4/5 Stars

Tough, super early start; had to get up at 2:00 am to be at the bus stop at 3:15 am

No, course was not as much down-hill as other Revels.

Start and first 6 miles were great, but once on road 26, scenery was nice, but traffic passing by at 40-55 miles an hours, just a few feet away, was scary; ended up with sore throat from the fumes of the vehicles.

Not much; missed down down-hill training and I could feel the difference.

Train down-hill!

Found new restaurants, visited water falls and local spots in downtown Portland.

5/5 Stars

Great organization, so much bettter experience running a small marathon compared to the much bigger races I’ve done in the past. Volunteers were great and all the extras (hat, blanket, gloves, iced towels) were a nice surprise. I would probably trade the pizza for more fruit at the finish.

I set a PR by 7 minutes off a marathon 8 years ago. Still got a ways to go before a BQ.

The course was beautiful for the first 15 miles with a very fast slope. The last 10 flattened out and were a lot more work with less scenery along the highway.

I did most of my training on smaller slopes, 1-2% grades and occasionally hitting a 6% grade hill for downhill repeats. I think I need to focus more on the downhill training as my legs gave up after 19 miles when the course leveled out. I’ll probably do more strength work on the quads and calves too.

We stayed at the timberline lodge which made getting to the start super easy and low stress. Weather was a bit warmer than ideal, even the start was in the 50s, hopefully cooler next time.

Visited the Pacific Northwest in the days after the marathon. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to do much hiking or even walking in the days after, so don’t plan to be as active as usual.

4/5 Stars

I was worried about the heat. Fortunately, I was able to get into the first wave. Beautiful course. Fav part was around Government Camp, where the temp was coolest and the grade was not steep, but still had a downhill feel; plus very shaded. The last 8 miles were the most difficult, since there was more rolling terrain and the sun started beating down.

My wife took the bus from Sandy HS to meet me at the finish, and she said it was a nitemare, due to the fact that she was stuck for 20 minutes(?) and was afraid she would miss me finishing. People on the bus were very upset over this. Perhaps allowing people to get off the bus and proceed on foot might fix this?

Yes. Beat my PR by two minutes. 4th BQ attempt and it was successful, with a 7:30 spare.

Steep at parts, but not as steep as the Big Cottonwood. After about mile 16, my perception was that it was not really downhill, but flat to up. According to the course profile, it should have felt downhill the whole way, but perception is reality, right?

I did the advanced Hanson's training program. Highly recommend it- I came into the race injury-free.

Incorporate downhill training

We stayed at the Timberline Lodge, which made getting to the start quite easy. We travelled from Roanoke, VA.

5/5 Stars

Favorite memories: Hearing my name announced as I approached the finish line. Meeting other runners on the course, and having friendly conversations. Having 2 of my best friends on the course with me. Volunteers and other spectators cheering for me. The amazing scenery. The sandwich boards - I LOVED reading those along the way - very inspiring! All runners gathered in the field was pretty awesome, and walking to the start together.

Yes, but my first half was 14.2 miles around Timothy Lake (Timberline Half), and it took 3:44... so that wasn't really tough to beat considering I actually trained this time. I finished the Revel Half in 2:19.

This course was gorgeous. I ran the half marathon and loved that I was basically on a road in a forest the whole time. Trees, rivers, clean mountain air - AMAZING. I read the course preview several times, which really helped me along the way - I knew where I was, and what was coming up. The only downside to the course was running along the open highway, but it was only for 2 miles, and I felt pretty safe (even though it was all uphill). I loved that there were so many water/powerade/potty stations. I didn't have to carry anything during the race, and I wasn't stressed about it at all, knowing all I needed would be available every 2 miles. The grade was awesome for me - 900 ft elevation drop over the entire 13.1 miles. I could tell when I was running downhill, but it wasn't extreme, so it was quite comfortable on the knees.

I'm not a runner, so I started my training in Jan. on a treadmill just to get up to a 3 mile run. Then I began training on pavement outside, using Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Novice 1 Training Guide, which worked very well for me. I read all the Revel Race info that was emailed to me, which really prepared me for the course. I also appreciated the downhill training advice and course preview by coach Paul. My advice: pay attention to the course preview, so you remember it during the race.

Read all the information that Revel emails you - it's worth your time. I stress out about the unknown, but Revel is so professional and detailed, that I really found myself a lot more relaxed on race day than I thought I'd be. I felt totally prepared from my training, but also from all the information Revel provided about the race beforehand.

My friends and I drove up from Vancouver WA, and rented a condo so that we could enjoy a full day after the race together. We took advantage of the pool/jacuzzi after the race, ate lunch at the Ratskeller in Government Camp, visited Timberline Lodge where we enjoyed more grub at the Blue Ox Bar, and walked around the grounds for killer views of Mt. Hood and the surrounding valley.

5/5 Stars

I loved the full moon.

I ran 1:35:00 the first week in April of 2017 and the following weekend I ran 1:35:15. At the Revel Mt Hood I ran 1:41:01.

Scenic, beautiful.

I run 60-70 miles s week. Tempo and speed workouts once a week. Strength training twice a week. I am permanently disabled with frontal brain damage and have inner ear damage. So for me to run down hill is extra challenging. I had trouble with balance and vertigo but it was worth it.

Live in Damascus.

5/5 Stars

Getting on the bus at 2:30am and how beautiful the race course was. I also enjoyed how important Revel made each racer feel. By cheering everyone in and the after race support of towels, drinks and food options.

Yes
by 17 minuets
Did half not full

Beautifull- I guess there was snakes on the road which if I would have noticed would have freaked me out. But the views where so beautiful my head never looked down!

I didn’t really train beyong my normal Orangetheory workouts. I did run twice a 2.5 mile downhill run to test my speed and is was more then I normally train for a half marathon.

Since I have never trained for a race I don’t think I wouod be a good person to give advise.
Maybe I would tell a future runner to buy the sponsored earbuds they worked great!

Since I’m from Alaska, I had to go shopping at Kate Spades for my daughters, son’s girlfriend and my sister.. lol

5/5 Stars

It was a good race, the last couple of miles was tough maybe because it was along the highway.

No, but I did well.

Awesome, I took some pics & my friend is interested especially because it was near to full moon.

I am a walker & I train all year, some long miles & some short. However, I had climbed Mt Kilimanjaro about two weeks before this race.

Train, train, train!! Develop good training skills including a water bottle & simple first aid with your training.

I took pictures of the surroundings.

5/5 Stars

Incredible. PR. Great course and great swag

Yes. 8 minutes. First sub 3!

The grade was really perfect. Starting off fast but able to handle the constant downhill after that

I thought I should have trained better adding to the shock of the PR

I know you are supposed to take it easy on the first downhill but why not go all out and conquer your goals?

Went to Bridgeport Brewing Company

5/5 Stars

The scenery of the Oregon/Washington Cascades was amazing. I have run two Revel races now and the backgrounds are like nothing back East where I live. I also have enjoyed talking to different people from all around (CO, CA, WA) and getting a chance to share the experience.

I did not but I did BQ (barely). I was off my PR by 47 seconds, so pretty close.

Super fast and scenic for the first fifteen miles and then more challenging for the last ten or eleven for two reasons - rolling hills and some heat related to the sun.

I followed the "Run Less, Run Faster" (Pierce, Murr, Moss) method which worked pretty well in that I avoided injury for the first time in a few years. I would recommend it for anyone who has battled through some injuries. I felt like I was in great shape for the race. I did not do any specific downhill prep other than running in a hilly part of Massachusetts. I definitely did not experience anything like the first fifteen miles.

Revel organizes uniquely cool and great races, at least the two I've done (Canyon City and Mt. Hood). Be prepared for a long bus ride but that's not uncommon in point-to-point marathons and is a good way to talk to someone new. Try to prepare for the downhill and/or get ready for some tough stair climbs/descents for the next few days.

We came in from near Worcester, MA and stayed in Downtown Portland which I could not recommend more highly. Great city. We also took a side trip to the Oregon coast which is breathtaking in its beauty. Loved the experience.

5/5 Stars

The race day was great and the morning sunrise right before the first wave took off set the mood. I know it was tough on the race directors to keep us quiet and I know they put on the best event possible. Some reviewers are complaining about having an open course and my thoughts are if Hood to Coast is an open course with 18x more runners include very elite runners. I think Revel did its best and knew what it was doing. Was it flawless probably not but it does not mean it was not a well organized event. I appreciated the volunteers and felt safe the entire time.

Yes, I did but I am in the correct training mode and have really improved rapidly. My biggest advice to runners is trust your training.

The scenery was beautiful. The course was great. Tough at the end but perfect. As much as I love downhill the hills at the end made honest runners out of all of us.

60 miles a week with 20 mile long runs. Ideally for serious marathoners we should do more like 80-90 mile weeks but make sure to listen to your body. Downhill running also takes technique and practice. Add in some hills on your runs to strengthen the thighs.

We are racing from high elevation to low. Similar to some complaints about the course the weather was predictable. Treat it like an April race, warm cloth to warm up and racing close at the start line. For others read the email and instructions provided by Revel. Many non-course complaints could be resolved if you read everything Revel provided.

OMSI, Food... Food... and More Food.