T-shirts/SWAG: The T-shirts are an interesting material. Someone said it feels like wearing a garbage bag because of how much sweat it traps in, and I could definitely see that. It's kind of... silky? I think? Not something to wear when running, but wearing it around the house will be nice. The design was neat and simplistic. The medals are huge, thick, and heavy! Very cool medal to add to the collection. You also get a sapling at the finish, and since I take care of plants as a hobby, this was exciting to me.

Aid stations: Plenty and well-stocked. Lots of Nuun, water, and Clif Shots. The unfortunate part was that the Clif Shots came in huge packets that you had to carry, but I think towards the end they started handing out Gels instead of the shots (which are like gummies).

Course scenery: Pretty good for Portland, I will say! You get some good downtown views in the first 8 miles, the Moda center where the Blazers play, running across a few of the bridges that we are known for, and Reed college. I think where it is usually the toughest (13-20) had the best views and best on-course cheering. The last 3 miles through the industrial part of Portland was a little less appreciated.

Expo: Expo was small, but likely due to the pandemic ending. It's easy to access and was very quick, but I love spending my time at the booths so I would like to see more. I remember when I volunteered at the Expo in 2016 that it was huge! I want to bring that energy back. Post-race venue was lots of fun. Cold towels if you needed them, live music with plenty of chairs, fun structures to take pictures at (like a 26.2 structure), and therapy llamas (for real!). There are also plenty of porta-potties before and after the race. 20 minutes before the race, I was able to find one and only waited for 1 person (essentially no line!)

Elevation difficulty: The website doesn't disclose the elevation and this is one of my key complaints about this course. They only mentioned the elevation from sea level that you will be at (i.e. highest point in the course). They failed to disclose that you will gain 900-1100 feet. This doesn't seem like much over the course of a marathon, but the gradients of the inclines are pretty tough. I was holding 8:13 pace for the whole thing, and there was a hill around 22 or so that knocked that pace down to 9:30!!

Parking/access: I walked from my apartment so hard for me to say! There are many parking structures around the start you can pay to park at, so maybe plan on this if you are driving in. Alternatively, Uber isn't a bad idea and many runners were using this.

Race management: Not bad. Had a good amount of information on the website. I wish they were more open about the elevation profile. The race is under new management so I hope they continue to grow it to be back to where it was in 2016. Kudos on the porta-potty availability!

Overall: Recommend! At least once, come run the Portland Marathon. Earn your little sapling, get that heavy medal, and enjoy running through this wonderful city.

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