The highlight of the Eugene Marathon is being able to finish on Hayward Field,even though it's not the original. The new stadium is beautiful, but it does lose the historic sentimentality. It's a mid-size small town race, with about 6,000 half and full marathoners. Because of its locale, there are many students running giving the race a much younger vibe. The route has a mix of neighborhood and parks and river. The crowd support is good, with lots of energy. The after race goodies are outstanding, and even available to non-runners. Eugene Marathon is definitely worthy of a spot on your marathon bucket list. read more

Eugene Marathon - Races & Competitions Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

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Nice town with a well planned course. I took part in the 5k on Saturday and half marathon Sunday. Getting the finish both races on Hayward Fields was a pretty cool experience. I heard good things about the race from some friends that ran it a few years back and though it would be a good excuse to get out of LA and do a little sight seeing in some nearby cities. For the 5k, 1/2 & Full marathon they mail out top 3 finisher age group awards so if competition gives you that extra push to race then this is for you. The expo and post race area had some pretty good discounts for Hop Valley brewery along with a few other local restaurants. read more

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Attended this last weekend to cheer on my brother in his fourth marathon in two years. This was a great event, well-organized and a lot of fun to participate in (even as a spectator). For the first time this year, the Marathon ended by doing a partial lap in Hayward Field (of Prefontaine and Olympic trials fame). There were about 6,400 participants this year between the marathon and half-marathon (about 36% of those in the marathon and remaining 64% in the half-marathon). I had done quite a bit of planning and research ahead of time and was able to drive around and meet my brother as he ran at 12 different locations around the route. The route is pretty cool. The first 15k or so goes south from the campus and down through the neighborhoods to the south of campus along Hilyard Road and then comes back up north. From the campus, it heads out east over the river and through Springfield. Then it circles back and goes along Centennial west back towards town. It goes past Autzen Stadium and then pretty much tracks along the river for the remainder of the route (west, northwest on the west side of the river and then crossing and south and southeast along the east side of the river). There were lots of drink stations, banana stations, etc., etc. We had a blast and my brother posted his P.R. *and* qualified for the Boston Marathon (which he ran in 2008) which was his goal. Highly recommended. read more

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"Run in the footsteps of legends!" right in Track Town USA! The run was in May in 2015. Perfect marathon weather, unseasonably warm for Eugene but it was just right for this California gal. The course is gorgeous. Taking runners through downtown Eugene towards Springfield along the Willamettte River path. It was mostly flat with some minor inclines along mile 7 and 18, but nothing brutal. There were water stations all along the course. It seemed like every three miles or so. They had two banana stops, which was a lifesaver along the 20s. They did have a GU stop but I forget what mile. Mile markers were visible on every mile and the course was never super packed. Towards the end of the run the river path was open to everyone - so watch out for that cyclist and the kid on the tricycle. Ending on Hayward Field was AMAZING. After 26 miles of running and hitting that wall around mile 25 I mustered enough energy to sprint (or what I thought was sprinting) the last half mile toward Hayward Field. I had a smile from ear to ear. An unforgettable experience! #ontoursince2008 read more

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I have wanted to run the Eugene Marathon for years but always had a scheduling conflict. Finally the stars aligned and I drove to Eugene from PDX to participate in 26.2 miles of Willamette Valley scenery. This race is great. Absolutely great. The aid stations were full of energy and unique in their theming. The race atmosphere was fun. Toilets at the start area and along the course were plentiful (this is soooo important!!) Great medal, shirt, and swag bag. This was my 11th marathon and I very unexpectedly ran a personal best time. I can't wait to return in future years. read more

My one and only marathon to run since dealing with some annoying and chronic hip issues. Beautiful scenery along the entire race, great staff that puts on the event and who can complain running a marathon in "Track Town USA." Pace yourself through a couple inclines and you're in the clear. Best part is ending the run at historic Hayward Field. read more

A great experience running the Eugene marathon in 2018. Awesome weather, flat scenic course, friendly spectators. Eugene is a great college town. Everyone was so friendly and made me feel welcome. A photo finish on Hayward Field. Also set a new PR. Loved it! read more

Reviewing my experience from 2013. The race was in April, has since moved to July 2014 and now I hear to May 2015. The expo left a little to be desired, I expected a little more but then again have been spoiled with RNR expos. The course is WONDERFUL. Mainly flat, 2 small inclines but I train in Western WA so those were nothing compared to what I'm use to. Gorgeous scenery and stretches of trail along the Willamette River. You're running in Track Town USA so the entire vibe is amazing. There are signs "Belive in the Power of the Run" around the city and it's very energizing. I would definitely run it again in the future. I know a lot of people are irritated with all the date changes. 2015 I'm already booked for Tinkerbell Marathon but maybe in 2016 I'll go back :) Oh and most importnatly you finish in historic Hayward field, and get a huge medal and pancake feed in runner village. Loved it! read more

Not a fan. I was expecting so much from this race and it didn't deliver whatsoever. First of all, the course is not all that "gorgeous". Don't get me wrong, Eugene is a nice enough place, but after running races in the Redwoods, Monterey and the Columbia River Gorge amongst others, this place isn't anything special. You're just running around town, and not all of it is particularly stunning by a long shot. Most of the support is on the half marathon course, which was fun. There's lots of people cheering you on, there's plenty of aid tables, but once the course splits off for the marathon, the people really thin out. Not that it was a problem for me personally. One of my biggest gripes was that there was very little aid on the marathon course, and no nutrition/Gu/food etc at all until around mile 23. I was told they had run out, which is ridiculous considering this is supposed to be a really popular race, and also in a place where it could have easily been restocked. Another huge negative is most of the last 10 miles of the course is on brutal fresh concrete. Again, many people rave about the scenic riverside area. I found it dull, hot and miserable considering concrete is 10 times harder than asphalt. Awful. Finally, there's all this hoopla about finishing by "running a lap!" on historic Hayward Field, where you barely run 100 meters. Kind of disappointing. I'd really recommend the half marathon, but I wouldn't run the full again if you paid me. read more