Eugene Marathon

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.