I absolutely LOVED the Eugene Half Marathon. The entire race was so well executed, and the town of Eugene is perfect for a little weekend getaway.

The race expo, start, finish all take place on or near Hayward Field. It was cool to scope out the campus, and race on such a historic track.

The expo takes place in the soccer field next to Hayward. There were a ton of vendors handing out free food or selling cool gear. It was a really nice day, so the outdoor expo was really nice. All the volunteers were helpful, and motivating. Everyone I talked to wished me good luck. :)

Race morning, parking was easy, and getting to the start line was super easy. There was a nice blocked off area to do strides/warm up on. The marathon and half marathon starts together, which I ended up enjoying. I was able to use some of the faster marathoners to help with pacing in the first half. Alexi Pappas was there too, and kicked us off.

The course ran through Eugene, and was beautiful. There were a lot of spectators, I was really impressed with all the support throughout the whole course. The course is fairly flat, but there is a hill around mile 8. The race does a great job of setting up a spectator area at the top of the hill with huge balloons which provided a nice push to the top. All the volunteers and police were amazing, and we ran through the city, and through parks, so it was really a perfect balance.

The finish was the best. the last .1 of the half you run on Hayward track, and finish there. There is a huge screen broadcasting the finish line, and the announcer called everyone's name. Spectators sat in the stands, so you kinda felt like a rockstar coming in.

Once you cross the finish line, they had you metal, and court you through to the finish. You're handed chocolate milk, a reusable water bottle filled with water with the races' branding on it, and a reusable bag filled with protein bars, banana, a bagel, etc.

You then walk out into the post-race area, which takes place in the same area as packet pick up was. There's a ton of sponsors handing out free food (Krusteaz Pancakes, Clif bars, beer, some trendy chip brand, Polar sparking water, and Franz grilled cheese), along with tables to sit and relax outside, and live music.

It was super easy to jump over to the finish on Hayward, so I got food and ate, and then spectated my friends finishing the 26.2

I absolutely loved this race. It's green, it's flat, everyone is super nice, and Eugene is a great town to check out. I highly recommend this one!