TL;DR - This is a runner's race - fast course with some small hills which actually help the legs (imho), gorgeous, classy medal, nice long sleeve T, finisher's challenge coin (so unique). Basically, the race offers a ton for both serious and casual runners alike. And my friend PR'd!!

I ran this race shortly after running the Berlin Marathon (http://ow.ly/8WdM3052zh6), so wasn't really looking to PR - just wanted to check out my local marathon! A few days beforehand, I learned that a friend was trying to PR so I decided to run with her.

This is really a runner's race, and what I mean by that is the Portland Marathon offers a course that consists of mainly flat roads with a few small hills, which I actually think make it easier to run fast. Just running flat for 26.2 involves the same muscles over and over, and by shaking it up with some modest hills, you can give certain muscles a break and feel more fresh by the end. Plus, there are some luxurious downhills in the last 3-4 miles, so you can really turn it on for a fast finish. Flat with some small hills and a downhill finish = runner's delight! However - the course itself isn't beautiful by any means. but that's why I say it was a runner's race - if you were there for a sightseeing tour, you might be disappointed. :)

Another aspect that makes the Portland Marathon a "runner's race" is the medal. Not gawdy or gimmicky like a lot of the more casual 5K races' medals, the Portland Marathon medal is one of my all time favorites. Paying homage to the Rose City with a beautiful rose, surrounded by some subtle adornments that add even more to the flower theme. It's understated, more for the runner who's been around the block and knows a thing or two about medals, rather than being super flashy. See pic - they killed it with the medal.

Aid stations were great, well manned and very frequent. Crowd support - considering the almost constant rain - were pretty damn impressive. Huge kudos to so many running groups and just fans standing out in the rain and cheering. There were also some amazing percussion groups at the beginning of the race, and they created a totally intense wall of hype as the race got started. Awesome way to kick things off!

Post race was smooth - you got that sexy medal, CHOCOLATE MILK!!!, some food, and then your long-sleeve finisher T (you selected size and one of four colors beforehand). The finisher coin, which is just like the medal, was apparently on the opposite side of the t-shirt handout, so I actually missed my coin which is a bummer. Oh, and they also offered zippable throwaway coats (with sleeves!) in the finisher chute, which were amazing!

Starting to see some people claiming they went or were led off course. I did not go off course, and I didn't have any on-course issues. I know the race is looking into the situation though, so I'll wait to hear what they say. Only other issue I had was that there was no gear check (unless you paid $10 to a local running store who was hosting gear check because the race didn't offer it). The race claims it's for security reasons, but many other races offer it, so that part was confusing to me. In the end though, the disposable finisher's jacket was all I needed, and was able to carry my phone while I ran, so it was really not a big deal.

My friend was pretty close on pace, and we decided to push it a bit toward the end - having those downhills to finish the race was amazing! In the end, she PR'd by about 1 min, 50 secs. So exciting and fun to be a part of!

I had a phenomenal time at this race, despite a ton of rain, which I think says a lot. If you are looking for a fast course with a big city feel and small town access - this is a great race!