You start and finish at Waterfront Park, at Naito Parkway and Salmon Street, with the Willamette River right beside you. The loop course crosses that river four times on Portland's bridges, which is where the day's character comes from: the bends of each bridge deck, then a settling back into neighborhood streets through downtown, the Pearl District and Eastmoreland. The one real climb comes at Reed College, and reviewers note the many turns and bridge transitions, so run the tangents. The course tops out around 178 feet above sea level and finishes only 36 feet above it, which is why it draws Boston hopefuls. This race dates to 1972, when 86 runners started on Sauvie Island, and 2026 saw nearly 15,000 people across all events. October in Portland can be damp, so pack a throwaway layer for the corral.
A loop from Waterfront Park at Naito Parkway and Salmon Street with four Willamette River bridge crossings, a climb at Reed College, and many neighborhood turns through downtown, the Pearl District and Eastmoreland; start and finish sit 36 feet above sea level with a 178-foot high point.
As of 2026-10-13 the official site showed a countdown of about 20 days until Early Access opens (so roughly early November 2026); Early Access is capped at 799 entries starting from $55, 48 hours before general registration, and 2026 finishers get 'Super Early Access'. All fees are nonrefundable and non-transferable. Register ↗
- The first Portland Marathon in 1972 was held on Sauvie Island with 86 participants. ↗
- Brooksee (the REVEL series producer) took over management in January 2019 after the city issued an RFP, introducing an entirely revised route. ↗
- The 54th running on Oct 4, 2026 drew nearly 15,000 participants, the most ever; Connor Ford won in 2:27:17 in his first marathon and Margaret Glad won the women's race in 2:52:42. ↗
- The course crosses the Willamette four times and is USATF-certified and a Boston qualifier. ↗
- Course records are 2:17:21 (Uli Steidl, 1997) and 2:36:40 (Hiromi Yokoyama, 1991). ↗
Checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.