Running News Daily

Top US Spring Marathons to Get a 2024 Personal Best

 

Christmas, New Year, multiple parties, and family gatherings are just around the corner. With the holiday season and the cold weather, planning for your next spring marathon in 2024 is probably the last thing on your mind. 

 

However, there’s no such thing as being too busy or too early when planning your next race. In fact, a solid 20-week-long marathon training plan with some breathing room requires around five months. That’s why “now” is the best time to prepare for your next spring marathon. 

 

From World Majors and massive city marathons to trail runs and small-town races, there are a lot of marathons to choose from this coming spring. But we’ve got you covered. We’ve listed some of the must-try spring marathons across the United States. Check them out here. 

Myrtle Beach Marathon

In March, Myrtle Beach in South Carolina has an average temperature of 64 degrees, which might feel cool for swimming but is perfect for running a marathon. Hence, before the town gets busy with spring break, it hosts a race by the beach called Myrtle Beach Marathon. This year, it’ll be held on March 2, 2024.

 

Myrtle Beach Marathon is one of the best spring marathons in South Carolina that you can run all year. It’s a great choice for first-time marathon runners because the course is flat and follows the coast in a loop without many hills. The cool ocean winds also help you stay comfortable and prevent you from overheating while running.

Little Rock Marathon

Unlike most races that stick to simplicity, the Little Rock Marathon in Arizona goes all out to make their event extraordinary. They choose a theme every year to make their race as spectacular and entertaining as possible. In this coming race, the planned theme is a touch of prehistoric flair, so expect to see runners in Jurassic Park-themed gear on March 3, 2024. 

 

Another unique feature of the race is their massive and extravagant finisher medals, some of the biggest in the business! Plus, the race will introduce a new course that’s a qualifier for the Boston Marathon. It’s one of the major races that allow betting from different sportsbooks like FanDuel Sportsbook. 

Los Angeles Marathon 

While the Los Angeles Marathon may not have the same global recognition as New York, Boston, or Chicago marathons, it stands out as one of the finest city marathons in the USA. What’s more, the vast and diverse landscape of Los Angeles provides a fantastic backdrop for the race. 

 

This race will be held on March 17, 2024. The course will begin at Dodgers Stadium, pass through iconic LA spots like Rodeo Drive and Hollywood Boulevard, and conclude on Santa Monica Boulevard. What makes this marathon even more exciting is the chance to run alongside celebrities who often participate in their hometown race.

Newport Marathon 

The Newport, Rhode Island often has two races: one in spring and another in fall. Both promise a scenic and memorable experience, blending natural beauty with a touch of local charm. They offer breathtaking views of the town’s stunning mansions, windy beaches, and rocky coastline. However, they’re managed by different organizations. 

 

The spring Newport Marathon, in particular, is well-known because it coincides with the city’s celebrated blooming of over one million golden yellow daffodils. This year, it’ll be held on April 13, 2024. After tackling the hilly course, you’ll also be treated to a finisher festival with plenty of goodies like a much-needed pizza. 

Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon 

Experience the thrill of racing through Churchill Downs, not just with horses but also as part of the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon. It will take place on April 27, 2023, a week before the renowned horse race. This allows you to run through Louisville, including a pass through the iconic home of the Kentucky Derby.

 

Since the marathon offers a blend of athleticism and the charm of the equestrian world, it’s recommended to turn your marathon into a full-fledged vacation. Consider staying for a week filled with events leading up to a lap around the famous track—a must-try experience for any avid runner! 

Eugene Marathon 

Surprisingly, Eugene (not Seattle or Portland) hosts the largest marathon in the Pacific Northwest. This means you’ll be part of a sizable running community, enjoy the cheers of enthusiastic spectators, and receive ample support from dedicated volunteers throughout the race. 

 

Next year, the Eugene Marathon will be held on April 28. Its back half takes you along the scenic Willamette River, offering beautiful natural landscapes to admire as you approach the finish line. Although it may sound hard, the race is beginner-friendly and a good start to getting a personal record (PR). It’s also a favorable choice to qualify for the Boston Marathon. 

Final Thoughts

Finding the right race for you involves considering your skills, training needs, and personal preferences. While this highlights marathons offering unique experiences and challenges next spring, it’s incomplete. Take the time to explore various options, ensuring that the chosen marathon aligns with your abilities and allows for adequate training and rest.

(12/09/2023) Views: 1,087 ⚡AMP

Some races are down since the pandemic took charge of road racing for a couple of years but there is some good news

Even marquee events have seen declines of 25 percent or more between 2019 and 2022.  

Across the country, many road races are returning after the COVID-19 pandemic forced them into a two-year hiatus. But runners haven’t yet come back to those events in the same numbers as they were turning out in 2019.

A few examples from the first eight months of 2022: 

The BAA 10K in June had 5,144 finishers, down from 8,003 in 2019, a decrease of 35 percent. 

The Utica Boilermaker 15K in July had 5,848 finishers, which was up from 2021, when it had 3,480, but down from the 2019 tally of 11,194, for a three-year decrease of 47 percent. 

In Colorado, the Cherry Creek Sneak, a 5K, 5-miler, and 10-miler in Denver, had its final running in 2022 after 40 years. Combined participation in the three events had already been falling before the pandemic, and it fell an additional 38 percent between 2019 and 2022 (from 3,390 finishers to 2,092). 

Larger, well-known events haven’t been immune from the declines. The Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run in April in Washington, D.C., had 2,700 fewer runners, for a decline of 15 percent. 

The Falmouth Road Race in Massachusetts and the Beach to Beacon 10K in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, two popular destination summer road races, saw declines of 24 percent and 16 percent, respectively. The town of Falmouth reduced the field size of the race to 10,000 runners this year (from its usual 12,800) but only 8,610 finishers appear in the results. 

Jean Knaack, CEO of the nonprofit Road Runners Club of America, wrote in an email to Runner’s World, “We are seeing a slow recovery in 2022, and we are tracking with participation data showing about 84 percent return.” 

Why aren’t runners coming back to events? Industry experts cited many theories: 

The economy: “I think inflation will be a factor for 2023 as events plan and people pick what events they can afford to run,” wrote Knaack. The cost of travel to races—for flights, hotels, rental cars, gas—has gone up. So, too, have race entry fees for many events, especially for runners who wait until the last minute to register. 

Competing events: Long-postponed weddings are back on. So are family vacations. The annual road race might need to take a back seat this year. 

COVID concerns: Many runners worry about contracting COVID at a race, or they get sick at an inopportune time, keeping them from the starting line. 

Shifting priorities: Erin Vandenberg, 42, for years raced at least monthly, often more, at distances from 5K to the marathon. Running a race with coworkers and then getting drinks after in downtown Chicago was a common occurrence. But she always felt a certain pressure to be training hard and performing well, worried what the time read on the clock at the finish.

Since the pandemic, she has taken a new approach to running. “I want to enjoy it; not stress myself out about it,” she said. “I don’t know that getting up at 5 a.m. to hit a certain pace and worry whether I’m fueling correctly is how I want to spend my time.” 

Vandenberg has run three races in 2022—including one with her dog. 

Not every race is down. Michelle La Sala, president of race management company Blistering Pace, says two of the events her company works on—the Big Sur Marathon and the Napa Marathon—have emerged largely unscathed from the pandemic. Big Sur was down only 240 runners (6.8 percent) and registration is tracking strongly for 2023. Same for Napa, which “should grow significantly this year,” La Sala said. 

The bigger “bucket list” marathons, with a few exceptions, are not having any problems at all, she said, while smaller, regional races, without a compelling point of differentiation, are “on the struggle bus.”

Grandma’s Marathon along Lake Superior in Minnesota was off only 6.4 percent in 2022 from its 2019 tally, and well up from 2021. The Eugene Marathon, in May in Oregon, and the Missoula Marathon, in June in Montana, were both well ahead in finisher numbers, although many might have been deferred entries from the cancellations of 2020 and 2021. Vandenberg has a deferred entry from the Chicago Marathon in 2020, and she plans to use it in 2023. 

John Mortimer, owner and founder of Millennium Running in Bedford, New Hampshire, sounded an optimistic note as well. Millennium has 30 of its own events of varying distances, manages and times others, and it has a running store. Sales are strong at the retail location, showing him that people continue to walk and run, even those who took it up during the pandemic. 

And race participation in Millennium events continues to be robust, in part, because the company developed a time trial start system during the pandemic as an alternative to a mass start race. For many months, they had the only events happening in New England. 

The company kept in frequent contact with runners and tried to make the race experience safe and convenient for them. They continue to offer the option to make any race a virtual race, up until the last minute, if runners would otherwise have to be a no-show at an event—thereby ensuring the runners would at least be mailed their tee shirts and medals. 

That policy will continue, Mortimer said. “Every week we’re shipping out apparel and medals and bibs,” he said. “We’re trying to make it easy for the participant to be a part of the running community.” 

The effort aimed at keeping relevant has paid off, Mortimer said, and registrations for most of the company’s events haven’t declined. The same can’t be said, he knows, for races that have been off for two years. 

For them, “It’s out of sight, out of mind,” he said. “People have moved on.”

(09/18/2022) Views: 996 ⚡AMP
by Runner’s World

Galen Rupp fueled by family time as he prepares for marathon at World Athletic Championships

It’s been nine months since Galen Rupp ran his last full marathon.

He contemplated running another this spring after finishing the Chicago Marathon last October, but decided against it to avoid tiring himself out ahead of the summer.

Now, as he trains for the 2022 World Athletics Championships, he’s been replicating the effects a marathon has on his body. That includes going on long, painful runs no matter how tired he is.

But Rupp is always able to get through it because he knows what’s waiting for him at home once he’s finished: a sit-down dinner with his wife and kids.

It doesn’t matter if his training went well or not, Rupp said. When he gets home and his kids come running to hug him, whatever happened that day doesn’t matter compared with what’s in front of him.

“I get a lot of strength from being around them,” Rupp said. “Mentally, I’m in the best place possible when I’m in their presence.”

That helps fuel Rupp, 36, as he’s running competitively, knowing his family is in the stands or along the route. They’ll only need to make a two-hour drive south to Eugene for this year’s world championships, which run July 15-24 and are being held in the United States for the first time.

Friends, family and fans of Rupp have always turned out to watch him race, from his time at Central Catholic High School in Portland all the way to the Olympics.

Rupp is no stranger to competing at Hayward Field. He ran with the Ducks’ cross country and track teams from 2004-09 and holds multiple school records. The team’s website refers to him as “one of the greatest distance runners in UO history.”

His days competing in Eugene didn’t end once he joined the professional ranks. He frequently has been in town for the Olympic trials or the Eugene Marathon. Memories from Eugene that stick out for Rupp include setting the American record in 10,000 meters at the 2014 Prefontaine Classic and making his first Olympic team in 2008.

"There’s always a buzz around the city and stadium when there’s a big meet in town,” Rupp said. “There’s really nothing like it.”

Rupp’s training process changed slightly since he started working with a new coach, Northern Arizona University’s Michael Smith, in 2020. With Smith based in Arizona, he relies on Rupp sending videos of his workouts, taken by his wife, to provide tips and advice.

The two keep up a steady stream of communication via text, and Rupp said he appreciates Smith’s willingness to tell him to try different things and new workouts.

“He’s not scared to challenge me,” Rupp said. “The biggest growth comes when you start trying new things and doing some different things in training.”

All that training, which Rupp said amounts to a full-time job, has kept him busy over the last few months. Outside of spending time with his kids, which usually means fishing for trout, he’s had to stay off his feet in his free time.

With the downtime he has, Rupp tries to keep up with UO athletics. He’s particularly excited for Oregon’s new football coach, Dan Lanning, and the Ducks’ season opener against Georgia in September.

“I’m pumped for Dan Lanning, excited to see what the team’s going to look like under him,” Rupp said.

Rupp said he hasn’t given much thought to what he’ll do once his running career wraps up. The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are on his radar, but he stressed that making Team USA at the trials is difficult, so he doesn’t want to make any hasty assumptions.

Going into coaching has crossed his mind a few times, but he doesn’t dwell on those thoughts to avoid letting them become a distraction. For now, he’s focused on the next race.

“I still feel like I’ve got a lot of years left for sure,” Rupp said. “I want to keep putting all my energy into that for the time being.”

(07/09/2022) Views: 967 ⚡AMP
by Luke Norton

Eugene Marathon was gone but not forgotten as record number of runners will mark race's return

It’s been three years since the Eugene Marathon and Half Marathon held a live race.

It’s been even longer since the finish line was inside Hayward Field.

Both are back this weekend as the longtime local road race returns Sunday morning to the streets of Eugene and Springfield.

The traditional finish line had to be moved to Autzen Stadium in 2019 due to the construction of the new Hayward Field. The race was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19, then went virtual in 2021 as the pandemic continued.

“On some days I can’t believe it’s been four years,” race director Ian Dobson said. “And on some days it feels like it’s been forever, like it’s hard to remember it almost.”

Hard to remember, maybe, but hardly forgotten.

Registration for the 15th Eugene Marathon and Half Marathon and Saturday morning’s Eugene 5K and Kid’s 1K Duck Dash — which both start outside Hayward Field and end on the track and the finish line — has reached record-setting numbers.

According to Dobson, approximately 9,700 have signed up for one of the four races. Broken down, they expect 4,000 for the half marathon, 3,200 for the marathon, 1,500 for the 5K and 1,000 for the Duck Dash.

The race has essentially reached capacity.

"Actually, we don’t even know what it is because we’ve never had to explore that," Dobson said with a laugh. “We’re limiting registration because we want to make sure we can do a great job for the people that are registered, not because we can’t fit more people on the roads.”

The marathon’s previous best year was 2013 when it had 8,561 registered participants.

“We’re really, really excited about that,” Dobson said. “I think some of it is genuine enthusiasm for the event, and a lot of it is also people who are, ‘It’s time to get back to doing stuff.’ ”

The 26.2-mile marathon and 13.1-mile half marathon courses will closely resemble what they were in 2018 with only a few minor changes. 

The most obvious is where the marathon and half-marathon participants split off from each other. That point is now on the south side of the Willamette River's Knickerbocker Bridge instead of the north side. 

That change eventually redirects marathon runners through downtown Springfield and keeps them off Centennial Boulevard.

“Which I think is a gift to everyone,” Dobson said. “Traffic control, law enforcement, runners, everybody.”

The Eugene Marathon and Half Marathon has always been largely a community event, though professionals and other runners with larger goals have also participated in the race. This year is no different.

There are 80 “elite” runners entered in both races, a designation given to men who have recorded marathon times of 2 hours, 25 minutes or 1:08:00 for the half marathon, and women who have times of at least 2:53:00 or 1:20:00, respectively, since May 1, 2019.

The 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying window opened in January and hitting the standard of 2:18:00 for the men and 2:37:00 for the women is certainly on the agenda for many.

For the rest of the runners, the race weekend marks the long-awaited return to road racing. Dobson said at least one-quarter of the registrations have been rolled over from people who initially signed up in 2020 or 2021.

“I think there’s a real excitement to be back to something familiar," Dobson said. “It just feels good.”

Eugene Marathon and Half Marathon

Start: 7 a.m. Sunday at 17th Avenue and Agate Street

Finish: Inside Hayward Field

(04/30/2022) Views: 1,096 ⚡AMP
by Chris Hansen

Beijing Olympic skier holds record for youngest person to run a marathon on every continent

Most sports fans will recognize Winter Vinecki for representing the United States in the aerials skiing competition in Beijing, but long before she made her Olympic debut, she was a runner. Vinecki began running races when she was just five years old, and as a teenager, she became the youngest person to run a marathon on every continent.

According to usskiandsnowboard.org, Vinecki ran her first 5K when she was five, her first 10K when she was eight and her first 10-miler (16K) when she was only 10. The now-23-year-old from Michigan also competed in triathlons as a kid and has several medals to prove it.

Showing obvious athletic ability from a young age, Vinecki’s purpose behind her athletic pursuits took on a new meaning when she was only nine and her father was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. From that moment, she began competing (often alongside her mother, Dawn Estelle) to raise awareness about the disease. Sadly, her father passed away less than a year after his diagnosis. A year after losing her father in 2010, Vinecki won her first IronKids National Triathlon, which she would go on to win for the second time in 2011.

Shortly after her second win, she found out the record for the youngest person to complete a marathon on all seven continents was held by a 27-year-old man, and decided she could easily beat that. Her mother agreed, and at 13, Vinecki got to work. Starting with the Eugene Marathon in Oregon, the Amazing Maasai Marathon in Kenya and the Antarctica Marathon, by the age of 14 she had already checked the first three off her list. Her fourth marathon was the Inca Trail Marathon, considered the toughest marathon in the world, thanks to its steep mountain passes, which the teen ended up winning in nine hours and 18 minutes.

She went on to complete a marathon in Mongolia, New Zealand and finally Athens to complete her trip around the globe. The 14-year-old, who had already qualified for the Junior Freestyle Skiing World Championships but given up her spot to complete her marathon challenge, then returned to the slopes with her eyes on qualifying for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. An ACL tear prevented her from competing that year, so her Olympic debut was put off until 2022 in Beijing.

In her first Olympics, Vinecki ended up finishing 13th in her qualifying round and did not make it into the final, but with so much grit and determination, we will no doubt see her on the slopes again.

(02/19/2022) Views: 1,490 ⚡AMP
by Running Magazine

Eugene Marathon Is Offering Medals Made of Wood

Organizers of the Eugene Marathon, which typically finishes at Hayward Field, were able to procure some of the old steps from the east grandstand, and those steps are being refashioned into race medals for this year’s virtual marathon and half marathon, scheduled for April 23 through 25. Next year’s event medals will feature the old Hayward wood as well.

Race director Ian Dobson told Runner’s World the organization submitted a proposal to the University of Oregon in order to get his hands on the antique steps. When approved, he then filled his truck and moved the wood to the race’s storage facility. Dobson also had them tested to make sure they didn’t contain any lead paint. (They didn’t.)

In the past, the race medals had come from overseas, which is the industry standard. For this, the race’s staff selected a local designer for processing and fabricating. “For the whole project, we were able to keep everything local,” Dobson said.

The medals are being made from the interior wood of the grandstand; they might look new, because that section of wood was unweathered by nearly a century of rain, wind, and snow. To maintain a connection to their historic past, the medals will be cut in the same proportion as the former Hayward Field steps.

Additionally, the unusual medals are driving participation for this year’s race, which will be virtual—for the second year in a row—in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dobson said fewer than 100 spots remain for the marathon ($75) and about 500 spots remain for the half marathon ($60).

Race packets—including shirts, numbers, and medals—will go out before the race to everyone who signs up. So technically, there’s nothing stopping memorabilia collectors from registering in order to get the medal, even if they have no intention of doing the race.

Dobson’s not worried, though. “We trust the running community,” he said.

(03/23/2021) Views: 1,375 ⚡AMP
by Runner´s World

2021 Eugene Marathon has been cancelled due to the pandemic

After careful consideration, the 2021 Eugene Marathon will shift to a fully virtual event in late April of 2021. 

Over the fall and winter, the Eugene Marathon staff worked with partners at Lane County Public Health, the City of Eugene, the University of Oregon and PeaceHealth to plan for a COVID-modified, in-person event; but due to the current state of the pandemic and the projected timing of the vaccine roll out, it has become clear that putting on a safe, in-person event in April is not possible. 

“When we opened registration in the fall, we were hopeful that 2021 would be our year to return to in-person races and to our roots at Hayward Field,” Race Director Ian Dobson said. “But as we have gone through the planning process, it has become clear that our community partners and the medical support staff we rely on will still be very busy serving our community in a significant way by providing treatment and vaccinations.”

“We also acknowledge the impact that our event could have on COVID transmissions,” Dobson added. “The fact that we attract participants from all 50 states and around the globe is something we are extremely proud of, but right now it would clearly be irresponsible for us to put our community at risk by hosting an event with that sort of reach."

The Eugene Marathon, which takes place annually on the final weekend of April, consists of a Marathon, Half Marathon, Eugene 5K, Kid’s Duck Dash, and Health & Wellness Expo. All events, including a live-streaming Finish Festival will now take place virtually. A final schedule will be announced in March. All 2021 registrants have been notified by email and will be provided a week to defer their entry for free to 2022 or to stay in the virtual event.

“Life has changed significantly since we became the healthcare sponsor for Eugene Marathon in 2019. Through the challenges of the last year, it became apparent how socially conscious Eugene Marathon is as an organization. And this decision truly highlights their commitment to doing what’s right for our communities,” said Todd Salnas, chief operating officer, PeaceHealth Oregon. “We are proud to support this year’s virtual event and associated activities and look forward to the possibility of celebrating together in person at Hayward Field in 2022.”

“We are looking at innovative ways to approach the virtual race experience and make it as fun and interactive as possible,” Dobson said. “There will be multiple days of activities available throughout race weekend. “

 

(02/04/2021) Views: 1,491 ⚡AMP

Galen Rupp breezes to victory in a popup half marathon in Lane County

Galen Rupp Runs 60:22, Suguru Osako Runs 61:15 In Half Marathon

Galen Rupp cruised to victory in a special half marathon Friday near Row River in Lane County.

The former University of Oregon star and two-time Olympic medalist finished in 1 hour, 22 seconds, well in front of Japanese Olympian Suguru Osako, who crossed in 1:01:15.

This was Rupp’s first competition since he won the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta last February.

“It’s been a challenging year for everybody because of COVID,” Rupp said. “I’m so thankful and grateful to have this opportunity just to race. That was my whole mentality coming in here -- get a race in. If it happened that I ran really fast, great.”

The race was set up by the Eugene Marathon. The precise location and start time were kept secret to discourage spectators and stay within Oregon’s coronavirus protocols.

The lack of reliable internet service at the scene prevented the race from being live-streamed. Few details of the action were available while the runners were in the course.

Rupp’s winning time was well short of the U.S. record of 59:43, held by Ryan Hall since 2007. But Rupp’s 10-mile spit of 45:53 betters the U.S. 10-mile record of 46:13 held by Greg Meyer since 1983.

Ian Dobson of the Eugene Marathon said Rupp’s 10-mile time met all record criteria.

“Any time you set a record, it’s a great day,” Rupp said. "I think this technically is my PR (personal record) for a half marathon too. I ran a little quicker in Rome a few years ago, but that wasn’t a record-eligible course.

“Technically I came out with a PR. So, it was a great day. Any time you can do that, you can’t leave disappointed. I would have loved to go faster. It just wasn’t in the cards today.”

(10/31/2020) Views: 1,271 ⚡AMP

Galen Rupp and Suguru Osako are aiming for a fast half marathon on Friday near Eugene

Olympians Galen Rupp and Suguru Osako have signed on for what is expected to be a blazingly fast half marathon Friday at an undisclosed location in Lane County.

Eugene Marathon has set up the course and ensured it is certified. Organizers are declining to reveal the course’s location or time in deference to the coronavirus pandemic. All participants have been tested for the virus.

Rupp won the men’s race at 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials last February in Atlanta. The former University of Oregon star is the 2012 Olympic silver medalist in the 10,000 meters and the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist in the marathon. He holds the U.S. record for the 10,000.

Osako is the Japanese record-holder in the marathon, as well as the 3,000 and 5,000 meters.

The two runners are former teammates with the now defunct Nike Oregon Project. Both are based in Portland, although Osako has been training in Flagstaff, Arizona.

“Galen called me maybe a month ago,” said Pete Julian, Osako’s coach. "He asked if Suguru would be interested in throwing down somewhere in Oregon in this time frame.

“I was like, ‘Galen, you called at the perfect time. That’s exactly what we want to do.'”

Rupp has not raced since winning in Atlanta. Osako was active with Julian’s group in track races over the summer. He had begun training for December’s Honolulu Marathon before that was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think they’re pretty lined up,” Julian said of the two runners. “Galen hasn’t raced in a long time. But he is old enough and wise enough now that if he says wants to run a good, hard, fast half marathon, you have to believe he is ready to go. I know Suguru is ready to go. It will be cool.”

The course is said to be flat. And if the race is fast, well, the U.S. record for a half marathon of 59 minutes, 43 seconds has been held by Ryan Hall since 2007. The Japanese half-marathon record is of 1:00.00 was set earlier this year by Yusuke Ogura.

Julian wouldn’t call Friday’s race a record attempt.

“Hey, man, 13.1 miles is a long way to go,” Julian said. “It’s almost foolish to say we’re targeting something because I know nothing about the course. My assumption is if the weather is nice, it’s warm enough and it’s not windy, and you have two guys like that, running around an hour for a half marathon is certainly within their capabilities.”

Eugene Marathon will be posting more details on its Twitter and Instagram accounts as the race nears. On Friday, organizers will use those platforms to provide updates on the progress of the competition.

(10/28/2020) Views: 1,482 ⚡AMP
by Ken Goe

Registrations is now open for the 2021 Eugene Marathon which will finish at the new Hayward Field Stadium

2921 registration is now open for the Eugene Marathon! Mark your calendars for April 23-25, 2021 and mark your finish line for Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. That’s right, in 2021 – if all goes as planned – you will get the opportunity to once again Run in the Footsteps of Legends and cross the finish line at the newly renovated and always iconic Hayward Field. 

 Since the moment we canceled the 2020 race due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have dedicated our time and effort to looking forward to 2021 and doing all that we can to make it the finest and safest Eugene Marathon yet. Our team is working with our partners – including Lane County Public Health, the City of Eugene, the University of Oregon and PeaceHealth – to develop plans for a safe, accessible and exciting event.

Additionally, taking into consideration the context of COVID-19, we are offering the option to sign up for a virtual race experience that will include top-notch virtual race technology, a live-streaming virtual expo, sponsor perks, and all the swag of a traditional Eugene Marathon sent in a custom race box straight to your front door. .

In the event that an in-person event cannot take place, all 2021 registrants will be transferred to the 2021 virtual event.

(09/30/2020) Views: 1,635 ⚡AMP

London Marathon Creates a Biosecure Bubble for the Upcoming Elite-Only Race

All runners will stay in the same hotel, and will be allowed to train on the surrounding 40 acres.

The London Marathon, scheduled for elites only on October 4, is creating a bubble environment to protect the runners and necessary staff.

This will be the first World Marathon Major to take place since the Tokyo Marathon was run as an elite-only race on March 1.

On Thursday, September 3, race organizers for the World Marathon Major announced plans to implement a biosecure bubble for the elite-only race on Sunday, October 4. The biosecure bubble will be created using a strict testing protocol and an athlete-only hotel surrounded by 40 acres for runners to train ahead of the marathon.

“It is our duty and responsibility to ensure this event is held in a safe and secure environment,” Hugh Brasher, the London Marathon event director, said in an announcement. “We have looked at other examples and taken learnings from other sports which have returned to action as we developed our detailed plans for this biosecure bubble around the event.”

To enter the biosecure bubble, athletes will be required to test for COVID-19 in their home country four days prior to travel. They will be tested once again when they arrive at the athlete hotel in London, and testing will continue until the Friday before the event. The hotel will be used exclusively by athletes, support staff, and race officials, all of whom will be required to remain socially distant from each other and wear face masks at all times with the exception of training, eating, and being inside their single rooms.

“By finding a hotel for exclusive use and putting in place the strict testing, hygiene and security measures to protect the bubble, we are confident we have created the safest environment possible for everyone,” Brasher said.

The race will be held over 19 laps on a 2.15K-closed course around St. James’s Park plus an extra 1,345 meters to the usual finish line. To keep the competition secure, no spectators will be allowed on the course.

The London Marathon, originally scheduled to run in April, is the first World Marathon Major to take place since the coronavirus was declared a global pandemic on March 11 (the Tokyo Marathon staged an elite-only race on March 1). Outside of running, the NBA became the first professional sports organization to start back up, creating a bubble in Orlando, Florida, in an effort to protect players during a three-month season.

For many athletes, the London Marathon will be their first major competition of 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, which forced many events to be postponed or canceled.

The men’s race features a highly-anticipated match-up between world record-holder Eliud Kipchoge and 2019 Berlin Marathon winner Kenenisa Bekele. In Berlin, Bekele came within two seconds of breaking the 2:01:39 world record set by Kipchoge at the 2018 Berlin Marathon.

Brigid Kosgei leads the women’s field after breaking the world record at the 2019 Chicago Marathon. She will be competing in her first race since the RAK Half Marathon in February when she finished second to Ababel Yeshaneh who broke the half marathon world record.

Americans Sara Hall, Molly Seidel, Lindsay Flanagan, and Jared Ward will be competing in London as well.

On August 7, Hall ran an impressive half marathon personal best of 1:08:18 with two male pacers and two of her daughters following at a distance in a race staged by Eugene Marathon organizers.

In February, Seidel made her first Olympic team in her 26.2 debut when she finished second at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta. Flanagan finished 12th at the Olympic Trials.

For Ward, a 2016 Olympic marathoner, London will be his first major marathon since finishing 27th at the Trials.

While the 40th running of the London Marathon will feature elites only, 45,000 people signed up to participate in the virtual 26.2.

(09/06/2020) Views: 1,541 ⚡AMP
by Runner’s World

Eugene woman sets Oregon Pacific Crest Trail speed record: 455 miles in 7 days

When Emily Halnon’s mother died of cancer earlier this year, she decided to honor her memory by trying something big. 

She chose one of Oregon’s most grueling challenges. 

In the early morning darkness of Aug. 1, the 35-year-old Eugene resident laced up her shoes at the Oregon-California border and stepped onto the Pacific Crest Trail.

Then she started running.

Over the next week, Halnon ran up mountains and down river valleys, through a frigid thunderstorm and boiling temperatures, felt her shins ache and feet swell up on 17-hour days in remote wilderness.

When she reached the Washington border on Aug. 9, Halnon had set a new speed record for the Oregon section of the PCT: 455 miles in 7 days, 19 hours and 23 minutes.

That’s averaging 57 miles per day.

The supported speed record — meaning she was helped by a team along the way — is the fastest among both men and women, and the fastest overall, according to the website Fastest Known Time, the best metric for tracking trail times.  

In the process, Halnon raised $32,000 for the Brave Like Gabe foundation, which funds rare cancer research.

“It was a celebration of my mom — she was my fuel,” Halnon said. “There have been days when the grief is crushing. Channeling myself into this, into something that would make her proud and that felt like it mattered, was my way of working through it.”

But the run was also about fun. Halnon was supported by a team of friends who threw impromptu dance parties on the trail, invented romance stories to keep her smiling and created a wilderness spa one night near Diamond Peak. 

“There was a lot of singing and dancing and laughing — Emily has fun with the process,” said Eric Suchman, a close friend and social studies teacher at North Eugene High School. “But she's also very tough, very driven. When things are difficult, she can dig deep.”

“Emily is a badass,” said Danielle Snyder, who previously held the women's speed record on the Oregon PCT. “She can be laid-back and goofy. But in the end, she’s a badass.”

Distance running comes in the family

Emily Halnon was inspired by her mother. 

Growing up in Vermont, Andrea Halnon modeled how to be an athlete and runner even in later years.    

"She had a health scare when I was a teenager and that motivated her to start being more physically active," Emily Halnon said. 

It started with walking 5 kilometer races. Then running them. Next came 10 kilometer races and a half marathon. The year Andrea Halnon turned 50, she ran her first marathon. Not finished, she learned to swim so she could complete a triathlon at 60.

The mother inspired her daughter. The duo ran their first marathon together on Emily's 23rd birthday.

“She beat me by 20 minutes,” Emily said. 

The first time Emily visited Oregon was to run the Eugene marathon. But it was trail running in the Pacific Northwest that brought her in Oregon for good, where she started running major distance, including five 100-mile ultramarathons. Her mom supported her every step.

“The joke was how many times she would post on Facebook during those races,” Emily Halnon said. “It was usually about 18 times per race." 

Andrea Halnon was diagnosed with a rare form of uterine cancer in December of 2018 at 65 years old.

“When that first round of chemo didn't work, her oncologist had terrifyingly few options to offer her,” Emily Halnon wrote on Instagram. “One of them was giving up, something my tenacious mother would never do. But dealing with rare cancer often means running out of options. And my mom ran out of treatment options within months of her diagnosis.”

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Andrea Halnon fought for 13 months, still riding her bike, walking and staying active amid chemotherapy. 

“The way she fought was extraordinary,” Emily Halnon said.

Andrea Halnon died in January. But her toughness lived on through her daughter.

Inspiring more female athletes

The idea of establishing speed records in the outdoors isn’t a new idea, but its appeal has grown over the past decade.

In a time when every blank spot on the map has been filled, and every mountain route climbed, doing adventures in the fastest known time — known as an FKT — has become one way athletes test themselves.

Emily Halnon had her eye on the Oregon PCT since 2015, but once her mom passed, she decided she’d shoot for the FKT.

One of the first people she reached out to was Snyder, who’d set the women’s speed record in 2019. Snyder responded with enthusiasm.

“I work with women to be bold and step into their own, and it was really exciting to have Emily go for it,” said Snyder, who finished the Oregon PCT in 9 days and 15 hours. “Trail running draws a lot more males than females, especially for FKTs. Encouraging more women to go for them is about more than a record.”

Halnon upped her training and milage. She ran the Timberline Trail and climbed Hardesty Mountain three times in one day.   

“In a lot of ways, I’ve been training for this for eight years,” she said. 

How to prove a record

Part of the FTK isn’t just accomplishing it, but being able to prove the record.

As speed records become popularized, some records have proved to be fraudulent. The bar is high for proving a FKT, especially on a high profile route like the Oregon PCT.

Halnon signed up for a Garmin In Reach that allowed people to track her, a blue dot on the map, from a computer screen. In addition to time-stamped pictures, she got a second GPS device — a watch — that took a computerized track she could submit.

“There’s not a governing body for FKTs,” she said. “But the process is pretty rigorous." 

The run and her team

On Aug. 1, Halnon headed to the PCT on the Oregon-California border. It was dark when she began running, but that would become a common theme. 

Her pace was straightforward: run strong and steady on flat, downhill or slightly uphill terrain, while moving to a “strong hike” for steep climbs.   

Earlier that week she’d announced her attempt on Instagram, adding that she would be raising money for rare cancer research. She had modest expectations — maybe $4,500.

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“I waffled on the fundraising part of it in the middle of a pandemic,” she said. “But I just decided, if people have the means to give, great. If not, that’s understandable.”

Halnon’s attempt was for a “supported” record — as opposed to a self-supported record. It means she had a team, and it turned the effort into a communal undertaking. 

Halnon’s boyfriend Ian Petersen and dog Dilly met her at many trail crossings for water, fresh clothes, shoes, snacks and sometimes a hot meal — like a race car coming into a pit stop. Different friends paced her on the trail. 

The challenge of eating and romance novels

The first two days spanned a massive area, taking her from California all the way to Crater Lake National Park — a total of 131.5 miles. 

And it became clear what a big challenge might be: eating.

“Every half hour I’d say, ‘time to eat again,’ and she just hated that,” said Snyder, who ran with Halnon on the second day. “When you’re running like this, your body stops processing food as well. You feel crappy and don’t want to eat. It makes you feel tired and nauseous.

“I’d say: ‘I don’t care what you say, you have to eat. If you don’t, you won’t make it through the day, let alone to Washington.’”

Far from the cliché of Cliff Bars and Gu Energy packets, Halnon and many ultra runners opt for tastier fare: Cheetos, gummy worms, Swedish fish, rice crispy treats and Fritos. At stops, she ate quesadillas and instant mash potatoes. 

The days were long. She averaged 16 to 17 hours each day, reaching camp in darkness, sleeping 2 to 5 hours and getting up before dawn to do it again.

Her feet swelled up a half size and shins ached. The mental willingness to keep going meant Halnon’s running partners also had to keep things fun. They danced, sang Taylor Swift music and made up romance novellas.  

“When I did my run, I listened to a lot of romance novels to keep me occupied,” Snyder said. “They’re great. So, on the second day, Emily told me to play her one, but I hadn’t downloaded any. So she was like: ‘Fine! Then you have to tell me a romance story!’

“So I made up a romance story for her. I think the major plot points were about me finding a random trail man and falling in love in the forest. It was pretty bad, but it worked, and it helped us get through a lot of miles.”

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The best day on the PCT: hog dogs, friends and Diamond Peak

There were plenty of difficult days on the trail, but the highlight was day four — 48 miles from  Windigo Pass to Charlton Lake.

The run brought her past emerald lakes and below Diamond Peak, and was close enough to Eugene that her friends threw a mini trail party. 

After 22 miles, she stopped for a break and was surprised when her friend Eric Suchman brought her a hot dog, French fries and ice-cold Powerade from Dairy Queen.

“It was so perfect,” she said. “I’d been fantasizing about a cold beverage for miles and love hot dogs."

That night, after passing the 200-mile mark, she ran into camp in daylight for the first and only time — and she wasn't alone.  

“My Eugene running friends have showed up in force,” she wrote on Instagram. “They meet me 3 miles up the trail to run me in hooting and hollering, to a beautiful lakeshore set up with a grill, coolers, a fireside massage and friends! Everything a girl could dream of greeting her halfway through this PCT run.

“I am ready to head back out onto the trail with recharged legs and a fuller heart and soul.”

She would need that boost. The weather had changed and would bring the biggest challenge yet.

The worst day: thunderstorm and darkness across Mount Jefferson

Day six was one Halnon had been waiting for the entire trip: 59 miles from McKenzie Pass to Brietenbush Lake, across the Three Sisters and Mount Jefferson wilderness areas, the most scenic stretch of the PCT in Oregon.

But the weather had turned against her. A cool thunderstorm blew in, bringing high winds, little visibility and rain that became a winter mix at high elevations. 

“Records aren’t supposed to be easy,” she said.  

From McKenzie Pass she ran across the slick lava rock in a thin rain jacket that wasn’t nearly warm enough, then across exposed ridgelines.

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“It was wet for 14 hours, but the winds on the high ridges were most dramatic,” said Suchman, who ran with her that day. “There were times when we were almost getting blown over. There were no other people on the trail that day, but we passed a ton of tents that looked really warm and cozy.”

As darkness fell, Halnon and Schuman reached a pit stop at Woodpecker Ridge. 

“I shiver through changing clothes and burrow into a sleeping bag with hot ramen,” she wrote, adding that she fell asleep. “I could stay here forever. Warm and not moving.”

One problem: to keep on pace, she had to complete another 10 miles to Breitenbush Lake.

“I reluctantly stand up and groggily start moving,” she wrote. “The next 10 miles are an unending torture chamber of running. Violent river crossings. Icy snow fields. Rocky trails that are hard to follow and travel. Harsh cold again.”

They stumbled into camp at 4:30 a.m.

Just a few hours later, she had to wake up again.  

“I was totally broken the next morning,” Suchman said. “But she woke up at 7:30 a.m. Honestly, watching her get out on the trail was one of the most incredible accomplishments I’ve ever seen.”

Indeed, Halnon ran another 53 miles from Breitenbush Lake to Barlow Pass near Mount Hood on day seven, finishing at 2 a.m.

It set up a final sprint for the record.  

Sprint to the finish, and huge amount of money for rare cancer research

Halnon posted on Instagram throughout the trip, and gradually saw the amount of money she was raising tick upward, all the way to $14,000.

“What I heard from a lot of people was that in the middle of this darkness, the pandemic and everything else, a lot of people were looking for something positive to follow and be part of,” Halnon said. “The run gave them a way to do it.”

The morning of her final day on the trail, she posted: "I'm going for the overall FKT (fastest known time). Can you help me get there with donations to @bravelikegabe?”

To get the fastest known time overall, she needed to finish the final 57 miles by 3:30 a.m. 

“I thought: ‘I can do this, but this day needs to go well,’” she said.

Normally, Halnon said she doesn’t look at her phone during runs. But this time, she kept checking in because the amount of money raised began to rise quickly. 

“I’d get service, press refresh, and see thousands more dollars coming in,” she said. “And I thought: this is why I’m out here.”

But her shin, which had hurt for days, was throbbing. Luckily, Joe Uhan, a physical therapist from Eugene, was along to help at her next pit stop on the trial. 

“People spring into action when I arrive and I'm on Joe's table, his fingers digging magic into my shin, while Lucy spoon-feeds me ramen,” Halnon wrote. “Ian reads me comments people have left about why they're donating. I am a puddle on Joe's table. Cancer has touched and challenged so many lives. And so many people are inspired by my mom.”

The final stretch

The final push was not easy. 

Hanlon was doing well time-wise, but the Bridge of the Gods at Washington's border felt as far away as Australia as she entered the rocky, uneven terrain of the Columbia Gorge.

“I thought about my mom a lot,” she wrote as darkness fell. “I push as hard as I can, which doesn't amount to much speed or grace at mile 446. But I am emptying myself out for this run.”  

Finally, she saw headlights in the distance. Excited hollers. Then the outline of the bridge.

“I hit the bridge surrounded by a tidal wave of love,” she wrote. “The Washington sign cracks me like an egg. I feel so strong and so raw as I finally stop running after 7 days and 19 hours and 23 minutes.”

Her time is a few hours faster than Brian Donnelly, who set the self-supported record of 7 days, 22 hours and 37 minutes in 2013. The final push raised the total over $30,000, which has increased to $32,000. All the money will be donated to Brave Like Gabe for rare cancer research, Halnon said.

After the run, Halnon spent a lot of time sleeping and eating. And thinking about her mom.

“In some ways, I’m glad that she couldn’t follow the blue dot on the screen because it would have really worried her,” Halnon said. “But she would have been beyond proud. And for me, this was my way of feeling connected to her.”

You can still donate to Helnon and the Brave Like Gabe fund here.

Fastest known times on Oregon Pacific Crest Trail 

Supported, female

Emily Halnon: 7 days, 19 hours, 23 minutes (Aug. 9, 2020) 

Lindsey Ulrich: 9 days, 13 hours, 39 minutes (Aug. 5, 2020)  

Danielle Snyder: 9 days, 15 hours, 8 minutes (Aug. 31, 2019) 

Scott Loughney and Yassine Diboun: 8 days, 12 hours, 5 minutes (July 25, 2016) 

Self-supported, male

Brian Donnelly: 7 days, 22 hours, 37 minutes (Aug. 17, 2013) 

Emily Halnon's record, day by day

Day one: California border to Keno Access Road, 61.5 miles / 8,900 feet of elevation gain

Day two: Keno Access Road to Crater Lake National Park, 70 miles / 9,300 feet

Day three: Crater Lake to Windigo Pass, 58 miles / 6,700 feet

Day four: Windigo Pass to Charlton Lake, 48 miles / 6,400 feet

Day five: Charlton Lake to McKenzie Pass, 57 miles / 6,800 feet

Day six: McKenzie Pass to Brietenbush Lake, 59 miles / 8,800 feet

Day seven: Brietenbush Lake to Barlow Pass, 53 miles / 5,700 feet 

Day eight: Barlow Pass to Bridge of the Gods, 57 miles / 8,500 feet

Total: 463.5 miles* / 61,100 feet of climb 

* Mileage taken from Halnon's GPS. It's slightly longer than official Oregon PCT listed milage of 455, but that's normal for GPS systems.  

(08/29/2020) Views: 1,390 ⚡AMP

Sara Hall Runs Impressive Half Marathon PR—Without the Hoopla

Her 1:08:18 puts her sixth on the list of U.S. performers.

In the Oregon woods, on a bike trail along the shore of Dorena Lake, 30 miles south of Eugene, elite athlete Sara Hall ran her first race in more than five months on the roads—just her, two male pacers, and two of her four daughters, Hana and Mia, following at a distance.

Hall, 37, finished the half marathon in 1:08:18, a personal record by 40 seconds and good for sixth-fastest American of all time. She averaged 5:12 pace.

It felt like a mirage. The race, called the Row River Half Marathon and staged by the organizers of the Eugene Marathon, began at 5:52 a.m., just as the sun was beginning to rise over the hills and the overnight fog was disappearing. The small pack of runners disappeared east along the bike path to a turnaround point, came back a little more than an hour later, and quickly left the area—an effort to avoid the heat of the day and to discourage any spectators in the COVID era.

It was a far cry from Hall’s last race, the Olympic Marathon Trials on February 29 in Atlanta, where close to 700 men and women started the event and 200,000 screaming fans crammed the streets with signs and cowbells. Hall, a 2:22 marathoner who thought she was in the best shape of her life and in a good position to make her first Olympic team, dropped out after the 22-mile mark.

Typically a frequent racer, Hall has had to live with the disappointment from the Trials for five months, with no opportunities to redeem herself after the pandemic shut down all races of note. Pro runners like her have been scrambling to find opportunities to test their fitness outside of their own training while keeping within guidelines for safe events during the pandemic.

“It felt surprisingly really good, yeah,” Hall said immediately after finishing. “I wasn’t sure how I’d feel out here. I’ve been pretty buried in training because there’s no races to freshen up for. So I just am, like, grinding for forever. And I was like hopefully my legs come around. To run a big PR like that without really a race atmosphere is really encouraging.”

Hall, who lives and trains at altitude in Flagstaff, Arizona, says she’s more of a competitor than a time trialer. Without the adrenaline of a pack, she wasn’t sure if she’s be able to access all her energy. But she was.

“I tried to just keep telling myself the mantras that keep me going in training,” she said. “But it’s a little harder. When I ran my last half, it was in Houston in a pack of African runners, and I was just getting gritty and mixing it up with them. It’s definitely a different mode out here. But I’m super thankful to the guys that were helping me out through the race. That helped a lot.”

Hall was paced by Eric Finan of Eugene and Jared Carson of Portland, both of whom were also entered into the Trials.

Race director Ian Dobson, a U.S. Olympian in 2008 and friend of Ryan Hall and Sara Hall since their days at Stanford University, floated the idea of putting on a socially distant race to them a couple of months ago. All participants and staff had current negative COVID tests and provided information for contact tracing, should it be necessary. Everyone but the runners wore masks.

It was an opportunity for Hall to get a tuneup race in—she has a marathon coming up in the fall—and a chance for the events team of the Eugene Marathon to host a race, after their flagship event was canceled in April.

“We wanted to take this unique opportunity to have someone like Sara be part of the event,” Dobson said. “And we want to be part of the storytelling—what does success for the running community look like during the Coranvirus?”

He said he hopes that big races make a speedy return instead of morphing into one-off boutique events with five or fewer participants. “The mass participation road race is such a cool thing,” he said. “That’s the business we’re in; it’s what we want to do. That said, given the current reality, this is what we can do.”

The Row River course was USATF-certified and the race is in the process of being sanctioned by USATF, which would make Hall’s time eligible to appear on record lists. She and her family are staying in Eugene for another week or so for more sea level training, as she prepares for the next marathon.

“I feel over-the-moon excited,” she said of the upcoming race. “I think I’m going to be the happiest person on that starting line. I’ve put in so much training just on faith that there would be opportunities. And even though everything was just canceled canceled canceled, to be able to have an actual race—I just wanted to cry when I got in. The trials was a massive disappointment, and I really want to be able to turn the page on that and continue to build and improve.”

Although Hall can’t yet say what race that is, observers believe it is the London Marathon, which yesterday announced it will host an elite-only version of its race around a loop in St. James Park.

Hall’s daughter Hana, 20, finished the Row River Half in 1:20:03. Her daughter Mia, 16, who has only been running for a year, finished in 1:23:18.

(08/08/2020) Views: 1,409 ⚡AMP
by Runner’s World

Richard Maher, Race Director of the Eugene Marathon since the event’s inception in 2007, is retiring from his position

Courtney and Andy Heily, who founded the event with Maher in 2005, will maintain their positions on the Board of Directors alongside Maher. Ian Dobson has stepped into the role of Race Director after serving for three years as the Assistant Race Director.

“It's been a pleasure and a privilege to be a part of the Eugene Marathon all these years,” Maher said. “I may be leaving the Race Director position, but I plan to continue to be involved. I count myself as lucky to have worked with so many wonderful staff, volunteers, family and friends who dedicate their time to make this special event happen each year.”

Maher was an instrumental force in the development of the Eugene Marathon from its beginning.

“Back in 2005 we contacted Richard about possibly starting a marathon in Eugene,” Courtney Heily said. “Within weeks of that initial conversation, Richard had rallied his troops and began the pivotal early work with the cities of Eugene and Springfield, the University of Oregon and various other stakeholders. Within six months, we had a game plan and decided to roll the dice and see what happened.” 

Since 2007, Maher and the Eugene Marathon team conducted 13 total events for a combined 125,000+ participants, including thousands of volunteers. The race has earned a “Best Marathon” award four times in various categories by Runner’s World and is annually acknowledged as one of the best races for those aspiring to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

“Andy and I cannot thank Richard enough for taking a risk with us and helping create this amazing event that we all love,” Courtney Heily said. “I will miss working with Richard regularly, but I am also happy and excited for him as he moves into this next chapter of his life.”

“We have a great deal to be proud of as we look ahead to 2020. The Marathon grew from a crazy idea back in 2005 to an annual event that Eugene residents and others look forward to each spring. We never would have gotten to where we are now without Richard.”

Dobson has assumed the role of Race Director following two years as the Assistant Race Director and Elite Athlete Coordinator. He is an Oregon native, 2008 Olympian in the 5,000 meters and Eugene resident since 2010. Joining Dobson on the Eugene Marathon staff are Becky Radliff as Director of Event Operations, Jon Marx as Marketing & Content Coordinator and Courtney Heily remains Executive Director.

“Ian’s contributions to the marathon have been huge over the past two years,” Heily said. “We know he’ll do an excellent job as Race Director and I have no doubt that with the team we have, along with all the key volunteers who have worked on this race since the beginning, that the marathon will continue to grow.”

A decorated marathoner in his younger years, Maher is planning to use his extra time to start training again and says he’d like to run the half-marathon in 2020 and the full in 2021.

(12/31/2019) Views: 1,915 ⚡AMP

Serial cheater Emily Clark booted from AppleTree Half Marathon and questioned again

It appears a serial cheater who was disqualified from this year’s AppleTree Half Marathon in Vancouver is under suspicion again.

Emily Clark’s latest suspicious result came at the Chicago Marathon, a race she recently admitted to course-cutting in 2013.  Clark, a 28-year-old Portland resident, crossed the Chicago Marathon finish line in 3 hours, 59 minutes, 8 seconds.

But Clark’s recorded time splits and pace bring into question whether she actually ran all 26.2 miles.

Her pace between the half-marathon mark and 25 kilometers was 12:16 per mile. But from 25K to 30K, she clocked 6:13 per mile. That’s a pace maintained by only the top 50 females in the 33,000-strong field at Chicago, the nation’s second-largest marathon.

From 30K to 35K, her pace slowed to 9:27 per mile, only to spike again to 6:10 per mile from 35K to 40K.  Such disparities in pace are consistent with course-cutting, a practice she admitted to after the AppleTree Half Marathon on Sept. 15.

In that race, Clark apparently finished as the second-fastest woman. But race organizers confronted her after top runners and on-course photographers said Clark was not among the leaders for most of the race.

Reached by phone on Monday, Clark denied cheating in Chicago.  She claimed she had two asthma attacks during the race, causing her to stop running multiple times. She also said she was unable to reach a 6:10 per mile pace until the second half of the race because she started near the rear of the field and had to weave around other runners. However, even in large marathons, runners typically become spaced out after the first few miles.

When pressed on her claims, Clark responded: “I called to set the record straight, not get into an argument over the facts.”

In a phone conversation with The Columbian last month, AppleTree race organizer Sherri McMillan said Clark initially denied cheating in that race. This came despite McMillan, founder of Vancouver-based WHY Racing Events, witnessing Clark riding her bicycle during the race.

Clark initially claimed the woman on the bike was her “twin sister,” but later admitted to riding her bicycle  before stashing it and running the race’s final segment.

McMillan said she recognized Clark because she had biked the course with McMillan and others the day before the race.

In a statement shared by WHY Racing Events, Clark admitted to cheating at multiple events dating back to the 2013 Chicago Marathon.

That includes the Eugene Marathon in April, where Clark supposedly finished in 2:52:43 as the eighth-fastest woman. In reality, Clark ran a short distance of the race, returned to her hotel, then jumped back on the course for the last few miles.

Clark blamed an anxiety disorder for her behavior. She said posting fast times in road races helped her fight against insecurities she had about her weight.

Clark, who operates a Portland counseling service that helps women overcome trauma and eating disorders, promised to stop cheating.

“I’ve chosen to come clean about it because the truth eventually catches up to you, no matter what,” Clark’s statement read.

But since then, Clark has disavowed her apology. She posted a message on her Instagram page that read “I’ve been disqualified from races because they ‘found it impossible to believe someone of my build could hold those paces.’”

Asked if she stood by her statement in September, Clark said “I don’t want to talk about previous statements. I’m focused on spending time with healthy, supportive people.”

Clark’s suspicious splits at the 2019 Chicago Marathon were first flagged by Marathon Investigation, an online group launched in 2015 that aims to crack down on cheaters in road races.

(10/21/2019) Views: 2,320 ⚡AMP

Kyle King a 29-year-old marine won the men’s race at the Eugene Marathon clocking 2:18:04

The Eugene Marathon had to alter its course to accommodate a start and finish at Autzen Stadium this year.Organizers might want to make the change permanent.

Between the men’s and women’s Eugene Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday, there were 18 new names added to the event’s all-time top-10 lists. And on a cool, sunny morning when it seemed so many were running fast, Kyle King and Jennifer Bigham proved to be the fastest.

King, a 29-year-old marine competing in just his second marathon and first since 2014, won the men’s race in 2 hours, 18 minutes, 4 seconds. It was a 45-second victory and the third fastest time in the 13-year history of the Eugene Marathon.

It was also well below the Olympic Trials ‘B’ standard of 2:19.00 (the ‘A’ standard is 2:15:00).Bigham, a 37-year-old mother of three children under the age of 10, got her first win after running “15-20” marathons since her first in 2004. She also reached the finish line inside unchallenged in 2:41:37 — the fifth fastest finish all-time in Eugene, and also easily met the Olympic Trials ‘B’ standard of 2:45:00 (the ‘A’ standard is 2:37:00).“I’ve been trying for the Trials standard for eight years,” Bigham said.

“This is a dream come true.”It was also the only pre-race goal she set for herself. So imagine her surprise when the Pittsburgh resident found herself in the lead once the half marathoners went off in another direction.

“When they cut off, people started saying ‘You’re the first woman,’ and I was kind of shocked,” said Bigham, a steeplechaser and cross country runner during her collegiate career at Ohio State. “It gave me some confidence but it also made me say ‘Keep it cool, chill out.”

Seattle’s Claire DeVoe was second in 2:42:46 (sixth all-time), Perry Shoemaker of Vienna, VA. was third in 2:43:33 (eighth all-time) and Meaghan Nelson of Boise was fourth in 2:44:36.King, an artillery officer based at Buckley Air Force Base outside of Denver who ran distance at Eastern Washington at Oklahoma, said he didn’t know what to expect in his race after only recently beginning to train for the 26.2-mile race.

“Honestly, it went way better than expected,” King said. “I hadn’t been seriously training for like six years. I really had no idea what type of shape I was in so I guess I was in better shape than I thought.”So much so that he struggled at times to stick to his desired pace.

“I really wasn’t too experienced with the marathon so right around miles 10-13 I was chomping at the bit to start going, but I kept telling myself ‘Wait, wait, it’s too early,’” King said. “Then at mile 15 my legs just wanted to go so I opened it up a little bit.

”Second-place finisher Anthony Tomsich of Vancouver, British Columbia finished in 2:18:49 (fifth all-time), and Patrick Richie of Portland was third in 2:19:16 (seventh all-time).

(04/29/2019) Views: 2,520 ⚡AMP
by Chris Hansen

Camille Hicks will be running Eugene 5K to honor brother with Down syndrome

Thirteen-year-old Camille Hicks loves to run because she says it makes her feel powerful and strong.

With that in mind, she's taking on the 5K race at the 2019 Eugene Marathon.

Camille was also a winner of the marathon's 12 Days of Wishes program.

"My wish was to get a certain amount of money donated to the Down syndrome association and get an entry in the 5K," the Pleasant Hill middle school student said.

Camille is running in support of her brother Cade, who has Down syndrome.

She asked for a specific $321 donation to the association.

That's because a child with three copies of chromosome 21, rather than the usual pair, is said to have "Trisomy 21" - also known as Down syndrome.

Marathon organizers were intrigued by her submission.

"It was super inspiring, you know, the reasons why she's running," said Justin Hanes, director of communications for the Eugene Marathon. "The reasons that she's getting involved in the running community is awesome, and I love finding people like that and being able to support runners and their dreams and goals."

Hanes added that the move represents the essence of the event.

"Which makes this race super hometown-y and super local and so to do this 12 Days of Wishes program and really support families like Camille means a lot to us," he said.

Camille plans to finish the race with her family - and her message is clear.

"People with Down syndrome, they can do it, they are very capable of great things just the same as everybody else," she said.

(04/24/2019) Views: 2,126 ⚡AMP
by Christelle Koumoue

American distance star Jordan Hasay is prepping for the Boston Marathon as she wins the Shamrock 15K run in Portland

With picture perfect weather 20,000 runners and walkers turned the City of Roses green as they celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at Shamrock Run Portland, Oregon’s largest running event, and one of the largest races of its kind on the West Coast.

American distance running star and Portland local Jordan Hasay won the women’s 15k in 51:34. Hasay, who is prepping for the April 15 Boston Marathon, is healthy again after withdrawing from her last two marathons due to injury.

“It was nice to have a little fun out there today,” said Hasay, the second fastest female marathoner in U.S. history. “I felt great and it was a nice hard effort. The 15k course has a few hills that were a perfect simulation for Boston and it’s always a huge honor to break the tape in your hometown race.”

Not to be overshadowed in the 15k, Scottish Olympian Andrew Lemoncello won the men’s race (48:28) for his second victory of the day, having out kicked Tate Schienbein in a sprint finish in the 5k just an hour earlier. Schienbein prevailed in the men’s 8k, clocking 24:15 for the 4.97-mile distance.

“I wouldn’t normally do two races in one day, so this was a great opportunity,” said Lemoncello, who recently moved to Portland. “The thing with Oregon you usually get to make excuses about races because of the conditions, but there are absolutely no excuses today, it was the most perfect weather you could have. It was a fantastic day.”

Canadian Olympian Malindi Elmore was the women’s winner in the 8k. Second place went to Lindsey Scherf (27:51) and Portland’s Tara Welling, a two-time event champion and co-founder of RunDoyen Coaching, finished in third (27:57).

“It’s a whole new perspective after having a baby, out there having the time to myself and I probably got a little carried away and ran harder than I expected,” said Welling, a two-time National Champion running her first race since having a baby two months ago. “This race is awesome just being in Portland we have a lot of good women and men runners and I knew it was going to be a tough field, but it was a lot of fun to be out here again.”

In the half-marathon event, husband-and-wife duo Jesse Thomas and Lauren Fleshman emerged victorious in their races. Thomas, a professional Triathlete, broke away from a large pack to win with a time of 1:08:06. Fleshman, a two-time U.S. 5,000m champion, was the first woman to cross the finish line in 1:21:44.

“I had no idea what to expect as this was the first “running only” race I’ve done in 8 years,” said Thomas, who is training for the Eugene Marathon in April. “We had an awesome pack for the first six miles and I just tried to tuck in with the guys. For Portland, Oregon in the middle of March the weather was unbelievable and I really liked the course, with the out and back by all the spectators and then sharing the road with the 15k runners cheering for you. It was great and you’re always happy when you have a good day.”

(03/19/2019) Views: 1,833 ⚡AMP

The Eugene Marathon is changing courses for 2019, with a new finish line and a new stadium experience

Now the marathon and half-marathon will start just outside Autzen Stadium on Leo Harris Parkway, and end inside the stadium with the finish at the 50-yard line.

With race organizers unveiling necessary changes to its long-established course because of the renovation of Hayward Field, which had been the location of the start and finish line.

“Once Hayward was gone, our dream course was Autzen,” race director Richard Maher said. “We didn’t want it anywhere else.”

Of course, moving the start and finish to the other side of the Willamette River forced some reshaping of the 26.2-mile marathon course and the 13.1-mile half-marathon course.

The race will now go from Autzen to the Ferry Street Bridge, crossing in the northbound lanes into downtown where it will weave from Seventh Avenue to Eighth Avenue before heading south on Willamette Street to 13th Avenue and east to Agate Street where it will pick up its former pattern to south Eugene and back.

The early portion of the race through downtown is a highlight for race organizers, who envision sidewalks lined with spectators on race morning. It also means closing down some streets typically busy with traffic, though maybe not so much on an early Sunday morning.

“A marathon is going to be disruptive to a community; hopefully it’s a good disruption,” assistant race director Ian Dobson said. “When you look at that course, it’s really designed with two things in mind: It’s going to be cool for runners and also, it doesn’t land lock big chunks of the community.

“We have to get from the north side of the river to the south side of town and back. There’s only so many places you can cross and there’s only so many places that can handle the volume, especially at the beginning.”

The racers will return to the north side by crossing the Autzen Footbridge, with the half-marathoners heading back to the stadium and the marathoners completing the second half of the race on the bike path, though the course no longer goes into Springfield.

Runners will enter Autzen Stadium on the east side, go down the tunnel through the end zone and finish at midfield.

The Finish Line Festival, previously held on the turf fields behind Hayward Field, will be on the south concourse of Autzen.

Maher said despite the changes, the course will still maintain its reputation as being flat, fast and the perfect race for those trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

(03/07/2019) Views: 2,052 ⚡AMP

The Eugene Marathon is changing it´s course for 2019

The Eugene Marathon is changing course for 2019, with a new route, a new finish line and a new stadium experience. Registration opened Wednesday for the 13th annual race scheduled for Sunday, April 28, 2019 with race organizers unveiling necessary changes to its long-established course because of the renovation of Hayward Field, which had been the location of the start and finish line. Now the marathon and half-marathon will start just outside Autzen Stadium on Leo Harris Parkway, and end inside the stadium with the finish at the 50-yard line. “Once Hayward was gone, our dream course was Autzen,” race director Richard Maher said. “We didn’t want it anywhere else.” Of course, moving the start and finish to the other side of the Willamette River forced some reshaping of the 26.2-mile marathon course and the 13.1-mile half-marathon course. The race will now go from Autzen to the Ferry Street Bridge, crossing in the northbound lanes into downtown where it will weave from Seventh Avenue to Eighth Avenue before heading south on Willamette Street to 13th Avenue and east to Agate Street where it will pick up its former pattern to south Eugene and back. The early portion of the race through downtown is a highlight for race organizers, who envision sidewalks lined with spectators on race morning. It also means closing down some streets typically busy with traffic, though maybe not so much on an early Sunday morning. “A marathon is going to be disruptive to a community; hopefully it’s a good disruption,” assistant race director Ian Dobson said. “When you look at that course, it’s really designed with two things in mind: It’s going to be cool for runners and also, it doesn’t land lock big chunks of the community. (08/16/2018) Views: 1,674 ⚡AMP

Justin Gallegos has cerebral palsy and completed a half marathon but it was not easy

For many with cerebral palsy, the mere thought of running, let alone running a half marathon, would seem like an impossible dream. However, for Justin Gallegos, that dream became a reality on April 29 as he crossed the finish line at the 2018 Eugene Half Marathon in Eugene, Oregon. A huge NASCAR fan, Gallegos grew up idolizing Dale Earnhardt Jr. However, he could only dream of racing around the track and competing as an athlete. As a child, he had to use a walker to assist him until he was in kindergarten, and he went through years of physical therapy to straighten his gait. Little did he know that he would one day be competing on a race track of his own, in custom-made Nike running shoes. Gallegos, 20, was born with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that affects muscle coordination and body movement. For Gallegos, while he is able to walk and even run, his path to become one of the few able-bodied people with cerebral palsy to complete a half marathon certainly did not come easily. (05/17/2018) Views: 1,756 ⚡AMP

Kate Landau win's Eugene Marathon after being forced to drop out of Boston

Two weeks after hypothermia forced her to drop out of the Boston Marathon, Tacoma's Kate Landau added another big win to her resume. Landau, 41, won the Eugene Marathon on Sunday morning in a personal-best time of 2 hours, 35 minutes, 44 seconds. Her time was the second best for a woman in the 12-year history of the event.  She beat the second-place woman (Becki Spellman of Ohio) by more than six minutes. Only six of the more than 800 male runners were faster than Landau. Landau's time earned the top qualifying standard for the 2020 Olympic Trials in Atlanta.  Eugene's historic Hayward Field seemed like a fitting place for Landau to accomplish this goal. It was there in 1996, that she finished second in the 10,000-meter race and sixth in the 5,000 at the NCAA championships while running for Georgetown. She went on to compete at the trials for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.  (04/30/2018) Views: 2,764 ⚡AMP

Shaluinn Fullove is running the Eugene Marathon not letting a double mastectomy get in her way

Shaluinn Fullove has been running competitively since she was five years old. After growing up in Los Angeles, she became an athlete at Stanford University, where she ran three cross country races during the 1996 NCAA Championships before graduating with an American studies degree in 2000 and landing a job at Google in 2002. Today, Fullove still works in human resources for Google in Palo Alto, California, where she lives with her husband and daughter. The past few years have tested Fullove’s commitment and perseverance. In 2017, she underwent a double mastectomy, followed by a breast reconstruction surgery. Between the two procedures, her dad and aunt both passed away. “Running is always the common thread — it is always the thing you can come back to. It’s an anchor…” said Fullove. The pain from that season of life was sharp, but it didn’t extinguish her drive. Fullove is planning to run the Eugene Marathon on April 29. She has embraced the difference that her new shape and circumstances bring, and she admits that her training cycle this time around has been different. In 2008, she qualified for the Olympic Trials as a way to prove to herself that she had beat thyroid cancer. Though she has the potential to qualify again, her focus has shifted this year. She said this race is a celebration of her ability to rebuild and condition her body to withstand the rigorous workouts that are required when training for a marathon. “To define success for the Eugene Marathon so narrowly to the Olympic Qualifier, I think that would be a missed opportunity,” she said. (04/23/2018) Views: 1,902 ⚡AMP

It´s Not Too Late To Get Running for Eugene Marathon Weekend

Runners will be flooding the streets of Eugene and Springfield in late April, taking part in the Eugene Marathon weekend. It's not too late to start training for this year's races, especially the 5K or even half marathon. The Eugene Marathon is less than three months away. The three distances to choose from in this year’s race weekend are 26.2 miles, 13.1 miles, or 3.1 miles. "The half-marathon or 5k is still a great option for people that have some experience with running or walking but that hasn’t officially started a training program yet,” says assistant race director Ian Dobson. (02/17/2018) Views: 2,035 ⚡AMP

Nick Symmonds Next Marathon Will Be Eugene

Nick Symmonds posted this on twitter today. He has been a world class track runner and decided to run one marathon. That was his plan until he just missed breaking three hours in Honolulu. He wrote, "I will race the Eugene Marathon, finishing at one of my favorite places in the world, Hayward Field. My goal is to break 3 hours and, if successful, it will likely be the last race I ever run. I hope to see you all there for one last party!" (01/19/2018) Views: 1,630 ⚡AMP