Race: Eugene Marathon

Runner: Stephanie G

Date: 4/29/2018

Location: Eugene, OR

Results: 3:14:49, 216th place, 43rd woman, 10th age group

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/1539724785/overview

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

1. The race somehow felt small and big at the same time – maybe that’s just “medium”? I felt like it had the perks of a big, well-organized race, but the atmosphere still felt pretty relaxed and laid back.
2. The course was really pretty. I generally have race amnesia for specifics, but it seemed really green to me.
3. The weather turned out to be so much better than expected. Perfect race conditions really, cool but no rain or wind.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

1. The bag check was a bit of a fiasco. I was in line with probably 500 other people half an hour before the race, and it wasn’t moving. Right before I resorted to some sort of plan b, a race official walked up to about 5 of us and told us everyone was being so polite, but we didn’t have to stand in line and could go drop our bag by the section marked for our race number. I was out of there in 10 seconds. I’m not sure what everyone else did.
2. The shirts fit poorly. Not a big deal to me, but may have been for others.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

Lots of banana stops. But maybe eating bananas during a marathon is just a trend I’m not aware of.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

• My pacing turned out really well, which I’m very happy with. I felt very consistent the whole race, and even when it started feeling a bit harder, I was surprised to look at my watch and see that I hadn’t really slowed down.
• I changed my watch from miles to kilometers which made me not emotionally attached to the splits (since metric conversion while racing is way out of my league ability-wise). It kept me from worrying I was going too fast, or too slow, or just right, but at a pace I couldn’t believe I could sustain. Very freeing!
• I tried to be positive and smile throughout the race, and mostly succeeded – although some of the pictures tell a different story.

Lessons Learned – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner or yourself on the next time around

Have someone bring you warm clothes for after instead of using bag check.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

• There are some quiet/lonely stretches, but they’re short-lived.
• Hills are short and not very steep.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Overall well run.

Logistics – Anything special regarding getting to/from the race, hotels around the course, registration…?

Seemed to be lots of lodging around, and they had shuttles from some area hotels that offered free parking for the day.

Weather and typical race conditions

Perfect this year. I think they’ve changed the date around a few time in the last few years, so not sure what typical would be.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

It seemed like it – I saw several people more than once.

How’s the swag?

Shirt fit was off, they gave out a reusable shopping bag with snacks at the finish, and a medal.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

Overall this was a great race that I would recommend.

Race: Eugene Marathon

Runner: Austin M

Date: 4/29/2018

Location: Eugene, Oregon

Results: 3:31:36

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/1539567328

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

1. The Team – A fun group of 4 Team RunRunners ran this race, and it was a blast to compete with familiar faces.
2. The Setting – Track Town USA, baby! You can’t beat the running history and community in Eugene. Finishing on The “Historic” Hayward field is a unique part of this race, you’re running on the same surface as some track legends.
3. The Aid Stations – It’s a larger marathon, so I fully expected to have to ‘throw some ‘bow’s’ to get water/gatorade. But the aid stations came up so frequently (every 2 miles or less) that I never had to fight for a drink. It was also nice to have that much access to liquids, I’d rather have too many stations than too few.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

1. The Course – Touted as being “flat and FAST”, the courses constant rolling hills were a big issue for me. The course is comprised of 3 main sections that loop around the University of Oregon campus; the first 8 miles loop South and back to Eugene, then the second 8 miles run East into Springfield and back West, and the final 10 miles are a long and lonely out and back along the Willamette River. If you’re not prepared for the final 10 miles to be quiet and secluded it can really bring you down.
2. The Swag – The shirts were awful! The race offered a “women’s” shirt, or a “unisex” shirt, both Nike DryFit shirts with the crazy Eugene Marathon logo. The unisex option was the most oddly cut tech shirt I’ve ever seen, runs very small (my medium would best fit a teenage girl), and the print is very sticky! I heard from other runners that the women’s option was not any better, and cut like a funky crop-top. You’d think a marathon in Nike-topia would have some solid swag.
3. The Expo – Granted I showed up in the final hour and a half of the expo, but it all seemed understaffed/undersupplied. I picked up my bib, and the volunteer said they had run out of the bags given to runners to hold their expo swag, as well as use as a bag drop on race day. So no bag – no bag drop. I honestly don’t know how they could run out of bags knowing the number of athletes racing. This race also has a mandatory bib pickup at the expo the day before. If you can’t make the expo you have to pay $15 to have race-day pickup. Most of the vendors at the expo were empty by the time we got there, it was generally just a lame pre-race expo.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

Not a whole lot. The corrals seemed a bit unnecessary, and the first time I’ve had to start in a corral which felt weird. They also start the half marathon runners alongside the marathoners, so you might be racing someone running half the distance.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

1. The biggest highlight was probably the weather and scenery of the course. Even though my legs blew up I was able to really enjoy the bright spring weather in Eugene. You run through some beautiful parks and along a big river, and through some highlights of the U of O campus like Autzen Stadium (Go Huskies!).
2. The track finish is also pretty special if you haven’t run on Hayward field. I believe this race won’t finish on that track next year due to renovations, but hopefully they bring that back.

Lessons Learned – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner or yourself on the next time around

1. Pace Management – Be far more conservative in pacing early on in a marathon. It’s a long race, and going even slightly too fast early on can come back to haunt you.
2. Race Attire – Bring enough clothes to be prepared for any type of weather. I was expecting wet and cold and should’ve had a singlet and shorter shorts.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

There are rolling hills throughout the course. The section running parallel to the river is very quiet and can be lonely.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

It’s really well organized, with major Eugene roads shut down and course markings throughout all 26.2, lots of volunteers and aid stations, which all make the race feel professional.

Logistics – Anything special regarding getting to/from the race, hotels around the course, registration…?

Not really, the bib pickup is required the night before, so you have to be in Eugene the night prior to the race or pay a fee. It’s open entry, and good for all levels of runners. Hotels seemed to fill up pretty quickly so the sooner you can book one the better.

Weather and typical race conditions

It’s unpredictable, as is typical North West spring weather. This year called for lots of rain and cold, and it was hailing the night before. Race day was warm and sunny, so be prepared for everything.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Sort of, the first 10 or so miles are friendly for spectators, as well as the final 2, especially the finish on the track. The 14 miles in the middle are somewhat spectator friendly, but not many spectators make the trek to the river section.

How’s the swag?

Not great, see above.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

4/5

Race: Eugene Marathon

Runner: Julie Urbanski

Date: 4/29/18

Location: Eugene, OR

Results: 3:43:42

Strava Activity Link: https://www.strava.com/activities/1541717986

3 Bests – what aspects of the race did you like the most

1. Easy race logistically – Sign up was easy, as I signed up with a 25% off coupon a couple months beforehand, so no lottery or year ahead sign up, packet pickup was small and smooth, close drive from Seattle, and well-run throughout the whole thing.
2. Smaller field – We were just in Boston, where everything felt crowded around race weekend and there were just so many runners and spectators in Boston for the weekend, that it was nice to be in a smaller, hometown-feel kind of race, that was still well-organized and had plenty of runner friendly aspects in town and at the race.
3. Tons of porta potties – I have been at plenty of races where they just can’t get this right, but this race had tons of them right near the start and we got there about an hour early and there were zero lines, then used them again about 20 minutes before the start and again, no lines. So nice to have this stressful part of the pre-race routine be easy. Runners gotta poop!

Not so much – aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

1. Course – They advertise “flat and fast” and I wouldn’t really call it flat, more like rolling with a flatter second half. Thankfully I knew going in to expect some hills, as Wyatt (another runner running it on the team) is from Eugene and his dad knew all the hilly spots. It’s still a fairly fast course if you’re having a good day, but it’s definitely not flat. There are also a fair amount of turns throughout the entire race, which can slow you down.
2. Swag – The women’s shirt fit really boxy, like a crop top, and the men’s wasn’t men’s, but rather it was unisex, which is a bit odd. Thankfully the Small Unisex fit me great but I feel bad for the men who were trying to fit in the narrowly cut unisex shirts! I’m also not a huge fan of the color black for a running shirt, as it just makes me feel hotter while running; I was really hoping for a kelly green-colored shirt, or even white. Likely going in the donate pile soon, unfortunately.
3. Finish Line – Only drinks I could find at the finish line were chocolate milk, beer, and water in a Eugene Marathon water bottle. All I wanted was something with sugar or electrolytes, like Gatorade, Juice, or Soda, but couldn’t find anything. I liked that the race had a virtual swag bag vs. tons of crap in the expo bag, but at the end they gave us a reusable bag with lots of food and a reusable water bottle, which felt kind of counter to the whole point of a virtual swag bag. Thankfully Wyatt’s mom was happy to have the reusable bag and Wyatt’s brother wanted the food, otherwise it would have gone to waste (and I shouldn’t have taken it but was a little dazed right at the finish so I just took whatever they handed my way).

Weird factor – what’s the weirdest thing about this race

Not weird so much as cool, especially for track fans and running geeks, that is it finishes on the track at Hayward Field. I don’t usually get excited about that kind of stuff, but it was still pretty cool to run on the track, something I’d never do otherwise since I’m a total average Jane kind of runner.

It was also weird that the shirts were so odd fitting, being a Nike dri-fit running shirt. How do they get that wrong?

Highlights of your race – what did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular

• I finished. Yep, it was one of those races where the silver lining is that I didn’t quit. I actually didn’t think about quitting until I had already seen Matt and Paavo at mile 18, and about a quarter mile later I thought, “Dang, I should just turn around, find them, and be done.” Then I thought, “Shit, I can’t do that, Matt’s probably left for the finish line because I’m the slowest out of all the runners!” And good thing I didn’t turn around, as he had in fact already left, as he told me later, since I was the last one he was waiting for.
• As with a lot of races, my first half was beautifully executed. I went out conservatively, just a hair faster than my easy pace, and felt really good at the half, going through in 1:44 and change. Then at about mile 14 I started to feel a little overwhelmed by the distance I had left so I thought that slowing it down a bit would help me save some gas for the final 10k. It kinda backfired and I just felt terrible physically after that, as my legs couldn’t find a great rhythm, my stomach went sour (threw up at mile 24), and I played the death march, pity party game for several miles. After puking I did feel better and shuffled through those last 2 miles.

Lessons Learned – share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner or yourself on the next time around

• Trust my pacing. I still don’t really know why I tried to change up my pace, as I felt fine at the time. Maybe I would have had the same end result, but I should have trusted my pacing a bit more and stuck with it.
• I think I still need more long runs under my belt at steady state, and more medium long runs of ~10 miles mid-week to be a stronger runner in the marathon and beyond. The last couple marathons my legs just haven’t felt that strong throughout.
• Wear less. I overdressed with a long sleeve and a singlet and was dripping sweat by an hour in. Looking back, with temps in the high 40s, low 50s, I should have worn a short sleeve and arm sleeves, or just a thin long sleeve.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

• Roll with the hills, know there are more in the second half than the first, but there are still some rollers in the second half
• Run the tangents as best as possible with how many turns there are on the course, as I imagine you could end up running quite a bit more distance than the marathon if you take all the turns wide
• Overall it’s a bit of a lonely course in terms of spectators and course “entertainment” (bands), so have music if you’re used to that or have some mental strength to get through some lonelier miles

Organized and well run – did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Very well organized from start to finish. Good pre-race email, small expo but at least we got through it quickly, lots of aid stations with plenty of people to hand out liquids, and good race follow up with results and photos. The expo was probably a little underwhelming if you’re expecting a lot of vendors, but since I like getting in and getting out, it was fine with me.

Logistics – Anything special regarding getting to/from the race, hotels around the course, registration…?

Easy to sign up, other races include 5k and Half Marathon, and I found a coupon a couple months out that made for a cheap registration ($75ish). There were shuttles to the start from several locations, but Wyatt’s dad drove us to the start and we had about a 7 minute walk to the start, so not really crowded. We parked a bit further from the finish since there were so many more cars near Hayward Field for the finish. I heard hotels were expensive (when are they not on a marathon weekend though), airbnb is an option, and we stayed with Wyatt’s family, which was fantastic. I love being able to cook in a real home, shower afterwards without worrying about checkout, and we even did a load of laundry before hitting the road.

Weather and typical race conditions

Typically it’s on the warmer side for this race, being in the spring. There’s always a chance for rain, and we got lucky with no rain, cloudy, no wind, and temps in the high 40s, low 50s. So basically, no real typical conditions except there’s always a chance of rain, temps are likely to be in the 40s-60s, and I’ve seen sun and clouds for this race.

Spectators – is this a friendly course for your friends and family?

Pretty friendly if they figure out how to get around town, avoiding the course and finding parking. They can see runners in several spots or just 1-2 spots, and there’s a fair amount of parking around town near shopping centers and Autzen Stadium.

How’s the swag?

Nike drifit shirt that sounds promising but fit terribly, and I’m not a fan of the color black for a running shirt. Reusable bag and water bottle, and typical finisher’s medal. Free race photos, which was a nice touch.

The Overall Score – how many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it

3.5 out of 5. If you’re within a half day’s drive, totally worth running because it’s easy logistically, close to home, fairly fast, and well-run. Definitely not as flat as advertised and the shirts were a bust. I wouldn’t go out of my way to fly to this marathon, but being so close in Seattle, it’s a great Spring option.