I am biased because I 100% LOVE Portland. Part of why I love the new course--this is my second time running the race (the first was 2013) and the course shifted a bit since then--is that it runs right through Irvington where I lived for six years. Rock 'n' Roll tries to keep some of the novelty of Portland involved in this race, including this year's use of the old PDX carpeting at the finish line and as part of the medal ribbon and shirt designs. (The PDX carpet was/is famous, but an updated version is currently being installed. I thought this was a brilliant use of it.)

The course is mostly flat, but not entirely since Portland is known as Bridgetown for a reason. (You've got to go up to cross the bridge.) The race course does a decent job of showing off different parts of the city, which is important because the neighborhoods developed as little mini-cities and each has a distinct character.

This year's medal had a bottle opener, but the opener was on the back. In theory, a good idea, since Portland is also known for craft brewing (despite Michelob Ultra's sponsorship of the entire Rock 'n' Roll race series). An F for execution, however, as the sharper edge of the opener caught many people's shirts and made holes and pulls. I put some Go Tape on the back of mine, which prevented this.

The expo was an average size for a Rock 'n' Roll race; not huge like Los Angeles, not tiny like Pasadena.

Parking and access was all but idiot-proof, so long as you didn't try to drive on closed streets. I parked two blocks from the parkway, at an on-street meter. There were multiple pre-pay garages, and public transit as well. (You could also taxi, Uber, etc. from easy parking a little further away.)

I'll be back to this race, and not just because I love Portland. 2013 was my half marathon PR, and this year I chose to walk the course with one of my friends who is local (since I never see her). When I finished the event (3 hours plus some) the bands were still playing--and continued to play for another half hour or so. There was plenty of finisher food and water and Gatorade waiting for me at the chute. Happy to return in 2016!

To see more pictures (including the famous PDX carpet), check out my blog review: http://www.trainwithbain.com/rock-n-roll-portland-2015/