REVEL Mt Hood
Government Camp, OR
- Marathon, Half Marathon
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
This incredibly fast and remarkably beautiful road race takes runners from the majestic Timberline Lodge at the base of Mt Hood to the charming towns and forested foothills of the mountain just outside of Portland, Oregon. Featuring a smooth downhill slope and spectacular scenery in the Mount Hood National Forest, … MORE
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It was my PR and the fastest course yet!
A steep first 10k set me up for my fastest marathon performance yet. Outside a few lovely mountain views in the first few miles, the downhill course was run next … MORE
A steep first 10k set me up for my fastest marathon performance yet. Outside a few lovely mountain views in the first few miles, the downhill course was run next to a busy highway, making the race less enjoyable.
Wonderful race and experience!
I wanted my tenth marathon to be something special, so I chose an out of state race and a downhill one. Revel Mt Hood did not disappoint. It truly was … MORE
I wanted my tenth marathon to be something special, so I chose an out of state race and a downhill one. Revel Mt Hood did not disappoint. It truly was one of the best running experiences that I have had. Bib pick up was super easy. The race staff at the expo were very knowledgeable. The race bibs were personalized. The swag bag contents were top notch. We received a pair of Goodr sunglasses. I chose the short sleeve shirt at registration. It turned out to be too big and I was able to swap it out for a smaller long-sleeved version without added cost. The swag bag also included a pair of throwaway gloves and a Mylar blanket to keep us warm at the race start at the Timberline Lodge. I definitely used both and ditched the gloves around mile five with all the other gloves in a pile. The busing to the start was very easy. Although, we did have to get up at dark o’clock in the morning for 45 minute ride to the staggered 5am to 6am start. The course was beautiful and Mt Hood was very picturesque. The marathon had a net elevation drop of 4,758 ft which is perfect for a PR. I did set a PR by shaving almost 12 minutes on my best marathon time. One thing that could be unnerving is that we ran about 22 miles on the shoulder of Mt Hood Highway. Aid stations had plenty of liquids, fruit, and energy gels.The Revel volunteers were awesome. It was nice to see all the aid stations still open even for the back-of-packers, like myself. At the finish, my name was called. You got your medal a cold towel at the finish, too. There was plenty of pizza, donuts, and fruit left. The medal was beautiful. You also received a card with your race results. This was certainly a nice touch.There were also FREE race pictures and a personalized video. I enjoyed this event so much that I’ve already signed up for the half marathon for 2020.
A side note to this race: This event is a club event for Half Fanatics/Marathon Maniacs which means you get bonus SWAG. I got a second huge medal, another soft towel for cooling off, and a HF/MM shirt. There was also a special area for us to sit.
My final comment. If you want a PR opportunity and a top notch event, sign up for a Revel event.
Beautiful, easy downhill course
This was a fast, easy, downhill race. The road was level, more or less, so not hard on your ankles. Less than 1000 foot drop from start to finish, so … MORE
This was a fast, easy, downhill race. The road was level, more or less, so not hard on your ankles. Less than 1000 foot drop from start to finish, so not that difficult on your legs. Gorgeous scenery throughout the race. Course support at the aid stations was fantastic. Electrolytes and water at all aid stations and two aid stations had honey stinger gels. Pizza, donuts and beer at the finish line in addition to the requisite banana and bagel. Big, heavy medal and well made race shirt in addition to unexpected Goodr glasses. The expo was tiny and a few more vendors would have been appreciated, especially the race sponsors. I paid for bus transportation from the Double Tree hotel to the start, which was on comfortable busses. I expected the same for the trip back to the hotel after the race, but ended up making the 1 hour trip on a school bus. That was not appreciated. I would strongly suggest just driving to Sandy and taking the Revel provided buses for the 15 minute trip to the start line. Overall, I was very impressed with Revel and the race organization. I’m looking into some of the other Revel races in other states. I would strongly suggest this half marathon if you are looking for gorgeous scenery, or a PR.
Beautiful Scenery
Be prepared for a cool start and extreme downhill course however ensure your quads and hamstrings are well prepared for the extreme pounding as there will be some uphills towards … MORE
Be prepared for a cool start and extreme downhill course however ensure your quads and hamstrings are well prepared for the extreme pounding as there will be some uphills towards towards the end.
A lot of downhill
How can you record your result without writing a review? One of the Revel downhill races, crazy elevation drop. I'm not sure it's fair to put races like this into … MORE
How can you record your result without writing a review?
One of the Revel downhill races, crazy elevation drop. I’m not sure it’s fair to put races like this into the same category as the flat races – the results should be separated.
Scenic, but you share the road with the cars for most of the race.
Its All Downhill From Here
This was the inaugural year of the Revel Mt Hood Marathon & Half Marathon. Mandatory packet pickup was on Friday at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. Race morning parking … MORE
This was the inaugural year of the Revel Mt Hood Marathon & Half Marathon. Mandatory packet pickup was on Friday at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. Race morning parking was at Sandy High School where runners were shuttled up the mountain to the race start. Sandy is a small town located approximately 25 miles outside of Portland. For participants wishing to stay in Portland, there was the option of purchasing an additional shuttle ticket from Portland to Sandy High School. Since I had to be at Sandy High School at 3:15 am for my shuttle to the start, I decided to stay in Sandy rather than Portland. The full marathon started at Timberline Lodge, at the base of Mt Hood. As we got off the bus, they announced that they were unable to use amplified sound due to the proximity of the hotel. Next year the race plans on renting out the hotel so this won’t be an issue. Runners were broken up into 4 wave starts. The waves were separated by 15 minutes increments. Runners were not placed in waves based on projected finish time, but rather by desired start time selected during registration. The course dropped 1,630 feet in the first 5 miles along Timberline Highway, during which participants ran in the right lane. Just before mile 5, the course merged with US Highway 26 where it became an “open course” for the next 20 miles. There were no road or lane closures and runners had to run on the shoulder of the road. While it wasn’t bad at first, traffic became heavier as we progressed down the mountain. I felt a little nervous as cars and trucks zoomed past me. At one point a truck came so close to the shoulder of the road that my running skirt blew up around me, exposing my shorts. I also got some road debris in my eye despite my sunglasses. The half marathon course did not join US Highway 26 until just after they hit mile 10 (just after mile 23 of the full course). Based on this, I think I would have enjoyed the half a lot more than the full. The course was beautiful with trees and roadside waterfalls, but I really did not care for running on the shoulder of the highway for 20 miles.
Due to the type of course, regular headphones were not allowed (even if only worn in one ear). If runners wanted to listen to music, they had to use open-ear or bone-conduction style of headphones. This did not impact me as I do not listen to music when I run.
A rumor circulated that a runner was hit by a car and had to be airlifted out. This rumor was false. A runner was airlifted to the hospital, but it was not due to a car accident. It was due to some type of heart trouble. It has been reported that he is doing well.
At the finish, there was pizza, donuts and soda in addition to the water, protein drinks and bananas given out in the finish chute. Massages were also available. The finish was at Rainbow Trout Farm, which is approximately 10 miles from Sandy High School. There were shuttles running from the finish back to the high school. The bus dropped all participants off at the half marathon bus pickup point at the school rather than stopping at the marathon pickup spot. This caused some of the full marathoners to become confused when trying to locate their vehicles.
I knew going into the race that I likely would not do well. I have been dealing with planter fasciitis for the past two and a half months. Unfortunately downhill running flares up my planter fasciitis. My finish time was one of my slowest times. If I had liked the course, I would have considered returning next year to redeem this year’s performance. As it stands, this race was a “one and done” for me. If/when I return to Oregon, it will be for a different marathon. The race was well organized and the scenery was beautiful, I simply did not care for the open course.