there are tents where you catch the bus, and tents at the start line. These folks know how to take care of you. Drop bag at the start was fantastic, and drop something at ANY aid station and they'll get it to the finish for you. Absolutely amazing thoughtfulness. And the finish was probably the best food in my 140 marathons. A huge tent with plenty of tables and chairs. Nobody had to stand or sit on the ground. And fantastic food. And beer. I highly recommend this one.

This was my 19th marathon and my new favorite. Incredible Scenery. The organization was outstanding. Beautiful medal. Fantastic shirt. Plenty of food when you finished. Pros - scenery - medal - food at the end - Hood River is a neat town - easy to get to the start Cons - not many spectators (but who cares, the scenery is what you come for)

This was a great little marathon. The course is perfect if you like downhills as much as uphills. I thoroughly enjoyed the run but finishing in the rain, to get wet gear at the end was not good. They also ran out of soup well before most marathoners had finished.

The course scenery can not be described in words how beautiful it was. With views of the river on one side and bluffs and woods on the other it doesn't get any better than this for a rural marathon. The organization and management of this event was great and they have every base covered. For those that either don't need large crowds to keep them going or prefer rural races instead of running through city streets this race is at the top of the list. The town of Hood River totally supports this race but do to the rural course location there isn't many places for spectators to view the course so don't get discouraged by the lack of spectators along the route.

Great organization; Early Start (so 7 hours); great course (except some people lost time at the intersection in town at the end). Stayed at Riverview Lodge  walking distance to Expo/downtown. Good aid  although one aid didn't have a porta potty and half marathoners said they only had one aid station in first half. Great post-race  tacos! and beer (although they were out when I finished about 4:30). Suggestion: get a TENT for the gear check! Poor volunteers had to stand in the pouring rain, PLUS our bags got wet (even though it had a tarp, they had to keep moving the tarp to see the bib numbers)  hence, I had to wear wet clothes on my flight home.

The scenery on the course is way above average; it rivals UNICEF Geneva. Less than 400 people ran the full race. Good food and massages at the end of the event. Weather can be terribly unpredictable, so runner should pack adequately for different race morning scenarios. I ran the full, but I think the half marathon was more difficult because the marathoners were shuttle bussed up the mountain and then we ran down the mountain at the end of the race. The half marathoners had to run up that mountain and then return down it. I have survivors guilt. Hood River is fairly distant from Portland and local hotels are pricey.

What can I say? This course, though hilly and tough, was the most spectacular course I've ever run. From beautiful fall foliage to spectacular views of the Columbia River, the course was mesmerizing and serene. The weather was perfect, nice and cold, and this year the 90% chance of rain held off until mid-afternoon, so I stayed blissfully dry. The organization at every aid station was great, as was the support. We didn't need spectators either. We runners all cheered each other along. Friendly, beautiful, cold, and well-organized-if you need to do Oregon, I highly recommend the Columbia Gorge. The medal was okay, and the only schwag was a beanie, but everything else was tops. We stayed at the Best Western Hood River Inn, too, which was right across from the start and finish.

This was my second Columbia Gorge Marathon, and it was every bit as wonderful as the first. The autumn leaves, the wide-open country road with hardly a car going by, and the little town of Mosier were all wonderful. There were times that I had the whole road to myself - fabulous, thrilling, and healing!

The Columbia Gorge Marathon was the second of my back-to-back marathons on Oct 22 and 23. I didn't have any set goals for this one, except to finish, which I did. Packet pick up in Hood River was congested and not well marked. The running store was easy enough to find, but parking was not. Once inside I found the packet pick up in the back, only to be told I needed to know my bib number first, rather rudely. I know they had spent all day handing out packets, but she could have been nicer. I walked up to the counter to ask where I could find my bib number, and the lady there pointed outside. They were all posted on the window leading into the store. There was a girl there helping find your number, but she didn't see us go in and I didn't see them posted in the first place. Once I got my number, pick up was easy. We were bussed from the finish to the start (about 2 miles), and this was easy to find and well marked. I took the early (8am) start along with about 50 others. There were 3 of us that I know of that were doing the back-to-back marathons, and we loved this option. The starting station was well stocked and we started right on time. The course: Easily the toughest I have run out of 11, and that includes the Shires of VT marathon in the Green Mountains. We started with a 3 mile up-hill, followed by 3 miles down, followed with about 8 up. Yes, there was a rather steep incline for the first 4 miles of that 8. Then were were a couple of miles of ups and downs until we reached the turn-around at Rowen point. The view there was simply gorgeous. There were some very nice views along the way, it was a beautiiful run. But I think the day before at the Columbia River Power Marathon in Umatilla was even better. We finished with a one mile downhill and a one mile run through town. The finish was really well done, with a short run through the marina and an end with big cheering crowds and your name announced. Finish: They had a very nice food tent with plenty of food, fruit, and water. The medal is a homemade plaster retangle. Some people might think it was neat, I thought it was the cheapest, ugliest, and most brittle 'medal' I've ever received. For the price, they can do a lot better with it. Aid Stations: They were both good and bad. Some had fruit and gels, some did not. There were not as many as there should have been considering the toughness of the course. The worst stretch was a 3 mile climb without any station at all between miles 5 and 8. This was incredibly tough, and there needed to be another aid station here. Overall, it was a well-put together marathon, with some great perks and a little more work to do. I would recommend it, as long as you do a lot of hill training before hand. The weather was gorgeous, and we couldn't have had a better day to run.

I'm so glad I found this marathon. I liked everything about it. Awesome scenic course. Well organized. Great course support. Cool medal. Perfect weather. The beanie instead of a shirt is nice because I have a pretty bug stack of unused shirts. The pear at the finish, nice touch. Tasty burrito bar. Okay, you get the point.

A good marathon . . . nice touches: - nice continental pre-race breakfast - nice medal - especially considering the race size - vg friendly aid stations . . . chips, gel blocks, gatorade, water - run over McNary dam (only time open to public during year) - very scenic - long out and back on a deserted road - fruit + delicious potato bar at finish Little surprises: - no water at end (really) . . . only had bottles of gatorade - I wasn't listed on the race results - big afternoon headwind (this is normal . . . wouldn't be a problem if you run it fast) - late start by 9 minutes . . . had a bunch of blah, blah, blah that should have been done before the start time

The course is beyond beautiful,high above the Columbia River, down into the town of Hood River which is a fun destination explore. Better than most organization and extras (fine after race meal, cordial running-wise director and crew, adequate volunteers and aid). My only complaint is the cars on our route: mostly they were fans of runners who only endangered and enfumed all of us. But worth repeating, as I have, now.

It's the smallest marathon I have been in, but easily the most beautiful and the toughest course. Several long climbs (though the last 3-4 miles are downhill), but running along the Columbia River gorge is worth it. Spectators are minimal, but with the scenery I loved the quiet. Support during the race was quite good for the small numbers running. Basically, if you want a beautiful run with a challenging hilly course, this is it. Well organized, not great for anyone who wants a 20,000 person long, flat run. Don't run it to qualify for Boston (it's not a qualifier anyway), but if you enjoy a quiet 26 miles with the best scenery I have ever experienced, this is not to be missed.

The organizers promote this run as 'The Most Beautiful in the Country,' and they have every right to make that claim. The views of the Columbia River Gorge are just amazing! This year the weather cooperated perfectly, and the fall color was at its height. Very few spectators along the route, but the volunteers at the aid stations were very nice. The eating area after the run had a long line going in, and I didn't feel like waiting in line. If any suggestions to the organizers, I would say start earlier and have the food at the finish line more readily available.

I love this course! It's challenging but beautiful; even with the drenching we received this year it is still stunning to see the vistas. It was clear the jump from under a 100 runners to approximately 1,000 caused some organizational issues. The only negative aspect for me was standing in line for food in the rain/cold while watching mostly spectators sitting under the tent eating the food. I was freezing by the time it was my turn in line. That needs to be reworked for next time.

Considering the very poor visibility and weather, the course scenery was still spectacular. Host hotel and pasta dinner were conveniently located within walking distance to the start and finish area, which was well organized. Course workers were troopers and very helpful. The 9:00 a.m. start time could be moved up to a more traditional 8:00 start and the mile markers did not appear to be entirely accurate. Post-race food and care were very generous. Overall, a very nice race run on a great venue.

There are some seriously long hills in this marathon, but the scenic views are worth the effort. Crowd support is mostly limited to the two towns; there were plenty of water stops along the way. Weather was challenging at times but we just have to deal with that. Fall colors were great, as was the rainbow at the start. My only complaint would be the cars that drive on the course to "support" their runner. Seemed dangerous to have cars driving by while runners are going uphill against the wind and rain, in the middle of a marathon. I think they should close the course to cars. Overall, a great experience.

This race certainly lived up to its billing as "most scenic." The scenery more than made up for the almost unrelenting uphill grade of the first half. Runners were well supported at the start, throughout the race and at the finish. Great experience!

It's not an easy course, so you might not run a PR, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a more scenic course for a marathon. The Columbia Gorge is breathtakingly beautiful. It was even a stormy, rainy day for the marathon this year (2010) and it was still stunning (and there were rainbows!) This one will be popular for next year.

Worth running to see spectacular scenery in the Columbia Gorge. The course is hilly and slow, with few spectators, but it's a must-run nevertheless.

I only did the half, and it was three weeks after a full marathon, so I had a few strikes against me. But the route was hard, especially because it started out as an uphill! Thankfully, the weather was ideal and the fall colors were grand! Support was good, though there were really no spectators - but that's not why you'd choose this race! Do it for the peace and the natural beauty. The expo was a little chaotic, but it WAS the first year for this race, so it's understandable. Recommended!