Portland Marathon - Race Reviews

The all new Portland Oregon marathon is fantastic. Everything about it is a huge upgrade from the old days. Fantastic course. Great Swag. FREE Photos. No getting ripped off and gouged. Great finish area festivities on Portland's waterfront. JOIN ME FOR 2020! I've run over 190 marathons. This is in the top ten.

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!

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.

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 !

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

Portland is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Scenic Mt Hood towers over the hipster cityscape and a visit to the Colombia River Valley needs to be on everyone's bucket list! Great Wineries surround the city itself and amazing vistas await you on the nearby Oregon Coast. Thus as a destination Marathon few places can compete with Portland. The race also has great swag for bling chasers like me. The finishers' medal and other keepsakes are phenomenal and worth the price of admission all by themselves. The reputation as the best swag Marathon in the country is well deserved. But as a stand alone Marathon, Portland is a little disappointing. The course itself is not so scenic. There is a long industrial out and back section that makes up a lot of the race. If you know a lot of the people running in the event then I suppose it might be fun to see them during these miles. But as an out-of-town visitor there is nothing to distract you from the mind-numbingly boring landscape. Running over the bridges and along the upscale neighborhoods on the bluffs was great, but all too short, and was immediately followed by more dull industrial sites. In a city that has such a vibrant downtown, not to mention the wonders of Washington Park right at your fingertips, why not reinvent the course to showcase the best of what the city has to offer. Other marathons in cities far less blessed with such abundant natural beauty as Portland manage to find interesting and scenic courses. Maybe it's time Portland reimagines it's Marathon much as LA did a few years ago. And I've not even mentioned the disaster with the course this year. Every corral after corral B ran a very long course. There was supposed to be a turn on Counch St off of 4th St at about mile 0.6. There was no one there to guide the runners to make that turn after the first 2 corrals went by, so we all ran the full length of 4th street and added an extra 0.6 miles to our journey (roughly.) Accidents happen, but that turn should have been well staffed and well marked as it was the first major turn in the race and it is easy to see how it could be missed in the pre-dawn darkness. So,bottom-line, Portland is a great place with great swag and a supportive and vigorous running community that could put this race on the top tier of running events. It only lacks a great course and a few more details attended to like well marked turns, diversion of light rails during race hours, spectator friendly finishers area, and a little work on the expo (confusing.) Portland has a lot of potential! I hope I get a chance to see the day Portland takes those bold steps needed to showcase all it has to offer the world. I'll be first in line!

Unfortunately, this marathon is over-rated. It touts awards such as 'best organized', best in October, etc. but the reality is that it is simply mediocre at best. There are numerous reasons: 1. Organization: Overall, it was fine, but there is no bag drop. They say this is because of security, but there is NO security at the start - people were just wandering in and out wherever, no one checking anything, so clearly it is just about making their logistics easier. On a rainy day like yesterday was, no bag is a disaster. Advertising for a local running company to charge $10 to store a bag the day before is ridiculous. 2. Transportation to start: The 'strongly encourage' taking public transportation to the start by 6am. However, there is NO public transportation running that will get you there by then! When I asked the about this, they suggested I get an Uber (don't do this - unavailable and expensive surge pricing!). 3. Course: I used to live in Portland, so I know it is a truly beautiful city. The course manages to show none of this. Most of the course is industrial areas with train tracks and warehouses. Ugly, often smelly. Water stops were poorly organized, too few, too small, and erratically spaced - sometimes very close together, other times several miles apart. The course featured Ultima drink - this is a sugar-free drink. Personally, I think it tastes bad, but also: why a sugar free drink on a marathon? We need the calories. Spectator support was non-existent (it was a rainy day, but, miles of the course runs along highways and spectators are banned anyway, so regardless of weather, you won't have people cheering most of the way). Do not be fooled by the course elevation: it is a hard course - the hill up to St. John's bridge is long and steep and very tough. The view from the bridge is pretty great. 4. Finish Area: chaotic. I had to ask for a medal and the disposable jacket thing they were giving out (which is nice - I will save it and use it at my next pre-race). Dixie cups of water or ultima were available right at the finish, then no further drinks (other than chocolate milk) available anywhere. They had animal cookies and twizzlers, but no water?? My advice to the organizers: Save the flowers, tree saplings (yes, they handed out roses and baby trees; I don't know about you but when I've just finished a marathon, nothing helps me recover like a sapling!), coins and pendants, and replace it with a simple bottle of water. It was raining hard all day, so everything was soaking wet - rain isn't their fault, but Portland is well known for being rainy and it often rains on race day. Not being prepared for rain IS their fault: because of no bag check, you have nothing dry to change into, and the shirt they gave out was wet. So I was forced to remain cold and wet until I could get all the way back to my car. Bottom line: Skip it. There are so many other fall marathons that beat this one. It just isn't worth the time and effort.

DO NOT RUN THIS RACE IF IT IS YOUR FIRST RACE! This race does not care about its racer. I don't think this race cares about their racers. I will start with what is good. Whats good 1. The volunteers are troopers it was 45 degree and raining the whole race. They were troopers being outside supporting the runner. The water station was every mile which is great! 2. Smaller race and the corrals were spread out pretty well. There is also official pacers who are awesome! What is bad 1. The package pick up was not easy to figure out. especially when i need to change from a full to half cause of unforeseen medical issues with a doctor note. They wanted 150 dollars change fee in the name of charity. It seem like very deep I end up paying 300 dollars for a half marathon. I think this race organizers are greedy. 2. the race markers are white and small you can barely tell. On some of them it is hard to see. They could spend a little more money on that. its been 45 years in the making come on! 3. They need to have more official race people instead solely dependent on volunteers. My husband had hyperthermia because of the weather asking people to help him. The volunteers turned him away he couldn't find a single official to help him. He just wander around in the cold for 40 minutes by himself. This is super dangerous for race participant. This race does not care about its runners and again lack of official organizer people at the finishing line shows again they DON't care about their racers. He is not alone. I talked to multiple people who said the finishing line was so disorganized.

The Portland Marathon wants you to believe it is a destination race. It has a few deficiencies and doesn't live up to the hype. Pros: 1. Good start and finish area. 2. Course support and entertainment was good. Cons: 1. The expo needs to move to a better location. 2. The course is below average which was made worse by the rain. 3. The weather was bad on race day.

I went out too fast on a warm, sunny day and the steep climb at mile 17 bonked me for good but, other than the inopportune bridge climb, I thought the course was pretty fast and at times scenic. Expo was okay but it remains a little weird that they hand out bags at the end of it. Didn't get caught by the trains but it's hard to understand why a big city marathon would even have that as a potential problem. Really nothing quaint about it and very 1926 for a metro race. Fan participation was good in the last few miles and thought the finish line food/drink was adequate, although bottles of water would have been good because a lot of folks (like myself) overheated. There is zero shade on the course for 26.2 so it's easy to get a little hot on a sunny day. Was my first trip to Portland and loved the city, although the trip is very pricey coming from the East. Our hotel was stupid expensive. On the plus side, the rail system is wonderful and you don't need a car, and the restaurants are great.. Overall the race is probably a bit overrated by national running publications but it's one I'd probably do again sometime if I had the chance

103rd marathon 8th Portland marathon. What I love about Portland: Course Finishers shirt at the finish! New medal is great. Better entertainment than a Rock-N-Roll, BY FAR! No finisher's mylar; a good disposable jacket instead. MUCH easier to manage. Well organized start, even with all those 1/2 marathoners I love the out-n-back at mile 7-10, you get to watch for all your friends, see the leaders, etc. NEEDS IMPROVEMENT: Expo in the Hilton parking garage. YUCK. Nobody allowed at the finish line. HEY, move the finish out to your awesome waterfront just 2 blocks away! I've done this 8 times and never been stopped by a heavy train and only once very briefly by the light rail. Maybe I have good luck.

Pros: - Well organized race - The loop course made getting to and from the start finish very easy. It allows out-of-towners to relax in their hotel room and use the bathroom much easier than having to wait forever for porta potties. - The St Johns bridge was cool to go over. - I thought the course was solid. It's tough and isn't very fast but there is a nice downhill around 22-23 that is a nice little boost heading to the end. Some have complained about the course but I think it's very good. If they were to have it routed elsewhere in the city it would be a very hilly and very difficult course that not to many people would be thrilled about running. It's tough enough as is. The only issue I think people could have with the course would be the out and back among the warehouses, but that is early on in the race and the last 15 miles or so are really nice. - Someone giving out beer at about mile 23. - Lots of food and drinks at finish. - Weather was perfect. - Lots of on-course bands and music playing throughout. - Corrals worked well - Large race without being overwhelmingly huge. - I actually liked the half marathoners being with us the first 10 miles. CONS - They give you a lot of stuff at the finish but I didn't find a bag or anything to put it in. Carrying a shirt, rose, medal, coin, pendant, tree and the food and drink I was trying to take didn't work out very well. - The lack of a gear check is only bad if you did not stay nearby. If you're from out of town and staying downtown it really doesn't matter. - No spectators allowed in the finishing chute!!! I don't understand this one at all. There are a bunch of fans and then you turn the last corner and they don't allow people in. This needs to change. - Spectator enthusiasm and support was only marginal. At times it was good and others completely vacant. They close off sections of the course to specters for some reason, the bridge included. - Trains. I did not get stopped personally but the #4 female in front of my got stopped for about 15 seconds by a light rail train at about mile 24.5. I caught her as did the #5 woman but she powered on and still beat us both. That would be frustrating and there appeared to be multiple places where that could happen. - No Beer garden afterward! In a city like Portland, that should be a major draw for the Marathon. Overall it is a very good race to run. If you are looking to get your first BQ or a PR, there are better choices on this weekend. If you are looking for a good size marathon, a good overall experience and a well run race this is a good choice.

I read most all of the reviews, so I sort of knew what I was getting. That said... This was my 75th marathon or ultra, and I've run a lot of medium-sized city marathons, and overall this one really ranks average at best. It reminded me of Charleston for the amount of industrial running, and Charlottesville, VA for being over-rated. The course overall isn't that attractive, and while the bands were fun on the first half, there were very few in the second half. Ultima and NO gels is below average for course support. And I've been at 5K's with better food at the end. Since I'm not a big schwag guy, the overabundance of schwag didn't offset any of this for me. What really got me though is as I was hammering in the final couple miles to hit a time goal, several of us were stopped around Mile 25 by a police officer to let cars through. That is just ridiculous for a professionally organized marathon. Their marketing seems to be cutesie around 'you might be stopped by trains, some people consider it quaint', but it's not acceptable, the course should be closed for the runners. Overall, I say come to Portland, enjoy a wonderful city, get out to the Gorge, go see Mt. Hood. And maybe run the marathon. But, I'll still consider it one of the most overrated races I've done, and I've done hundreds.

The PM is extremely well organized. The volunteers were attentive and dedicated. The start was seemless and well designed. Aid station were plentiful and well stocked. I have read a few critical reviews of the course, to which I say, you've got to be kidding. It incorporates an urban area with tons of spectators, a river front, a suspended bridge and residential neighborhoods. Sure there are industrial areas too...get over it. Its a marathon not Disney. Overall I was humbled by the generosity and dedication of organizers, spectators and volunteers. Some criticize the lack of gu on the course. So bring your own. No big deal. I found that the salt and carbs of the pretzels helped me and I carried shot blocks. The Chinese drums early in the race are amazing. Imagine a sleepy city street on sunday morning and booming drums resonating through the street. Pretty amazing. Thank you Portland. Beware of the St Johns hill - It's no joke but the bridge is worth it. Last comment...maybe I missed it but I didn't see any water at the finish. I would have killed for a water bottle walking back to my hotel but there was plenty of food even for a late finisher like me.

Exceptional! That's why I decided to make this marathon my 100th. The organization, encouragement and excitement of the volunteers, the bling, and the weather (at least this year) couldn't be better. The Rose City does treat every finisher as a winner!

Pros: 1. Nice organization at the start, corral system worked very well. 2. Aid stations and port-a-potties were plentiful. 3. Plenty of supportive spectators, although as others have commented the first half is mostly through a not-at-all scenic industrial area with little to no spectators. Worth it to get to the St. Johns bridge I guess, as someone else commented. Cons: 1. TRAINS TRAINS TRAINS! They down play the trains on their publicity, but they seem to affect much more runners than the organizers let on. I was stopped twice, once by an Amtrak and once by the light rail train. You can take their advice and view being stopped by trains as part of the charm of running in Portland. But do not run this race to get a PR and adjust your expectations to being more likely to be stopped than they say. 2. Previously mentioned industrial area. 3. Racing split app they advertised (RaceIT) did not work for anyone in any way. If you're going to go all in on promoting a product make sure it works first. Results on their website were quickly posted, though.

I flew in for a 4-day weekend of visiting friends, hiking in the Gorge (wonderful Eagle Creek Trail to Punchbowl Falls), revisiting Reed, running the marathon, etc, and had a great time. Splurged on a downtown hotel. Appreciated the comment below (5/1/14) that one can get by without a rental car in Portland. Corrals worked fine for me. Didnt mind the industrial out-and-back. The bands & etc werent as plentiful as in my home marathon (Oakland), but in the first half that doesnt matter so much to me. The 150-foot rise to St. Johns bridge doesnt sound impressive, but its steep enough and far enough in to be non-trivial. If ones primary goal were to PR, there are flatter and faster courses. Great volunteers everywhere, ample aid stations, supportive crowds calling my name (from the bib). I carried my own GU. Never got slowed by cars or trains (train would be horrible, even if not going for PR). There were ample pacers sharing duties in my pace group (3:40), which I appreciated. The weather was unusually warm (70-ish toward the end), so I suffered in the sun after mile 21 and walked up the little rise to the Broadway Bridge. Other than that, the last 5 miles are kind (gentle downhill or flat), so I was able to finish only a minute behind my group. Nice finishers shirt. While not a destination marathon like Boston, this marathon is very well organized and not overly challenging, so the combination of a good marathon and a great town is very attractive. Im likely to return.

Overall a good experience, but I found many of the mile markers were off or hard to see through the first 10 miles. My splits were all over the place based on the mile markers so I merged into the 3:10 pace group four miles in (I was shooting for 3:08 to 3:10). I have run multiple marathons and never had so many mile markers be so far off. 6:30 one mile, 7:30 another mile while running downhill. Even the pacers commented the mile markers were off. I fell a bit back from the 3:10 group just before halfway but still came through the half at 1:33. They were way too fast for folks trying to break 3:10. I expected they would be 1:34 at the fastest. I held on until the last 5 miles where the early pace caught up. I didn't use a GPS watch because they be a bit off, especially with downtown start. I always have pace myself off my watch and what I assume are accurate mile markers. Decent course, but not terribly scenic from miles 5-12. I am more concerned with fast times than scenery so that was okay. I will go back and next time ignore the pace group. Plenty of aid stations but having them mostly on one side of the road made it difficult to get water the first half when the half and marathoners ran together. Give out the shoe bag at the end. They give out too much stuff to carry and I had to wrap it all in my finisher shirt to carry it.

Beautiful city, but I grew up there. Too bad the course doesn't take complete advantage of that. Many great restaurants downtown. Expo seemed a bit cramped in the basement of the Hilton, but not awful. But agree with the comment about no expo bag to drop your gear into. Eventually, there is a kiosk for a bag, but it should be provided with the bib. Spectators were great. Lots of them, cheering folks on. In some neighborhoods, sprinklers and hoses were out to cool us down. (For those of us in Corral H at the end of the race, it was unusually warm.) Other spectators left oranges for runners. Never ate the Gummi Bears provided  and agree with a comment below that no one would train that way. But was pleased by the number of aid stations. They never ran out of liquids, and lots of portapotties. (I've been on some courses where there's just one potty at each aid station. Portland's planning on this front was much better.) The volunteers were always spirited, even 6 hours after the race started. In fact, the volunteers were great. Course is slightly hilly at miles 3-4, then flat till about mile 11 in part through downtown and then later through an industrial area with no shade. Then a slow, gradual incline as you head toward the St. John's bridge at mile 15.5. The half-mile ramp up to the bridge is steep. And then the course is relatively flat till about mile 22 when it goes downhill toward the Broadway Bridge headed into downtown. Not much shade after the St. John's bridge and the finish line. Lots of bands and performers on the entire route, even through the industrial area. Finishers shirt is great. Was hoping the finish line would have had something more substantive to eat other than bananas and a donut hole.

Pros: 1. I really like the city of Portland. 2. All of the volunteers were helpful and friendly. 3. Really cool medal :) Cons: 1. No baggage check. I would have really loved to get a clean shirt or some fresh socks or shoes after the race, but that option was not available. They said only 18% of runners used it. Perhaps those were the out of town runners where it wasn't a nice to have but a necessity. 2. No GU or commercial fuel on the course. Sure gummy bears and pretzels are nice, but no one trains with those. So I got to change the shorts I planned to wear for a new pair with pockets, so I could load my pockets with GU. 3. The expo didn't give you a bag until the end. How does that make sense? They give you bib, pins, etc with no where to put it? I ended up losing the wristbands from the pace group. I am glad I didn't drop anything else while walking through the expo. 4. Beer garden was embarrassing. It was just a parking lot in the sun with a few trucks selling $5 beers. How about you get some sponsors and then give the runners a few beers? Maybe help people celebrate their accomplishment, instead of making them want to leave as soon as possible. 5. Get a more accurate course elevation profile. I picked Portland, because I was trying to PR and overall it looked flat. Turns out mile 16-21 are all uphill and not just a small uphill. Thanks for the bonk!!! 6. EFFING TRAINS!!! Not only did I have to stop for 1 train, but I got caught by a second train at mile 24. I wonder if they know how demoralizing it is to be crushing your goal time and you get to stop to watch a freight train go by. At least stop your city's light rail!

What if they held a marathon in a major city and did not allow anyone to watch the finish? Yes, that was the Portland Marathon. No spectators were allowed within 200 meters of the Finish Line. No family, no friends, no supporters, no marathon fans. There was an announcer announcing to no one. Instead of cheering crowds at the Finish Line there was a man on the course at mile 26 with a megaphone yelling at the runners to 'run faster!' What if they had a marathon in a major city and the winners of the marathon and other fast marathoners had to weave in an out of really slow half marathoners to get to the Finish Line? Yes, again Portland. No separate Finish Line for the Marathon runners. The Portland Marathon is likely not a bad marathon but the finish was disappointing and anticlimactic making the entire marathon seem disappointing.

I may be biased because I PR'ed this course and finally broke 4 hours. The course may not be the most beautiful, but I tend to be one of those runners that zone out no matter where I am. In terms of the topography, it was flat with some rolling hills; the last 8 miles have a lot of gentle downhill stretches. (I tend to do better if there are hills thrown in). What I remember are all the musical acts, cheerleaders, and spectators. During that boring industrial stretch there are people dressed as pirates there for your entertainment. I regret not taking pictures of the Shriners with their calliope. And there were so many random people in the crowd calling out my name and cheering me on; I feel it really boosted me at the end. The weather was perfect. I took no part of the pretzels or gummi bears (strangest course food ever). There is a lot of swag, almost too much. But overall, I had a lot of fun running this marathon and would consider doing it again.

This was my 23rd marathon, part of my quest to become a 50 stater. There were some good things and some things that need improvement. First, the expo was well organized, had a lot of venders, and wasn't too overcrowded. We went on Friday afternoon, so that may have made a difference. Picking up the number was easy, although having to go to another area to get pins and a bag could be inconvenient for those in a hurry. I had no issues on race day. We arrived at around 5:45, found parking along Clay St. about a 1/2 mile from the start and walked over to my corral. The corrals are a great idea. From my perspective, they worked great. As many others have said, the course was just not that special. Too much industrial, kind of boring at times. It seemed as though the goal was to get the runners to the St. John's Bridge, which was the highlight of the course. I will compliment the race directors on making the back half of the course better than the 1st half, usually it is the opposite, as many races cater to the half marathoners. There were plenty of water stops, although I don't think the Ultima drink was very good. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped out. As far as spectators, there are large sections of the course where there are none, so if you need that kind of support, don't expect that. However, those that were able to get around were great. A special thanks to whomever Gary Gnu is for making the entertaining signs on the back half of the course. All in all, Portland was not a bad experience, I would just have hoped that such a popular (and expensive) race would have been a little better.

For such a great town, I was very disappointed with the route. The first few miles were great, but the rest of the race is along the river in largely industrial parts of Portland. From about Mile 14 to 17 you run along a major highway breathing truck exhaust while climbing uphill. The rest of the race was fine  great crowds, nice people, and a decent, if uninspired expo. But the course leaves something to be desired. I have run 19 marathons and this was by far my least favorite.

After having run New York, London, and Chicago, I walked Portland (b/c of hip issues). I was shocked at the poor organization, lack of meager food (they ran out of pretzels at all but the last stop), change of course *during* the race for the walkers (putting us on sidewalks which beat up our legs), ran out of finishers jackets at end, etc., etc.... I willl definitely not return & look forward to Honolulu and possibly L.A....

The hype begins as soon as you go to their website, which refers to their race as the experience of a lifetime. I roll my eyes because the statement is almost laughable. Once you get past the hyperbole, you have a good race (not great) in a pretty hip city. Good weather for this year's race brought out lots of spectators. You get a good goodie bag although the expo needs to be in a better location. The finisher's jacket was a pleasant change from the typical t-shirt.

Excellent marathon, my first one since 2002! I guess I trained at Andes of Peru, since I was a child I always liked to run at my dads farm fields en Yaquin, Pulunche,... etc

I planned to run Portland after planning a trip with my wife to explore the city and surrounding areas months in advance. Three months before the race I was told I had a low-grade brain tumor that would need to be resected, which hindered my training (I had hoped to PR). With surgery scheduled for a month after the travel date, I was given clearance by doctors to run the race at a 'leisurely pace,' so I abandoned my hopes for a PR and decided to just enjoy the ride. What a ride it was! The weather was spectacular, as I understand it tends to be this time of year in the pacific NW. The leaves were starting to change and the air was crisp. The expo was fine, a little bit cramped and hot in a hotel basement, but the swag was very nice - 2 tech shirts (short-sleeved participant shirt and long-sleeved finisher shirt) and a neat medal. Also at the end there was a tree seedling which is about right for Portland, and a rose. At the start there were a few motivational words about the Boston marathon, and then a very cool national anthem which was sung by all of us thousands of runners (apparently a tradition that was started a few years ago when there was some kind of mishap with the planned national anthem). Great way to start a race, followed by a beautiful sunrise around mile 4. The first few miles head south out of the city and up into some leafy neighborhoods, with some gentle climbing. Then runners make a u-turn and head back through downtown alongside the Willamette waterfront. Eventually, downtown gives way to the Pearl district, and the Pearl gives way to a very industrial area where runners complete a somewhat lackluster out-and-back that is several miles total. A lot of people have complaints about this part of the course, and I do agree that it is a bit boring and I've never enjoyed out-and-back portions of a race, but Portland does have industrial roots and it's cool to see them as you run past rail yards, warehouses, etc. There is also plenty of entertainment along the way - DJs, bands, pirates shooting off cannons, and the camaraderie and spirit of your fellow runners. After this portion of the race, full marathoners turn right and head back through some shady neighborhoods on the way out of town, ultimately making their way down to St Helens Rd / Hwy 30, which travels northwest along the Willamette River towards the St Johns Bridge. This stretch of the race, miles 13-16 or so, were the worst in my opinion. Rather boring road, little shade, lots of people starting to feel the pain. Around mile 16.5, you turn off on a brutal uphill to take you up to the St Johns Bridge. The climb is painful but the reward is a spectacular view back downriver towards the Portland skyline, with the green hills rising up behind you and Mt Hood out on the horizon like a mirage. From this point you return to town, running along the bluffs on the north side of the river, overlooking downtown. There are some nice views, quaint neighborhoods, and great crowd support along miles 18-21.5. From 21.5 - 23, the course is sparse and fully exposed to the sun. Saw many people hitting the wall in this stretch. At mile 23 you begin to re-enter civilization, and come upon a short, brutal climb up to the Broadway Bridge, which brings you back across the river and into downtown. You wind through downtown until coming back to the finish, essentially where you started. Great crowds for these final two miles. Post-race support is standard, good, string cheese was a highlight. I found a coffee shop and punished their bathroom, then we made our way back to the condo. All in all I believe this a wonderful race, and Portland is a great place to stick around afterwards. It could be a pretty quick course if not for the two painfully-placed climbs. This was certainly not my fastest, for reasons already mentioned, but it was definitely my most meaningful. A month later my brain tumor was resected without incident, and I required no chemo or radiation. Onward to find that PR! (A general comment about Portland - this is probably the easiest city to visit without a rental car besides NYC. We stayed on the riverfront in the Pearl District and could easily walk everywhere, including public transportation which is abundant and mostly clean. We only rented a car to drive out to Multnomah Falls, which is a must-see.)

I've completed 9 marathons and this is by far my favorite. It is very well organized and the volunteers are awesome! They line most of the course. The course was beautiful and was flat except for one large hill at St. John's Bridge. Water/fuel was more than adequate. The only (small) complaint I have is the reunion area. It's not nearly large enough to host the runners and their families. Other than that, great! I want to do this one every year.

I've done over 200 and this is one of the better ones. A great city with great restaurants. Great organization. Great medal. Two tech shirts. The course gets the job done going through the Chinatown Arch and over the bridge with a view of Mt. Hood. Almost continuous music with an enjoyable variety The Rosa Hotel was great and a block from the start. Did I mention the great restaurants?.

This race was great perfect weather only bummer is the train delay around mile 6. People were running in front of the train I even saw someone get hurt by crossing arm going up and people pushing. Host hotel was great along with places to eat and relax before the race. Runners were definitely awesome cheering each other on and chatting it up. I was in the around 4 hr group pacers were perfect.