Anyone here ever run the Eugene Marathon?

I haven't run it, but I live 45 min from Eugene. The time of the year isn't too warm. It can get around 70s in afternoon, but if the race starts in the morning the weather should be high 40s up to high 50s depending on the day.

I haven't run it, but I live 45 min from Eugene. The time of the year isn't too warm. It can get around 70s in afternoon, but if the race starts in the morning the weather should be high 40s up to high 50s depending on the day.

Thanks. Warm temps. and I don't agree, so this info helps. I've run 9 marathons, all major city ones. I'm looking for a smallish event this time. Wondering about things like crowd support, organization, etc.

It was my first marathon in 2011. It was a good temperature for running and is usually that time of year. It was the perfect size, not too big, not too small. It's well organized. There was always crowd support and plenty of people to race with. The course is flat except for a slight small hill around mile 4 and some footbridges.

I ran it a couple of years ago. It was a little warm by the end of the race (70s - I ran right at 3 hours), but overall it was a good experience. The one thing I will say is that if you are having a bad day (I was) the last half of the race is really lonely. You're sort of running on a path through the woods / along a river, and crowd support is very thin, and plus there's not much to entertain you. If you are having a good day, you probably won't notice, but I felt like the race dragged on forever.

if you are looking for a smaller marathon, Eugene is perfect. It's very well run and the weather in May is perfect. The temps are cool and we don't have any humidity in Oregon.

As one poster noted, it is a little lonely on the river trail over the last third of the race but the route is scenic.

My wife has run Eugene twice and I'd pick it any day over the Portland Marathon.

Check out the shirt designs over the years. They are very good and it's an insight into how well organized the event is.

Barabbas wrote:

Thanks. Warm temps. and I don't agree, so this info helps. I've run 9 marathons, all major city ones. I'm looking for a smallish event this time. Wondering about things like crowd support, organization, etc.

What about Grandma's in Duluth, MN? Medium sized race (@6,000 people)

that is INCREDIBLY well organized. Temps in the low 50s unless it is a freak year.

Thanks everyone. This is exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for. I did consider Grandma's, but the date doesn't work for me.

Pete and Repete wrote:

My wife has run Eugene twice and I'd pick it any day over the Portland Marathon.

Yeah, but Portland is at a better time of year, IMO.

For me, training for marathons in the summer is way easier. I can't handle running in the dark.

I've heard good things about both marathons. Downsides to both too. Eugene supposedly has a lot of concrete paths at the end? Portland has trains and not exactly flat? Both sellout so they are both doing something right.

not a concrete runner wrote:

Pete and Repete wrote:

My wife has run Eugene twice and I'd pick it any day over the Portland Marathon.

Yeah, but Portland is at a better time of year, IMO.

For me, training for marathons in the summer is way easier. I can't handle running in the dark.

I've heard good things about both marathons. Downsides to both too. Eugene supposedly has a lot of concrete paths at the end? Portland has trains and not exactly flat? Both sellout so they are both doing something right.

I live in Portland and have run the marathon twice, only because it was convenient. I'd never run it again.

The race management had no ambition. Most of the course is in the industrial district, they offer no prize money, they cater to the 26.2 sticker crowd. In contrast to my comments on Eugene's beautiful graphics and apparel, Portland had not changed their graphics since the late 70s or early 80s.

Portland should have a beautiful, national caliber marathon.

Thanks for the feedback. I just wish it didn't conflict with so many other good races (non-marathons) on that same weekend.

I do love how Eugene marathon listened to the people and reversed their horrible decision to have the marathon in the summer!

I hear you about the course industrial area.

The 26.2 crowd, however, is the crowd that really cares about apparel. That's like the least important thing I would look for in a marathon. Not to mention both marathons are sponsored by the swoosh, so someone that doesn't wear swoosh has no option either way. Old school retro is also kind of cool now too.

I donate all my old finisher shirts. Never wear them. The marathon course and organization itself is way more important.

I've run it twice and really enjoyed it. I ran once in May and again last year when they ran it in July. Temps were ideal with a 2:4x finish time. There's a long section of concrete bike path in the 2nd half of the race that beat up my feet pretty good. Something to be aware of if you're in flats.

Refuel post-race at Cornucopia and finish the night at Ninkasi brewery.

I ran the National AAU Marathon which was part of the second day of a Twilight meet on Sunday June 6, 1971 and which started and finished on Hayward Field. It started hot and after about ten miles cooled off.

Most of the best US marathon runners of the era were there. It was the trials for the Pan Am Games team. I sat behind Frank Shorter on the plane the afternoon before. Ken Moore won in 2:16:48.6 and Frank Shorter was second in 2:17:44.5 was second. Many top runners tried to go out with Moore but failed to run well because it was too fast. The official program was 25 cents and has pictures of of Jim Ryun and Steve Prefontaine on the cover.

For those of you who were around back then, how does the present Eugene Marathon course differ from the Nike OTC Marathon from back in the day?