Portland Marathon

The Portland Marathon has been run through the streets of Portland, Oregon, since 1972. It is held on the first Sunday of October, and it starts and finishes in Waterfront Park beside the Willamette River, under the start arch on Salmon Street. The weekend also offers a half marathon, a 10K and a one-mile kids' run. The 2026 edition drew nearly 15,000 participants, the largest field in the event's history. The marathon course crosses the Willamette four times. It runs through Downtown, Old Town, the Pearl District and the Rose Quarter, then heads into the Sellwood-Moreland, Eastmoreland and Brooklyn neighborhoods on the east side. The best-known test is the climb past Reed College. The course is USATF-certified, so finishing times count as Boston Marathon qualifiers. The half marathon starts at 7:00 a.m., and the marathon and 10K follow at 7:15 a.m. Marathoners have 6 hours 33 minutes to finish, a pace of 15 minutes per mile, counted from when the last runner crosses the start. Aid stations sit every two miles from mile 3 to mile 15 and then every mile to the finish, 18 in all. Packet pickup is at the expo at the Oregon Convention Center the day before the race. There is no pickup on race morning, and runners need photo ID to collect a bib. Portland International Airport is about 11 miles from the start, and MAX Light Rail, the Portland Streetcar and Biketown bike share serve the area, so most visitors manage without a car.