Lauren Orr's Staging Area

The dahlia fields were near peak bloom, so it was a beautiful sight for the first and last portions of the race, and a great backdrop for photos afterward. Parking for the event and race day bib pickup were super easy. There was a quarter-mile stretch on gravel that felt pretty treacherous, but maybe that is just my personal aversion to non-paved surfaces. There was a nice medal and a dahlia given to each runner. Nothing fancy for refreshment (water, oranges, bananas), but there were food trucks on site if you wanted to purchase something more. The organizers were pretty confused about who won the race, and if there were awards for top three male and female or just top three runners. Overall, I enjoyed the morning and would do this race again because the flowers were just that awesome.

Second time I have run this as a fitness test during the build for a fall marathon. It is flat, and both years weather was high 50s-low 60s and overcast. Easy race-day bib pickup. I like having the option to plant a tree instead of getting another race t-shirt. Race medal was okay, but R-pod medal for running 3 Orca races in a year was really nice. Post-race food was fine. This race has pacers and free photos.

The race is known for being fast, and although there were a couple of hills, when I got through the biggest hill in mile 5, I thought, “That was it?” The back half of the course is just gorgeous, through (paved) park trails. Everything was lush green in a backdrop of overcast perfect running weather. The first half is pretty average residential and commercial streets. Finishing in Hayward Field is a treat. My only gripe is that the start was a bit of a cluster. There was a 3:25 pacer at the front of the second corral, then I didn’t see another pacer (looked like the 3:30) until the front of the third corral…out of 4 total. I ended up staying between the two, but the pack was much slower than either of those paces, and I couldn’t break away for the first 2 miles because it was VERY crowded. This is the first year the races were sold out, so I’m not sure if that has always been the experience. The rest of the race was plenty spacious.

More positives: Expo was good, nice race shirt (Nike DriFit of course), medal was handsome and sentimental with incorporated lumber from the historic Hayward Field, free photos that were available within hours.

The packet pick-up was pretty bare bones (no vendors besides a Maui Jim stand), but it was easy. On race morning, the gear check was not specifically marked (though not super hard to find after asking around), and they didn’t seem to arrange the bags in any particular order — when people were picking up their bags afterward, it was a lot of searching around randomly bag-by-bag. The corrals were only open from the back, so if your bib color was near the front, you either had to make your way through all the other groups (3400+ runners) or hop the rails. There were many runners who went to the front green group with blue or orange bibs, so that did not seem to work as intended. The scenery was nice for about half of the race by the ocean, but the rest was pretty industrial. The medal and shirt were nice, and there were some pretty legit free race photos.

The beautiful setting was just what I needed for a winter getaway. The course is truly flat and scenic, but there were some parts that were sandy or even on the beach (very short portion) that broke up the rhythm. The route was clearly marked, and wide enough that the crowds thinned out pretty quickly after the start. Be prepared for a cupless race. I appreciated the new 6:30 start given the temp (70) and humidity. The band at the finish was great with a tropical vibe, and the racers stuck around to party. I would do this race again.

First time running the full marathon course after 3 Portland half marathons. The course is not particularly flat, but the hills are manageable and the biggest hill is at mile 2. There are a lot of turns, but the course was well marked. Aid stations were abundant. The medal was the best one I’ve seen. Lots of pacer groups. Topped off with cool but sunny weather.

The 10K course was pretty flat. Stadium finish was a nice touch, and a great place to hang out post-race for a burger and spectating. The swag was as good as any I’ve seen. Got a text with the official results as soon as I crossed the finish line. Overall a seamless production.

This was my third time running the half, and each time has been similarly well produced. The expo is pretty good with many vendors, T-shirt swap between short sleeve/long sleeve/tank. Start line is easy to get to on the metro or a short walk from downtown hotels. Lots of different pacers. Course is mostly flat, through neighborhoods. A couple of nice views of the city when crossing bridges. Drink stations are abundant, some with gels. This year the weather was nice, but past years a little chilly for me. My favorite is the finish with free rose, pizza, and voodoo doughnut! Free photos and personal highlight video are a nice touch.