Portland Marathon
Portland, OR
- Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, Kids Run
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The fast and beautiful Portland Marathon route is the best way to experience the Rose City. With four epic bridge crossings, a downtown start and finish, and a tour through some of the most iconic landmarks and neighborhoods in town, the Portland Marathon offers the most unique race experience to … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Oct 04):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°F) | 66 | 63 | 68 | 67 | 68 |
| L (°F) | 57 | 52 | 55 | 57 | 53 |
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Who organized this??
So many minor hiccups for a race with great potential. You get to visit the town, from the old chinatown to the bridges, which is great... But you also get … MORE
So many minor hiccups for a race with great potential. You get to visit the town, from the old chinatown to the bridges, which is great… But you also get a very confused start, with the 10k and the marathon starting together in a giant uncorralled wave, with groups of walkers ahead blocking even the elites. Because of the tramways, there’s not one route but multiple ones because you may be directed to alternative routes at any of the 10 tramways crossing on the route. When you do, the official app considers you “off-route” because of course it doesn’t account for alt routes. The end of the race is terrible, with a first back and forth in the middle of homeless encampments, then when you are in view of the finish line you do a S shape actually running the same road three times with two U-Turns.
Another Great Race By Brooksee
I have previously reviewed this race, and it is still a class act. I would still recommend this race to anyone. There are a few suggestions that I have for … MORE
I have previously reviewed this race, and it is still a class act. I would still recommend this race to anyone. There are a few suggestions that I have for Brooksee following this race, however.
Please keep the open corrals that you had this year. This was a great compromise between no control and locking down the corrals. I did not get lined up where I wanted to be. That however, is on me for deciding I wanted to sleep in for this hometown race.
Second, the app has some glitches. Or it was glitching with my phone. I did not get a 1-mile notification until I was about 1.5 miles through the race. I continued to get a strange mile marker notification. This is not a problem all by itself, but this problem also became exacerbated by the reroutes that happened when buses were coming by. I was shuffled by one of these, and though I was following the route I was guided down, the app was telling me that I was off course. The app did the same thing as I crossed the Burnside Bridge. There is only one Burnside Bridge, and it is definitely on the course. But it was telling me I had left the course. Had I not been a hometown boy, I might have been concerned with these notifications.
Finally, and I understand why they are the choice… But I would like to see a local beer option for the free beer afterward. We have local breweries that can produce the volume needed. We have Voodoo Donuts at the end (not something I would choose, but a good choice because it is a real Portland thing). Austin has 2 local beers for their race. We can do this, Portland.
Again, great race,e Brooksee and Portland. My small quibbles are just perfection points, not anything that really took from this being a great race.
Great urban marathon
Contrary to what you might have heard lately, Portland is not a War Zone. In fact, it's a beautiful city with a great downtown and leafy neighborhoods. However, situated as … MORE
Contrary to what you might have heard lately, Portland is not a War Zone. In fact, it’s a beautiful city with a great downtown and leafy neighborhoods. However, situated as it is along the scenic Willamette River, it has more than a few hills. Still I’m very glad I chose the Portland Marathon as my Oregon race. Weather was perfect. Expo and course were well-organized and staffed. Bag drop was a bit of a bottleneck, but otherwise I had a smooth experience from packet pickup all the way to the finish line, where every finisher received not only a medal but also a Rose. Public transit (bus and rail) is efficient and got me everywhere I needed to go. Great restaurants, retail, and points of interest rounded out my weekend visit. This is a race that compares favorably with other great urban marathons I’ve run, including Twin Cities (MN), Denver (CO), Dallas (TX), Nashville (TN), and Pittsburgh (PA). Come check it out!
Great Marathon, Challenging Course
The Portland Marathon is well put together. The expo was very cool, with lots of things to buy or sample. The course overview was especially useful. The course is really … MORE
The Portland Marathon is well put together. The expo was very cool, with lots of things to buy or sample. The course overview was especially useful. The course is really challenging with a lot of sharp turns and steep up and down hills. None of the hills are really that long but the cumulative effect of constantly going up and down really gets your legs. The hill at 21 was most challenging for me.
Different neighborhoods through the course have a competition to see who cheers the loudest. There was really cool stuff, people handing out beer or Gatorade or pickle juice and watching everyone run by. Cheering tunnels in the first few miles. Bands on streets with lots of commercial places. People sending bubbles from machines into the crowd.
The weather was spectacular. And the post race food was great, though lacking in gluten free options so I didn’t eat much, still being in Tom McCall Park at the end of a long run is awesome. I wish the shirt was unisex. And the bathrooms at the start line could’ve been better advertised. Giant groups of people got clumped together. Otherwise, great, great event. My race was great till 21, and then sucked. But slowing down and taking it all in was great. Hope to do it again next year.
Quality Oregon Event
The Portland Half is a good event. It checked off Oregon on my way to 50 states, The expo was well organized and had several vendors. The only negatives were … MORE
The Portland Half is a good event. It checked off Oregon on my way to 50 states, The expo was well organized and had several vendors.
The only negatives were that the race did not have corrals. Just a huge jumble of people starting. The other negative was the crowd at the finish line. It was packed. I was just glad to get out of the crowd once I got the medal and banana.
There are a number of positives. The course is very nice. Just one hill around mile 9. Great scenery. Also I think the pics are all free also. It was nice to have signage noting when you are getting close to a photographer.
Overall a good race for Oregon
Beautiful, well-supported, and organized
October is the perfect time to run a race in Portland - the crisp air is nice, and the route views are wonderful. Good energy, music, and tons of spectators … MORE
October is the perfect time to run a race in Portland – the crisp air is nice, and the route views are wonderful. Good energy, music, and tons of spectators to uplift your spirits to keep you going until the end.
Hilly, super well run, good crowds
Portland marathon is clearly a big deal in this town! Lots of enthusiastic people watching and cheering, especially throughout the neighborhoods. Production was flawless. Good swag, a nice zipper gear … MORE
Portland marathon is clearly a big deal in this town! Lots of enthusiastic people watching and cheering, especially throughout the neighborhoods. Production was flawless. Good swag, a nice zipper gear bag and better than average t shirt. It was quite hilly, tbh. I had a slow time as a result. It was great weather, overall it was a great race.
Decent race with some things to fix
Overall I enjoyed the race. The expo was good as were the shirt, medal, and post-race food. I do have to note that the half started early, which was very … MORE
Overall I enjoyed the race. The expo was good as were the shirt, medal, and post-race food. I do have to note that the half started early, which was very odd and created a lot of confusion. The course itself was good, but I was hoping to spend more of it running along the water and through the prominent streets and neighborhoods of Portland that highlighted the city. Instead we spent a little too much time running through some smaller residential neighborhoods, city outskirts, and even the highway.
The old course was a lot nicer
There race felt like lots of loops and jags - a loop through Northwest/Old Town, a loop through Reed, and lots of left/rights through city streets. It also ran over … MORE
There race felt like lots of loops and jags – a loop through Northwest/Old Town, a loop through Reed, and lots of left/rights through city streets. It also ran over and by freeways. I felt like I was always turning back and forth and going up a little hill just to go back down it in two blocks.
Portland is beautiful and the race hit some great neighbourhoods but seemed to hit fewer running-friendly streets (lots of bad pavement, taking a street instead of beautiful pedestrian paths) that I expected.
The previous course felt a lot nicer. Lots more long straights, and running over the iconic St John bridge late in the race was spectacular. There was no snapshot moment, just slogging through a lot of large streets and industrial areas interspersed with beautiful neighbourhoods.
Portland
A nice scenic race through Portland crossing the Willamette River several times. The course had many turns in downtown and the road surfaces in many parts of the city do … MORE
A nice scenic race through Portland crossing the Willamette River several times. The course had many turns in downtown and the road surfaces in many parts of the city do need repair. Even though this a mostly flat course there are many inclines with the bridge crossings. The race was well organize, a small expo with easy packet pickup. The start and the finish were great as they both were on Front Avenue on the Willamette River in downtown Portland. The finisher medals for both the full and half were nice.
Georgia to Oregon - did not disappoint!!
I flew from Georgia and ran this with a friend and it did not disappoint!! Our goal was photos, fun and finish so my expectations were not high and this … MORE
I flew from Georgia and ran this with a friend and it did not disappoint!! Our goal was photos, fun and finish so my expectations were not high and this Race over delivered!! The scenery was amazing!! The party at the finish line was sooooo fun with a beer garden with a free beer and a complimentary big voodoo donut! Gear bag dropoff and pickup was flawless.
Crossed two bridges which gave a spectacular view! The neighborhoods participated and the residents were so fun! Whole families lined the sidewalks with cheering and high fives and dog petting stations. It was amazing!
There were so many aid stations with portapotties. water, nuun, gu and first aid that you could really do the race without carrying anything.
Cons: we ran much of the race with the marathoners on a single lane which was unavoidable logistically but made navigating the run difficult in places. Race volunteers would bike to our left announcing that marathoners were coming thru so the rest of us were required to merge closer than the close proximity we already were.
The roads were side slanted and had cracked asphalt in a lot of places so you really need to watch your step.
Overall: Great girls trip! Easy to navigate from airport and cheap public transportation that will get you everywhere.
Portland Is Trashy
The start location is good, but running through downtown is just gross. It smells, it’s rundown, boarded up, graffiti everywhere, tents everywhere, and literal zombies walking around. Avoid downtown and … MORE
The start location is good, but running through downtown is just gross. It smells, it’s rundown, boarded up, graffiti everywhere, tents everywhere, and literal zombies walking around. Avoid downtown and this would be a much more pleasant race.
Well-Organized and Beautiful!
The Portland Marathon felt very well-planned and ideal for runners. From the race and organization perspective, everything was very well-organized. Expo was easy, race start was in a convenient downtown … MORE
The Portland Marathon felt very well-planned and ideal for runners. From the race and organization perspective, everything was very well-organized. Expo was easy, race start was in a convenient downtown location, aid stations were plentiful and well staffed with volunteers and water/gels, course was BEAUTIFUL through scenic neighborhoods of Portland, many spectators along the course and specific cheer zones which brought a lot of excitement and positivity, start and end location was the same place which was easy for out of towners to navigate, food and swag from the race was great… clearly many positives to say! I would wholeheartedly recommend this race to others.
Great race in a great city
I've run this marathon 3 times. It is always well organized and so far I've been blessed with very good weather. The course is not one to set records on. … MORE
I’ve run this marathon 3 times. It is always well organized and so far I’ve been blessed with very good weather.
The course is not one to set records on. There are a lot of turns running through the city, especially at the beginning for the marathoners. Running over the bridges is beautiful but comes with significant elevation gain. I appreciate that the middle part of the marathon course, especially as you cross the bridge to head toward Reed, is well-shaded by trees. If you are running a faster marathon, by the time the sun is really up and starting to heat up the course you are shaded until you hit ~mile 20.
The organization is very good. Packet pickup is at the expo center, which is a fair distance from the start so it isn’t possible to stay within easy walking distance of both. It is pretty easy to use mass transit to get to the expo center from the start so you don’t need to have a car.
The only organizational/course challenge was along MacAdams. It is roughly miles 7-12 for the marathon and maybe 2-6 for the half marathon. It is 3-4 lane road but they only block 1 lane on the right. There isn’t much traffic but you can’t really stray out of your lane. The problem is that the faster marathoners immediately hit the back of the pack half marathoners. I was with the 3hr pace group and it was tough sledding. There were bunches of half-marathon walkers on the right and we were trying to squeeze through on the left. Aid stations along this portion of the course were more difficult with the half-marathoners stopped to get their water and fast marathoners darting in and out to try to get a cup.
Once you get to the Sellwood bridge the course widens out and you can easily make your way through the half marathoners. Not long after the marathon course veers away to go through Reed.
The post-race area was well stocked with recovery snacks and drinks. The metal was nice. I skipped the long line for the beer garden but lots of people were enjoying the nice weather.
Perfect Portland Day!
As a first-time Portland runner, I could not have asked for a much better weekend. The expo was well-organized and lively, with plenty of good shopping and fun interactive activities … MORE
As a first-time Portland runner, I could not have asked for a much better weekend. The expo was well-organized and lively, with plenty of good shopping and fun interactive activities for racers.
Race day itself was pretty much perfect. We got a great Portland day, and I mostly enjoyed the half marathon course. The Sellwood and Burnside Bridges were highlights, and the Portland neighborhoods were nice to run through. Spectator support was a little thin in areas, but the people that were out were lively and fun. Plenty of aid stations, including several with Nuun and Gu.
The finish was fantastic, with great crowd support. The medal immediately became one of my favorites in my collection, and also getting a rose at the finish line was a nice touch. The finish area was also very lively, with plenty of space for runners and their supporters, photo opportunities and a free doughnut and beer for finishers.
Start to finish, Portland was a first-time experience I’ll never forget, and I hope I can do it again someday!
Good experience
No major bad things to say; overall good marathon event/experience. Pros: swag, event operations, beautiful weather, number of aid stations Cons: some inclines towards the end of the course, smaller … MORE
No major bad things to say; overall good marathon event/experience.
Pros: swag, event operations, beautiful weather, number of aid stations
Cons: some inclines towards the end of the course, smaller than expected crowd support throughout and water/nuun opportunities at each aid station
Well organized event, perfect weather
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 … MORE
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.
NOT A FAST COURSE
This was my 31st marathon. I set a new PR and won my age group, because I have a coach, not because this is a fast course. You will read … MORE
This was my 31st marathon. I set a new PR and won my age group, because I have a coach, not because this is a fast course. You will read why.
I had trained for Twin Cities (which IS a fast course) but when I saw their forecast I switched to Portland. Excellent race website except for the course profile which looks more like the monitor they hook you up to at a hospital. Except worse. When I read other reviews where all of the runners complained about the hills in 2022, I assumed it was because it was a hot day. The website says it’s a fast course, right? How bad could it be?
The expo wasn’t big but it’s not a big race (compared to the majors). They had two speakers at the expo: a doctor to talk about runners health, and a coach to talk about the course. Both were excellent. The coach did not mince words about the amount of climbing, and number of turns, on the course. He also explained the train boxes perfectly. But I knew I had trained for a PR and was very nervous about the hills.
Race day had textbook PERFECT race weather. Sunny and cool. My hotel was a 4 minute walk to the start line which was great because the lines for the portapotties were epic. The start area seemed a bit chaotic because there were so many runners crammed under the bridge. But the start chute itself was really easy to self-seed.
Once we were done the first 10k, I already knew this was going to be the most difficult marathon course I had run. There was no settling into my pace, because there were so many turns, and I am really careful about running the tangents. The hills were constant. And so, so many train tracks. A runner could not lose focus for a moment.
In the second half I will say that the area around Reed College felt like it had more downhill than I was expecting. I actually dared speed up and get in front of the 3:30 pace group. That’s because I thought we had already done the Mile 22 hill. I was OH SO WRONG. That hill took it out of me and made the remainder of the race, which had several smaller hills, very difficult. The only truly flat part of the race was running down to the finish.
I did give the course 5 stars however because we ran through so many COOL neighbourhoods where the local community members clearly took pride in representing their area and supporting the runners. Downtown was cool because it’s downtown. The bridges were beautiful. Reed College was a stunning area to run through. It’s a GREAT course. It’s just not a fast course. (Why does their website say that!?) I’ve done New York, Boston and San Fransisco, and Portland is harder than any of those BY A LOT.
Huge shout-out to the race organizers for how they handled the logistics of those train boxes. That alone deserves huge recognition. The aid stations were very easy to navigate even though I was in a large pace group. The volunteers were incredible.
I think this would be an amazing race to do for fun with friends, not caring about your result.
I used to read horror stories about the Portland marathon and they have obviously made a huge 180 since those days. This is a great event to showcase a fantastic American city.
It's goin' down, we're yelling TIMBERS!!
(a reference to the local MLS soccer team) Honestly one of the best produced races I've run so far. The expo had plenty of vendors, posters encouraging racers to write … MORE
(a reference to the local MLS soccer team)
Honestly one of the best produced races I’ve run so far. The expo had plenty of vendors, posters encouraging racers to write down their home city or favorite song, tons of free samples, and the sweetest golden retriever who begged people to pet him. The emerald green race shirt looked really cool.
Race started at 7am. I walked about 30 minutes from my hostel to get there, and the sun rose minutes after the race srart. Even though the website said bag check would close 30min before the race, they were still accepting bags 20 minutes before.
The race started on the west bank of the Willamette River (which splits Portland in half). We ran the first five miles in the early-sunrise skyscraper shade, and it was really cool. Some knucklehead driver got so angry at a road barrier that he actually drove into a teenage race course volunteer, hitting her in the knees twice. Stay classy, Portland.
At 5 miles, we dipped across the river to circle around the Trail Blazers NBA stadium, then ran back. We returned to the west bank, passing the finish line at 8 miles, then crossed to the east side again around 10 miles.
After a brief stint on a highway and another bridge at mile 12, we ran mostly through neighborhoods for the next 10 miles, with a beautiful tour through Reed College at mile 18. From 21-25 miles, we ran through an industrial area on the east bank, the only scenically meh part of the course. We crossed the bridge once more at mile 25 and finished on the west bank.
Sadly, I didn’t get the result I was hoping for, because I either hit the wall or hit too many hills. But the weather was almost perfect and the crowd support was great. They had GU stations at almost every aid station from mile 5 onward (never seen that before!) Every mile marker after mile 3 was clearly marked, and the race ran smoothly. This was one of the prettier city courses I’ve ever run in. Just watch out for the hill at mile 22-23, it’s a killer.
Well organized race
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. … MORE
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.