Columbia Gorge Marathon & Half Marathon
Hood River, OR
- Marathon, Half Marathon, Half Marathon Relay
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
FALL FOLIAGE AND SWEEPING VISTAS Run through fall foliage on the banks of the Columbia River at this destination marathon & half-marathon race. On the course, you’ll celebrate the sweeping vistas and impressive natural beauty of the Columbia River Gorge. Runners and walkers are welcomed with a 7-hour half-marathon cut-off time. … MORE
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Scenic and fairly challenging
This bills itself as "the most scenic marathon in the country," and much of the course is scenic - lots of fall foliage, parts of it overlooking the Columbia gorge. … MORE
This bills itself as “the most scenic marathon in the country,” and much of the course is scenic – lots of fall foliage, parts of it overlooking the Columbia gorge. However, you also spend a lot of the course along roadway that is open to (and not coned off from) traffic, running past grassy fields, so some of it is a bit less scenic than advertised. It’s fairly challenging for a road marathon – around 1800 feet elevation gain, with long stretches of 3-5% incline (not steep enough to justify walking, but steep enough to make life unpleasant) – but the last 4 miles are at a downhill, so that helps. The course gets congested at the end with half marathoners. Overall, it was pretty well organized, with shuttle buses to the start line running regularly, and a nice taco buffet at the end. Not my favorite race I’ve run, but it was enjoyable and worth doing.
Beautiful, But Difficult
Views were beautiful, and could not ask for better weather. Packet pick up was fast and easy. Gear check was also super quick and easy. I am not use to … MORE
Views were beautiful, and could not ask for better weather. Packet pick up was fast and easy. Gear check was also super quick and easy. I am not use to running hills, so I found the kills to be killer, and resulted in my slowest time to date. I finished a little over an hour before the official cut off time but they were already starting to clean up the after party area when I got there.
I should have researched better (my bad)
If you're looking for a race where you run the first & last 2.5mi (approx) on an open road with no shoulder, this is the race for you! Seemingly uphill … MORE
If you’re looking for a race where you run the first & last 2.5mi (approx) on an open road with no shoulder, this is the race for you! Seemingly uphill both ways somehow, this out & back course was tough! Run it for the scenery (amazing!) and not for a PR. Very well organized with a post-race taco bar but tshirts cost extra. Barely any water stations (3?) but good racing snacks. Worth doing it once, but I’ll never do it again. Stay at the Hampton Inn w/ a river view & your family can cheer you from their room.
Highly recommended for Oregon!
A beautiful out and back course along the Columbia River that starts in the bucolic town of Hood River. This was an expensive race, but there was a lot of … MORE
A beautiful out and back course along the Columbia River that starts in the bucolic town of Hood River. This was an expensive race, but there was a lot of bang for your buck. They offered both breakfast pre-race and lunch post-race along with plenty of fully stocked aid stations. Runners also received a beanie and a finishers medal. Unfortunately, if you wanted a race shirt it did cost extra, but I liked the idea of something different than your typical race shirt. Be prepared for LOTS of uphill, especially in the first half.
Great race with AWESOME scenery
Great race with fantastic race promoters. Can't beat the gorgeous fall leaves in the beautiful Columbia Gorge and the after the run buffet! I finished a marathon this year and … MORE
Great race with fantastic race promoters. Can’t beat the gorgeous fall leaves in the beautiful Columbia Gorge and the after the run buffet! I finished a marathon this year and all I got was a bottle of water, a cookie, and a banana. Not here. They know how to treat you right!
Tough course, but beautiful
I expected the switchback climb at the beginning to be difficult, but the hills didn't really stop until mile 9. The course was beautiful, mostly shaded, and the weather happened … MORE
I expected the switchback climb at the beginning to be difficult, but the hills didn’t really stop until mile 9. The course was beautiful, mostly shaded, and the weather happened to be perfect. Medal was cool. Lots of food afterward. The dogs on course were an interesting touch, with staggered race starts preventing it from getting too crowded. A good race if you aren’t expecting a PR.
Most beautiful race I’ve run!
Amazingly beautiful race course running alongside the river with gorgeous views the entire time made up for the steep climb for the entire first half. Good aid stations & easy … MORE
Amazingly beautiful race course running alongside the river with gorgeous views the entire time made up for the steep climb for the entire first half. Good aid stations & easy to get to & park because it was a smaller race. There was no expo & the shirts cost extra which was a bummer. The food afterwards was delicious (an actual taco 🌮 bar) & we walked to a brewery nearby. Really fun, low key, gorgeous race!
Amazing - I will come back every year
This race was my first race. Having now run my first marathon, I can safely say it has ruined all other race experiences for me. The scenery is unreal - … MORE
This race was my first race. Having now run my first marathon, I can safely say it has ruined all other race experiences for me.
The scenery is unreal – panoramic views of the gorge, Forest, and even a cute little part of hood river.
The elevation wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be, and helped me FLY to the finish! Finishing strong was the best feeling even for a slow runner like me.
Aid stations were first rate with friendly volunteers, water and electrolytes, snacks and gels.
Loved it. Can’t wait to do it again in 2023.
Look Up to Take It All In!
Many times when "we" run we are looking down or in front of us on the course. For this race you need to be looking everywhere. The views of the … MORE
Many times when “we” run we are looking down or in front of us on the course. For this race you need to be looking everywhere. The views of the gorge are stunning.
The half course may start uphill, although what comes up must come down. That is the case with the back half of the half. You can scream down the hill to make up time. Even with the hill, it had been my PR for many years.
The post-race party is well done too.
If you are driven by swag, keep in mind that the RD offers a “series” that earns you an extra medal and jacket if you run all 3 of their races (halfs/fulls/combination).
Amazing views, fantastic food!
I ran this as a bucket list race just for the scenery, and it did not disappoint! I am a flatlander, so people that run a lot of hills probably … MORE
I ran this as a bucket list race just for the scenery, and it did not disappoint! I am a flatlander, so people that run a lot of hills probably won’t think it as tough as I did, but there is a LOT of uphill going out, which means a LOT of downhill on the back half. It makes for a fast finish! Once you get up that huge uphill, you’re on the old highway, and it’s spectacular. The fall trees are in full color and stretches are truly a tunnel of amazing. There is a big water stop at an overlook, so be sure to stop for water and photos! People can run with their dogs, so bonus, you get to see cute dogs! Post-race, they know how to treat runners – taco bar, fresh fruit and cider from local orchards, cake, coffee – if you leave hungry, it’s your own fault. Highly recommend!
Most Scenic Marathon in the Country
My favorite part of this run was a late start time! My wave was 9:50am. Especially since I had to drive over an hour to get to the start line. … MORE
My favorite part of this run was a late start time! My wave was 9:50am. Especially since I had to drive over an hour to get to the start line. But this really is a absolute beautiful run. The course had some hills but they were more in the 1st 3 miles when you have more energy and it was great coming back down them at the end of the course. I actually got my new PB. The swag was great, you got a beanie and the long sleeve race shit that was really nice without advertisements all over it. They also had a full on lunch of tacos and more after the race, before the race they had lots of pre things to eat such as bread (with toasters) and peanut butter, bars and more. Way to go on the race production. Very organized.
Very scenic, hilly course
Excellent aid stations, very beautiful scenery, a little hilly, well organized. I ran this one with a stroller, and had no problems with this course (other than a grumpy baby … MORE
Excellent aid stations, very beautiful scenery, a little hilly, well organized. I ran this one with a stroller, and had no problems with this course (other than a grumpy baby starting at mile 5). We didn’t get to stick around for the after party, but the food looked delicious.
Damn them hills, but what a view
This was an absolutely beautiful course. Run along the Columbia River (Oregon side), sweeping views up and down the river. Run on a paved road, you run amongst a old … MORE
This was an absolutely beautiful course. Run along the Columbia River (Oregon side), sweeping views up and down the river. Run on a paved road, you run amongst a old growth forest but still get glimpses of the views the majority of the run. It WAS hilly. Up and down, the entire course. A small race, I think around 225 marathon finishers, one never felt crowded. It was easy to visit with others because of the small number of runners, which made the run go by quickly.
START: 9 a.m. start, but they also offered an 8 a.m. early start. A surprising number of runners took the early start. Parking is plentiful, and then they bus you uphill to the start. Precisely 2.5 miles uphill. You will appreciate this start location around mile 24.
SWAG: A light 1/4 zip jacket and a beanie given to all runners.
POST RACE PARTY: If you like a taco bar, 2 types of home made soup, beer, water, and other drinks and a multitude of locally picked fruit, you will enjoy the food. The organization also allowed runners to sign up for other races that they sponsor at a nice discount.
MEDAL:. The medal was nice sized, heavy and showcased the autumn leaves falling around.
This was a beautiful course. Definitely one of the nicest I have ever run. Although a tough race, I ran a negative split (my second ever) and ran my best time for 2016. Speaks well for small crowds and conversation.