| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
| H (°F) | 77 | 81 | 60 | 79 | 68 |
| L (°F) | 60 | 54 | 46 | 52 | 50 |
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.
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One of the most challenging courses I've completed. It is a well-run and executed race with top-notch volunteers. Just don't plan to run your best time on it. MORE
One of the most challenging courses I’ve completed. It is a well-run and executed race with top-notch volunteers. Just don’t plan to run your best time on it.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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
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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.
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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.
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(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.
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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.
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I ran this half because it was the 50 year anniversary and I was training for my first marathon so I thought it would be fun. It was just okay. … MORE
I ran this half because it was the 50 year anniversary and I was training for my first marathon so I thought it would be fun. It was just okay. I was not prepared for the many hills (most notably at mile 10), though it was scenic to go over the river and in various neighborhoods. There was a smattering of local support– the best of course was a group of drag queens near OMSI and some frat bros who sprayed water and offered beer. The ending of the race was monotonous– just running up and down streets downtown– and the course did not feel very well thought-out (at one point they had to reroute for a train maybe? There were different groups of runners going different directions, which was a little confusing). There is an option to have your race packet sent to you, which was helpful, but you have to pay for shipping for each racer so if you’re running in a group then that gets spendy. There was a post-race staging area only for racers, which was nice, since the general post-race waterfront area was CROWDED and the lines for any swag were too long for me to bother. I may consider running this one again if I’m bored, but it would not be my priority.
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The Portland Marathon as produced by Brooksee is a very well done race. The sign up was simple. The lead up communication was plentiful. They offered a training program for … MORE
The Portland Marathon as produced by Brooksee is a very well done race. The sign up was simple. The lead up communication was plentiful. They offered a training program for your distance before the race. The expo was adequate though something felt a bit lacking in the energy. There is even an app that will talk to you throughout the race. It points out landmarks, advises when you are .25 miles from an aid station and what the station will have, gives you your splits and projected finish time, and all in all is a nice addition. I had a similar app when I did the Big Cottonwood in the Utah (which is another Brooksee race).
On race day the starting area continues to be too small for the amount of people doing the race, but this has been true for many years. The announcements were loud and the directions to line up were clear. the race started on time and I liked the course for the most part. I am a Portlander, so that there was nothing new to me about the course. However as a Portlander I also can testify to it being a very nice representation of what the city has to offer. The only thing I wish is that the race still went through the one missing quadrant of the city (North Portland). Aid stations are plentiful in that they are every 2 miles or so in the fist half of the race and then every mile for the second half of the race. Course is mostly balanced in its challenges with no part of the race feeling like it was loaded withe the hardest terrain.
The finish line was staffed well with plenty of goodies. You of course get your medal, your finisher card, a rose, and a cold towel. There was CBD products, water, chocolate milk, bananas, and nuts just in the finisher chute area alone. You moved on to collect the pizza, donuts beer, and ice cream (though I never did find the ice cream). This like the beginning was all crammed into an area that I have always felt like is not large enough for the volume of people that are participating. Finisher information and the free pictures are available quickly and there are discounts for signing up for the next race.
This was my first and hopefully only marathon. This however is not because the Portland Marathon was not good. Marathons are just not my distance. On the contrary I am very happy that I picked to do my marathon here at home. This race was very well organized and might only be second to the Little Rock Marathon in how well the organization delivers on what it has. I am aware that many reviews suggest the Eugene Marathon as the race to do in Oregon. But for my money, you are getting a better organized race in Portland.
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The 2022 Portland Marathon was very well organized and produced, in a scenic city, with great race-day energy. While the course is fairly challenging, and not the fastest, I definitely … MORE
The 2022 Portland Marathon was very well organized and produced, in a scenic city, with great race-day energy. While the course is fairly challenging, and not the fastest, I definitely recommend the event and would (likely will) run it again.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Production: You can tell that the organizers know what they are doing and care about hosting a quality, enjoyable event. Communication (emails, social media) leading up to the event was on point. Pre-race morning was extremely smooth, from bag check to portable toilet lines running efficiently.
SWAG: really great for an event of this size. We got 50-year anniversary Boco running hats with entry and the shirts are high quality and a great fit. Medals were great too, with a rotating centerpiece of 50 on one side and the rose logo on the other.
AID STATIONS: simply the BEST of any race I’ve run! Stations every 2 miles through the first half, then every mile through mile 26. Each station was on point with Nuun lemon-lime, water and toilets. The volunteers were excellent and that is no small feat with that many aid stations. Seriously, this got me through the last 10 miles of the event when the hills and warm temps were catching up with me.
Portland vibes and spectators: Portland is beautiful, and I enjoyed the range of neighborhoods, scenery, bridges, and positive, fun energy of spectators and volunteers. It seems (based on a prior review) there were many more spectators out this year, and it appears that the newly-organized race is only going to grow – rightly so.
Finish festival: waterfront views, plenty of grassy areas and shade, plenty of portable toilets, and good post-race fuel options. Immediately out of the finish chute, you received your medal and a rose; then water, chocolate milk, granola bars, and a sparkling CBD beverage were available. In the finish fest area more largely, they had live music, and complimentary local craft beer, Voodoo donuts, and pizza. What’s not to love?
DOWNSIDES:
Challenging (aka not flat and fast) Course: almost 900’ total gain and it felt like a lot of rolling hills with limited flat sections. The course also has a LOT of turns, and overall felt tougher than expected. If you train with a lot of hills, you’ll likely enjoy the course more. I did some hill training but not a lot and it definitely affected my performance. However, even with the hills and difficulty, the route was an enjoyable tour of Portland, actually offered a decent amount of shade, and variety of neighborhoods / districts.
Weather: the graphic on the race raves page for this race in 2022 is not accurate – the low overnight was 58/60, and it felt warm before the race even started at 7:10 a.m., and reached mid-70’s by the time I finished. This weekend was unseasonably warm for Portland, and not quite the pleasant fall racing weather I hoped for, however, it also wasn’t rainy, so not all bad.
Definitely an event worth running, especially if you’re looking for a fun, well-organized race in a beautiful city and don’t mind a bit slower time. I hope to be back again!
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2022 was the 50th anniversary of the Portland marathon (somehow I managed to participate in two 50th anniversary races two years in a row, last year I ran Dallas' 50th … MORE
2022 was the 50th anniversary of the Portland marathon (somehow I managed to participate in two 50th anniversary races two years in a row, last year I ran Dallas’ 50th race). I believe the same company that puts together RunRevel is responsible for this race; I heard great things about RunRevel so this race production surely did not disappoint.
Expo: Held at the Oregon Convention Center on Saturday before the race. Found street parking relatively easily. Expo had a decent number of vendors and merchandise for purchase.
Weather: Started the race in the high 50s but it gradually heated up to high 80s with little to no breeze. The sun was no joke; after the race I got quite a tan as I forgot to put on sunscreen.
Race Start: Drove to downtown Portland and found street parking within a 10-minute walking distance to the staging area which was convenient. Portland has free parking on Sundays until 1pm so there’s plenty of time for most of the runners if the expected finish time is under five and a half hours (race started at 7:10am).
Course: Initially expected it to be flatter but there were a lot of rolling hills. Most of the course was point to point except for the last half mile up and down Davis Street between the 25th and 26th mile which seemed neverending especially with tired legs when the finish line was already in sight.
Scenery: Mediocre except when you run on the bridge, where you get a good view of the Portland skyline (Broadway and Burnside bridge). There are some neighborhoods where you are surrounded by trees but you also run pass homeless camps in a few occasions which was not eye pleasing.
Aid Stations: Nuun and water every two miles in the first half of the race and every mile of the race in the second half. Some stations had oranges and powergels (I had the cola flavor) which was nice.
Crowd Support: There were spectators and cheerleaders from start to finish which was much appreciated. Some even setup their own booths providing orange juice, beer and fireball to runners (though I did not partake).
Post-Race Refreshment: Chocolate milk, bottled water, energy bars, and bananas. You can also get a donut, beer, and slice of pizza with the tear-off from the bib. I couldn’t find the pizza tent but perhaps that was because I was in a hurry to leave right after the race.
Swag: Heard many good things about RunRevel’s swags and this race was definitely a testament to that. You get a short sleeve tech shirt (I paid $5 extra for a tri-blend shirt instead as I have too many tech shirts), a cap, and a reusable gear check bag with zippers. Like Dallas, the bling is 50th anniversary themed as well.
Final Thoughts: My pace started going off the rails around mile 15 as the weather started to heat up so my finished time was slower than expected. However I appreciated the plentiful aid stations, swags, and production in general. Overall a great race to check off Oregon for the 50-state challenge.
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This race was the best-organized race that I've ever done. Everything from the registration policy to the race website to the aid stations was thoughtful and runner-friendly. The course was … MORE
This race was the best-organized race that I’ve ever done. Everything from the registration policy to the race website to the aid stations was thoughtful and runner-friendly. The course was well-marked and even with challenges (streetcar routes, etc), the race had a plan to make sure no runners ever had to stop at a light or for a train crossing with adequate pre-race planning and alternative routes. It was very good. The aid stations were generous and well-organized, the mile markers were clear, and the route gave you a great tour of Portland. The only downside to this race is that the course is a bit challenging so I wouldn’t expect a flat, easy race. There are quite a few hills so I would go with a bit more conservative pace (I aimed for 2-3 minutes slower than my goal marathon time for a flat course). Other than a challenging course, I have no critiques and really appreciated all the thoughtful work that went into the race. Highly recommend!!
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Portland once again makes their city less desirable. This time, by limiting the race’s ability to close streets, they forced the race to create a weird winding route that has … MORE
Portland once again makes their city less desirable. This time, by limiting the race’s ability to close streets, they forced the race to create a weird winding route that has around 75 90° turns, not to mention the odd moving gate to divert runners around trains. There are also spots on the course that are confusing, like running through the Reed College campus. It’s a fun race, unless you’re trying to run fast.
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The race is very well organized and the swag is nice. The course isn't bad, the elevation is 900 ft overall but I found most of that to be negligible. … MORE
The race is very well organized and the swag is nice. The course isn’t bad, the elevation is 900 ft overall but I found most of that to be negligible. There was really only one hill that felt hard. There are something like 75 90-degree turns on the course, but there are very few runners so running the tangents wasn’t too bad. I ran a huge PR thanks to the pacers, who did a great job. That being said, this is probably the most unfriendly race I’ve ever done. Just about zero spectators, no camaraderie at all at the race start or at the finish, no one helping each other through the course. It seems to be the nature of Portlanders. Not one person said a word to me at the finish, I had my free beer alone and went back to the hotel. No one said anything to each other at the start line and the streets were mostly empty for 26 miles. It’s a very local race where they just want to hang with their friends. When I compare this to my experience at a marathon like Chicago, there’s really no comparison. If all you want to do is run a qualifying time for something, and you can do it without any support, then it’s not a bad race. But the whole experience is kind of sad and unfriendly.
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This was my first marathon and I thought it would be the only one I would do but I had so much fun, it's going to be a yearly thing … MORE
This was my first marathon and I thought it would be the only one I would do but I had so much fun, it’s going to be a yearly thing for me. Very happy to have pacers and a huge energetic crowd to cheer me on the entire way. Aid stations galore, many neighborhoods I had yet to see ( I live here), bridge crossings and perfect weather. I made sure to read the race website and study the course map due to trains and streetcars. I also familiarized myself with the course signage so I would know what to look for in directions and mile markers. The race organizers could have chosen brighter colors for the signs (they were white and blue) as some runners did not see them. Excellent electronic tracking for pace and overall finishing times, broken down into several segments so your family/friends could follow where you were and met you on the course for cheering. Tons of photos you get to download for free! Beer, doughnuts, ice cream, pizza…Cool tech shirt and medal as well. I can’t wait to do it again next year.
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This race was so fun to do! We lucked out and stayed at the hotel right at the start/finish line! There were staggered starts, but they had volunteers managing the … MORE
This race was so fun to do! We lucked out and stayed at the hotel right at the start/finish line! There were staggered starts, but they had volunteers managing the starts – whatever corral you were in, there was a rope you stood behind. The volunteers walked your group up to the start and each corral had a ‘rope drop moment’ to start the race. Loved that! The marathon course was all through the city and ran over a beautiful bridge. There was one section in a not-so-savory area – that had a foul smell and questionable buildings. However, I think you get that in any big city race. The course was well supported. There were a couple hairpin turns on the course, to ensure the full 26.2 mileage – that would be the only thing I would change.
The finish line was awesome. You actually didn’t get your finisher’s shirt, untill you cross the finish line. I LOVED that. I always think it’s funny to see people wearing race shirts at the race.
Along with the shirt at the finish, you get a medal, a red rose and a grilled cheese. It was amazing!
From my understanding, this race in now under a new management group. But I hope it keeps the same charm!
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It was an awesome race on a beautiful course. Before the start the race director said it had never rained in the races history. 20 minutes later, yup, it was … MORE
It was an awesome race on a beautiful course. Before the start the race director said it had never rained in the races history. 20 minutes later, yup, it was pouring rain. It didn’t matter because I ran a PR that day!!
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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.
Hills, hills, and more hills
One of the most challenging courses I've completed. It is a well-run and executed race with top-notch volunteers. Just don't plan to run your best time on it. MORE
One of the most challenging courses I’ve completed. It is a well-run and executed race with top-notch volunteers. Just don’t plan to run your best time on it.
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.
Proceed with caution
I ran this half because it was the 50 year anniversary and I was training for my first marathon so I thought it would be fun. It was just okay. … MORE
I ran this half because it was the 50 year anniversary and I was training for my first marathon so I thought it would be fun. It was just okay. I was not prepared for the many hills (most notably at mile 10), though it was scenic to go over the river and in various neighborhoods. There was a smattering of local support– the best of course was a group of drag queens near OMSI and some frat bros who sprayed water and offered beer. The ending of the race was monotonous– just running up and down streets downtown– and the course did not feel very well thought-out (at one point they had to reroute for a train maybe? There were different groups of runners going different directions, which was a little confusing). There is an option to have your race packet sent to you, which was helpful, but you have to pay for shipping for each racer so if you’re running in a group then that gets spendy. There was a post-race staging area only for racers, which was nice, since the general post-race waterfront area was CROWDED and the lines for any swag were too long for me to bother. I may consider running this one again if I’m bored, but it would not be my priority.
Very Well Organized Race
The Portland Marathon as produced by Brooksee is a very well done race. The sign up was simple. The lead up communication was plentiful. They offered a training program for … MORE
The Portland Marathon as produced by Brooksee is a very well done race. The sign up was simple. The lead up communication was plentiful. They offered a training program for your distance before the race. The expo was adequate though something felt a bit lacking in the energy. There is even an app that will talk to you throughout the race. It points out landmarks, advises when you are .25 miles from an aid station and what the station will have, gives you your splits and projected finish time, and all in all is a nice addition. I had a similar app when I did the Big Cottonwood in the Utah (which is another Brooksee race).
On race day the starting area continues to be too small for the amount of people doing the race, but this has been true for many years. The announcements were loud and the directions to line up were clear. the race started on time and I liked the course for the most part. I am a Portlander, so that there was nothing new to me about the course. However as a Portlander I also can testify to it being a very nice representation of what the city has to offer. The only thing I wish is that the race still went through the one missing quadrant of the city (North Portland). Aid stations are plentiful in that they are every 2 miles or so in the fist half of the race and then every mile for the second half of the race. Course is mostly balanced in its challenges with no part of the race feeling like it was loaded withe the hardest terrain.
The finish line was staffed well with plenty of goodies. You of course get your medal, your finisher card, a rose, and a cold towel. There was CBD products, water, chocolate milk, bananas, and nuts just in the finisher chute area alone. You moved on to collect the pizza, donuts beer, and ice cream (though I never did find the ice cream). This like the beginning was all crammed into an area that I have always felt like is not large enough for the volume of people that are participating. Finisher information and the free pictures are available quickly and there are discounts for signing up for the next race.
This was my first and hopefully only marathon. This however is not because the Portland Marathon was not good. Marathons are just not my distance. On the contrary I am very happy that I picked to do my marathon here at home. This race was very well organized and might only be second to the Little Rock Marathon in how well the organization delivers on what it has. I am aware that many reviews suggest the Eugene Marathon as the race to do in Oregon. But for my money, you are getting a better organized race in Portland.
Great Fall Marathon in Oregon
The 2022 Portland Marathon was very well organized and produced, in a scenic city, with great race-day energy. While the course is fairly challenging, and not the fastest, I definitely … MORE
The 2022 Portland Marathon was very well organized and produced, in a scenic city, with great race-day energy. While the course is fairly challenging, and not the fastest, I definitely recommend the event and would (likely will) run it again.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Production: You can tell that the organizers know what they are doing and care about hosting a quality, enjoyable event. Communication (emails, social media) leading up to the event was on point. Pre-race morning was extremely smooth, from bag check to portable toilet lines running efficiently.
SWAG: really great for an event of this size. We got 50-year anniversary Boco running hats with entry and the shirts are high quality and a great fit. Medals were great too, with a rotating centerpiece of 50 on one side and the rose logo on the other.
AID STATIONS: simply the BEST of any race I’ve run! Stations every 2 miles through the first half, then every mile through mile 26. Each station was on point with Nuun lemon-lime, water and toilets. The volunteers were excellent and that is no small feat with that many aid stations. Seriously, this got me through the last 10 miles of the event when the hills and warm temps were catching up with me.
Portland vibes and spectators: Portland is beautiful, and I enjoyed the range of neighborhoods, scenery, bridges, and positive, fun energy of spectators and volunteers. It seems (based on a prior review) there were many more spectators out this year, and it appears that the newly-organized race is only going to grow – rightly so.
Finish festival: waterfront views, plenty of grassy areas and shade, plenty of portable toilets, and good post-race fuel options. Immediately out of the finish chute, you received your medal and a rose; then water, chocolate milk, granola bars, and a sparkling CBD beverage were available. In the finish fest area more largely, they had live music, and complimentary local craft beer, Voodoo donuts, and pizza. What’s not to love?
DOWNSIDES:
Challenging (aka not flat and fast) Course: almost 900’ total gain and it felt like a lot of rolling hills with limited flat sections. The course also has a LOT of turns, and overall felt tougher than expected. If you train with a lot of hills, you’ll likely enjoy the course more. I did some hill training but not a lot and it definitely affected my performance. However, even with the hills and difficulty, the route was an enjoyable tour of Portland, actually offered a decent amount of shade, and variety of neighborhoods / districts.
Weather: the graphic on the race raves page for this race in 2022 is not accurate – the low overnight was 58/60, and it felt warm before the race even started at 7:10 a.m., and reached mid-70’s by the time I finished. This weekend was unseasonably warm for Portland, and not quite the pleasant fall racing weather I hoped for, however, it also wasn’t rainy, so not all bad.
Definitely an event worth running, especially if you’re looking for a fun, well-organized race in a beautiful city and don’t mind a bit slower time. I hope to be back again!
Great swags and production
2022 was the 50th anniversary of the Portland marathon (somehow I managed to participate in two 50th anniversary races two years in a row, last year I ran Dallas' 50th … MORE
2022 was the 50th anniversary of the Portland marathon (somehow I managed to participate in two 50th anniversary races two years in a row, last year I ran Dallas’ 50th race). I believe the same company that puts together RunRevel is responsible for this race; I heard great things about RunRevel so this race production surely did not disappoint.
Expo: Held at the Oregon Convention Center on Saturday before the race. Found street parking relatively easily. Expo had a decent number of vendors and merchandise for purchase.
Weather: Started the race in the high 50s but it gradually heated up to high 80s with little to no breeze. The sun was no joke; after the race I got quite a tan as I forgot to put on sunscreen.
Race Start: Drove to downtown Portland and found street parking within a 10-minute walking distance to the staging area which was convenient. Portland has free parking on Sundays until 1pm so there’s plenty of time for most of the runners if the expected finish time is under five and a half hours (race started at 7:10am).
Course: Initially expected it to be flatter but there were a lot of rolling hills. Most of the course was point to point except for the last half mile up and down Davis Street between the 25th and 26th mile which seemed neverending especially with tired legs when the finish line was already in sight.
Scenery: Mediocre except when you run on the bridge, where you get a good view of the Portland skyline (Broadway and Burnside bridge). There are some neighborhoods where you are surrounded by trees but you also run pass homeless camps in a few occasions which was not eye pleasing.
Aid Stations: Nuun and water every two miles in the first half of the race and every mile of the race in the second half. Some stations had oranges and powergels (I had the cola flavor) which was nice.
Crowd Support: There were spectators and cheerleaders from start to finish which was much appreciated. Some even setup their own booths providing orange juice, beer and fireball to runners (though I did not partake).
Post-Race Refreshment: Chocolate milk, bottled water, energy bars, and bananas. You can also get a donut, beer, and slice of pizza with the tear-off from the bib. I couldn’t find the pizza tent but perhaps that was because I was in a hurry to leave right after the race.
Swag: Heard many good things about RunRevel’s swags and this race was definitely a testament to that. You get a short sleeve tech shirt (I paid $5 extra for a tri-blend shirt instead as I have too many tech shirts), a cap, and a reusable gear check bag with zippers. Like Dallas, the bling is 50th anniversary themed as well.
Final Thoughts: My pace started going off the rails around mile 15 as the weather started to heat up so my finished time was slower than expected. However I appreciated the plentiful aid stations, swags, and production in general. Overall a great race to check off Oregon for the 50-state challenge.
Great race in Portland! Highly recommend
This race was the best-organized race that I've ever done. Everything from the registration policy to the race website to the aid stations was thoughtful and runner-friendly. The course was … MORE
This race was the best-organized race that I’ve ever done. Everything from the registration policy to the race website to the aid stations was thoughtful and runner-friendly. The course was well-marked and even with challenges (streetcar routes, etc), the race had a plan to make sure no runners ever had to stop at a light or for a train crossing with adequate pre-race planning and alternative routes. It was very good. The aid stations were generous and well-organized, the mile markers were clear, and the route gave you a great tour of Portland. The only downside to this race is that the course is a bit challenging so I wouldn’t expect a flat, easy race. There are quite a few hills so I would go with a bit more conservative pace (I aimed for 2-3 minutes slower than my goal marathon time for a flat course). Other than a challenging course, I have no critiques and really appreciated all the thoughtful work that went into the race. Highly recommend!!
Meh
Portland once again makes their city less desirable. This time, by limiting the race’s ability to close streets, they forced the race to create a weird winding route that has … MORE
Portland once again makes their city less desirable. This time, by limiting the race’s ability to close streets, they forced the race to create a weird winding route that has around 75 90° turns, not to mention the odd moving gate to divert runners around trains. There are also spots on the course that are confusing, like running through the Reed College campus. It’s a fun race, unless you’re trying to run fast.
Nice race, unfriendly city and people
The race is very well organized and the swag is nice. The course isn't bad, the elevation is 900 ft overall but I found most of that to be negligible. … MORE
The race is very well organized and the swag is nice. The course isn’t bad, the elevation is 900 ft overall but I found most of that to be negligible. There was really only one hill that felt hard. There are something like 75 90-degree turns on the course, but there are very few runners so running the tangents wasn’t too bad. I ran a huge PR thanks to the pacers, who did a great job. That being said, this is probably the most unfriendly race I’ve ever done. Just about zero spectators, no camaraderie at all at the race start or at the finish, no one helping each other through the course. It seems to be the nature of Portlanders. Not one person said a word to me at the finish, I had my free beer alone and went back to the hotel. No one said anything to each other at the start line and the streets were mostly empty for 26 miles. It’s a very local race where they just want to hang with their friends. When I compare this to my experience at a marathon like Chicago, there’s really no comparison. If all you want to do is run a qualifying time for something, and you can do it without any support, then it’s not a bad race. But the whole experience is kind of sad and unfriendly.
First, (but not last), marathon.
This was my first marathon and I thought it would be the only one I would do but I had so much fun, it's going to be a yearly thing … MORE
This was my first marathon and I thought it would be the only one I would do but I had so much fun, it’s going to be a yearly thing for me. Very happy to have pacers and a huge energetic crowd to cheer me on the entire way. Aid stations galore, many neighborhoods I had yet to see ( I live here), bridge crossings and perfect weather. I made sure to read the race website and study the course map due to trains and streetcars. I also familiarized myself with the course signage so I would know what to look for in directions and mile markers. The race organizers could have chosen brighter colors for the signs (they were white and blue) as some runners did not see them. Excellent electronic tracking for pace and overall finishing times, broken down into several segments so your family/friends could follow where you were and met you on the course for cheering. Tons of photos you get to download for free! Beer, doughnuts, ice cream, pizza…Cool tech shirt and medal as well. I can’t wait to do it again next year.
Grilled Cheese and Roses at the finish!
This race was so fun to do! We lucked out and stayed at the hotel right at the start/finish line! There were staggered starts, but they had volunteers managing the … MORE
This race was so fun to do! We lucked out and stayed at the hotel right at the start/finish line! There were staggered starts, but they had volunteers managing the starts – whatever corral you were in, there was a rope you stood behind. The volunteers walked your group up to the start and each corral had a ‘rope drop moment’ to start the race. Loved that! The marathon course was all through the city and ran over a beautiful bridge. There was one section in a not-so-savory area – that had a foul smell and questionable buildings. However, I think you get that in any big city race. The course was well supported. There were a couple hairpin turns on the course, to ensure the full 26.2 mileage – that would be the only thing I would change.
The finish line was awesome. You actually didn’t get your finisher’s shirt, untill you cross the finish line. I LOVED that. I always think it’s funny to see people wearing race shirts at the race.
Along with the shirt at the finish, you get a medal, a red rose and a grilled cheese. It was amazing!
From my understanding, this race in now under a new management group. But I hope it keeps the same charm!
It never rains on race day!
It was an awesome race on a beautiful course. Before the start the race director said it had never rained in the races history. 20 minutes later, yup, it was … MORE
It was an awesome race on a beautiful course. Before the start the race director said it had never rained in the races history. 20 minutes later, yup, it was pouring rain. It didn’t matter because I ran a PR that day!!