Eugene Marathon

Which weekend is it?

Calendar Guy wrote:

Which weekend is it?

Reading comprehension 10/10

Without a doubt, Tommy T for the win! My guy is going sub 2:19 OTQ!

What's the course this year? Are there changes for the Hayward construction? Could be warm with pollen.

They changed the course so it srarts and finishes at Autzen. The couse change eliminated the hilll at the top of Amazon (Martin St.). Haven't figured out yet if there is another hill to replace it. Im looking forward to the couse change.

Pollen is always an issue in eugene.

Pollen? It hasn’t been warm yet has it? Weather looks ideal right now.

Depends on what you are sensitive to. Right now tree pollen is high. I'm lucky that it doesn't effect me, but I know about it because people have been complaining.

https://www.oregonallergyassociates.com/pollen-counts.html

I think Rupp will bandit it - 2:47 finish time.

I'm running--shooting for 2:49. See you there.

Dan

Shooting for a BQ - sub 3:00!

dan42319 wrote:

I'm running--shooting for 2:49. See you there.

Dan

Sub-2:50 is a great benchmark performance... best wishes for a successful race!

ADeanW1088 wrote:

Shooting for a BQ - sub 3:00!

It's exciting to shoot for those BQ slots... go for it!

Question for those that have finished the Eugene Marathon in previous years.

I know there are some slight changes to the course this year, but assuming they're not significantly slower (doesn't look like it on the profile) would you say the course runs true to the athlete's incoming fitness (assuming proper pacing and fueling) or is it slow or fast? There's only so much you can gain from studying a profile. How does it run?

This will be my first marathon. I've run a few HMs but from mile 13.1 it will be lands unknown. Getting nervous!

I'd love to break 3 hours and plan to set out at that pace. If I don't though I won't be terribly disappointed as I mostly hope to enjoy the experience and leave myself wanting to do another.

Good luck to all who are running!

Can anyone offer any veteran advice?

Sprinter Strider Jogger Spy wrote:

This will be my first marathon. I've run a few HMs but from mile 13.1 it will be lands unknown. Getting nervous!

I'd love to break 3 hours and plan to set out at that pace. If I don't though I won't be terribly disappointed as I mostly hope to enjoy the experience and leave myself wanting to do another.

Good luck to all who are running!

Can anyone offer any veteran advice?

It's ok to be nervous... that's a good thing, and of course perfectly normal. Acknowledge it, and let it flow... Just don't be scared! Fear is relevant, real, but also manageable. Again, acknowledge it the same as you would nervousness, give it some space, then let it dissipate... trying to fight off fear takes energy that is better spent on focusing on what you've already accomplished with your training and preparation. It's a choice.

At this point, what's done is done, training wise (it's all about nailing the tapper, pacing, and fueling now)... you stated you are shooting for a sub-3:00, so have you run any half marathons or maybe a 10K or two this year? If so, what were your results (only if you're comfortable sharing this info)?

Assuming everything else comes together (incoming fitness and race day fueling), and if you're able to remain comfortable in the range of 6:45 (when going down hill or with a tailwind) to 6:55 (sustained effort), and your recent half marathon efforts are in the 1:25 - 1:27 range, you should have a good shot at going sub-3:00 (~6:51 pace). However, like you said, this is your first, and perhaps leaning on the conservative side of things is the better way to go. Like sustaining 7:00 - 7:05 pace for the first 18-20 miles would allow you to have a much stronger experience over the final 10K... thus leaving you wanting more... much more! The feeling of finishing a marathon strong should not be underestimated... power stuff, and great for future efforts.

I've ran Eugene twice (the old course). It's a great, fast course. Pretty dang flat with one very minor hill somewhere in the first half...not sure if will still be included in the new course, if so its really nothing to worry about. Its a good marathon to shoot for a PR. Weather looks like it should be pretty good too.

Pansy wrote:

Calendar Guy wrote:

Which weekend is it?

Reading comprehension 10/10

Where is it being held?

I would say that the front half is a touch slower than a truly flat/fast course and is where you need to be most careful here & with the marathon in general. You have decent climbs at 4 & 10 that are similar enough to Heartbreak Hill or another one of the Newton Hills but they come early enough in the race that you just need to navigate them. From 6-7.5 you climb up Amazon which doesn't feel like much but you're gonna lose some time there. I'd say the front half is about 1:00 slow. If you come through halfway right on what you thought your fitness predicts on a totally flat course you might be in some trouble. My advice would be to purposefully not fight the hills at 4, 6, and 10. Don't strain. Don't feel like you need to make up time. If you're feeling good in the 2nd half of the race, you can make up that time and/or sustain your pace. The bike path miles are really fast and will basically get you from 20km to 35km. That's where to go to work. The weather should be great. That part will be shaded. Then you gotta go out to Springfield and back to the finish. I think the course is fast overall but the front half should be respected. It might be :30-1:00 slow by the time all is said and done but you can run fast if you play it right.

Hope that helps, good luck!

This is probably a pretty good breakdown. What I find more challenging than the small hills are the areas of the run where the road leans sideways too much, but they don't last long.. The bike path is totally flat. Much of Amazon was repaved last summer, and it is really nice to run on.

It should be a low 40's start and a sunny day. Pretty much ideal temperature, IMO. But, if someone is sensitive to pollen, it will just get worse between now and then as there is no rain in the forecast to clear the air. Anyone traveling should remember to bring allergy meds if they need it. Certain meds that can be bought OTC in other states require a prescription in Oregon due to their use in meth manufacturing.

There is usually a pretty good showing of support for the runners. The race is really well organized and staffed and a decent amount of participants.

Have fun everyone.