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Portland Marathon
Going The Distance
The definitive chronicle of the Portland Marthon
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Note: 23mb
Take our Interactive Course Challenge!
Tour The Course in 3-D!
First, download a free copy of Google Earth. Open the Portland Marathon Tour file in Google Earth, and click the play button!
Details
Course
Certification
The Portland Marathon in beautiful Portland Oregon, is the standard marathon distance - 26 miles, 385 yards. The course is USAT&F sanctioned and certified. It is also certified for Boston Marathon qualification. The course and all records will be listed with U.S.A. Track & Field Cert. #OR-03005-LB. The course has also been sanctioned, measured and certified by the Association of International Marathons (AIMS). In 1983, the Portland Marathon became one of the first U.S. Marathons to be part of the AIMS circuit.
Sanctioning and certification for the wheelchair division is annually requested. Except for industrial railroad crossings, the course has no obstacles of concern to wheelchair entrants. The course has only 21 turns.
Description
The Marathon and Marathon Walk begin and end at charming Chapman/Lownsdale/Schrunk Parks, which are in downtown Portland bordered by SW Salmon, SW Jefferson, SW Third and SW Fourth. (The starting line is at the corner of SW Salmon and SW 3rd.)
The course traces a route that embraces the many faces of this beautiful and friendly city. It includes the scenic riverfront, historic Old Town and various residential neighborhoods. Runners are treated to broad panoramas of the entire city the waterfront, a 3-mile bluff on the east side of Portland, and a dramatic view and crossing of the St. Johns Bridge, one of the most beautiful suspension bridges in the world. See the detailed map.
The course minimizes turns and narrow streets. (It has 21 turns, 20 less than 90°.)
The first five miles of the course are in downtown Portland. The start is a gradual l mile downhill with the next 2 + miles along Waterfront Park. This stretch has a gradual elevation gain of 140 feet followed by an immediate 2 mile easy downhill returning to the waterfront. The next section of the course from the 5 + mile mark to mile 12 is flat and flows through the northwest section of town.
The course makes another gradual downhill and heads along the flat border road of the Forest Park area through mile 17. The principal elevation gain of approximately 150 feet occurs over the next mile as runners go up to and over the beautiful St. John's Bridge. Thereafter it is a spectacular run along Portland's east bluff that faces the Willamette River from approximately mile 18 through mile 24.
There is an elevation loss of approximately 140 feet from mile 22 to 24 + with a slight rise as runners go over Portland's Steel Bridge. Then it is back down to Marathon Avenue and onto Naito Parkway along the waterfront to the finish.
In 2004 nearly 32% of our competitors had personal bests!
