Vernonia Marathon

Ran ORCC Vernonia Marathon this past Sunday 4/14, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this race. Despite being small, only a couple hundred competitors, it was well organized and the course was easy to follow, well marked, and pretty quick. The weather looked like it might give us trouble, but after a little light rain at the start, it was cool, cloudy, and dry the rest of the way and made for a fast day overall. The aid stations were adequate, and crowd support was sparse, limited to just the trailheads along the river trail, but if you're looking to get away from the majors and other large marathons where you're dodging thousands of people, Vernonia might be a great option. Definitely one of my favorite smaller marathons ever.

What a lovely race! Small field (appx 200), run almost completely on a paved trail through the woods. Beautiful scenery. Perfect weather. Buses to the start with plenty of amenities, hot coffee, and a bag drop. Favorable elevation profile, especially considering the hilly area. A steep downhill and then uphill right at the half, but almost the entire second half of the race is flat or gradual downhill. Minimal spectators, but no matter. Trailheads made it easy for those who wanted to spectate to do so. Excellent aid stations that were fully stocked with water, gatorade, snacks, and Gu. Finish at the high school track with hot soup and a raffle for homemade pies. Excellent race organization. If I hadn't traveled halfway across the country, I would definitely be running this again!

My thrid time and I still love this run. Miles 14-18, or so, are so beautiful its like you are in a wilderness. I highly recommend this for 50 Staters as your Oregon run. It really highlights our wooded beauty. This was run like clockwork. Love the finish, the hot soup, the nice medal, and the friendly runners. I'll be back!