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☰
Crater Lake Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Crater Lake Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.6 
Organization 3.6 
Spectators 2.6
Number of comments: 51 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
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J. C. from Oregon
(8/27/2011)
"Very challenging & breath taking (in many ways)" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Like many of the other posts clearly say, you will likely not PR here, it's a challenging 26.2 miles, between the elevation and the hills. But the views are worth the suffering. I recently moved to southern Oregon, so am just starting to enjoy the beauty of this part of the country, and Crater Lake is among the most spectacular places I've been. There was still snow around the road (even in august) and it was actually cold at the start (in the best of ways). The volunteers were great. The only suggestion I would make is put a few more bathrooms (although I understand the logistics may be difficult). Otherwise, I give this race the highest of marks and STRONGLY recommend everyone that is thinking about it run it. I know I'll be back next year (with hopes of beating my time from this year). | |
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N. D. from Sacramento
(8/25/2011)
"Awesome course that is truly majestic!" (about: 2011)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 If you are looking for a PR, this is not for you. I had also never camped prior to a marathon but I was surprisingly well rested. This course is tough but the view is worth it. Sure, you are running on the highway going around CL and at times, you will not be able to see it, but to the smell of the trees, the fresh air, and the changing scenery are well worth it. The spur out of Cloudcap was breath taking and not all due to the elevation. Volunteers are great. I felt like I was an Olympic champion. They even thanked me for running so they could be outside helping! A bit more description about how family can meet you would be helpful but otherwise a well run event. I loved the no frill! At the end of the race - soda, watermelon (super yummy), and bagel/cream cheese. Perfect for the day and recovery. I gave the spectators a 5 because in this event the spectators are the myrid of trees, the birds, squirrels, and of course the random road bike guy who is loving the course with one way traffic. No need for bands every mile. A huge SHOUT out to the NPS for allowing this. Thanks! I don't care about the quality of the medal or the shirt - I got to run around Crater Lake! I would do this event again. | |
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Lou Karl from Cleveland, OH
(8/21/2011)
"One of the most scenic marathons you will ever run" (about: 2011)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 You will not run a PR here and you won't see people lining the course, but if you want to run a highly challenging and incredibly scenic marathon, this one should be high on your list. The race starts at 7400 feet and, although there is a net elevation drop of some 1500 feet, you will climb over 3500 feet along the way! Just when you think you have crested the last of the hills and are enjoying the downhill from 15 to 22, there is one last 2 mile climb on sandy trails to test your meddle. The volunteers are awesome and race director Bob runs this as a low key, friendly, no frills event. | |
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Stephen ONeal from Klamath Falls, Oregon
(8/19/2011)
"Beautiful course with engaged volunteers but dated" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Crater Lake Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 My wife and I ran the marathon. We have run all the events twice in the past seven years. The course is beautiful and very hard. Both good things in my book. Crater Lake is a marathon you can brag about and whenever you look at the profile of any other marathon it looks like a piece of cake. Volunteers were engaged and helpful. On the negative side the run seems dated. The web site gave very little useful information and was not updated. The metals were the same old cheap boring metals. No marathon souvenirs were available. When you run Crater Lake you want to commemorate the experience. People come from all over the country to have the Crater Lake Marathon experience. No race photographer! Same old cotton shirt. In general, great local race on an amazing course with wonderful volunteers but the race needs to come of age. | |
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A. K. from Boise, Idaho
(9/23/2010)
"Beauty beyond compare" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Having lived in Oregon most of my life, I have visited Crater Lake many times but I have never driven around the rim. This race gave me the opportunity to view the lake in all its majesty at a slow, leisurely pace. The magnificent views took the pain away and I ran with a smile on my face the entire way. I went into the race knowing it may be the toughest marathon I will ever run, so I took my camera and stopped to take pictures along the way. I finished 30 minutes ahead of my goal and I will recommend this marathon to every runner I meet. I've checked this one off of my "bucket list"; I hope you do too. Definitely worth doing more than once. | |
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Mike Knap from Corvallis, Oregon
(8/17/2010)
"Tough, Beautiful and Satisfying" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 After getting into running only a year before this race, I had been looking forward to running this marathon since this is basically my "hometown" marathon. Last time I visited Crater Lake was when I was 6, so seeing the park at 24 allowed me to understand how beautiful the place is. Only downside is the lack of food/energy GU shots at the aid stations. Most people may not know this but with the weekend that this marathon falls on the Perseid meteor shower is in full effect. This made for a nice drive into the park seeing some meteors overheard. This was my toughest marathon so far, especially the 2.2-mile climb before turning back to the finish. But this marathon was also the most satisfying when I finished. | |
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t. p. from california
(10/7/2009)
"GORGEOUS and tough" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The course was tough and absolutely beautiful. There were not many spectators, but that made it even more of a treat, as we ran as pure runners. The medal is simple and plain, and the shirt is good. It has some of the best views of any marathon.... | |
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B. M. from California
(5/6/2009)
"Great destination marathon event!" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I absolutely loved this marathon! Wow, a tough course but a great, scenic and spiritual experience that I will never forget! The course has lots of views of Crater Lake along the rim. Smoke from the extreme Northern California fires this year blew up to Oregon and Crater Lake. I was amazed how thick the smoke was when I drove through Oregon to Crater Lake from San Francisco the day before the race. It was so thick that you could hardly see Crater Lake at the rim the night before the race. Runners were so lucky that the wind shifted the night before the race, and by morning it was hazy but not really bad. There were lots of views from the rim that were awesome! This was a marathon that I wanted to do for the past ten years and I was so thrilled to cross the finish line. The volunteers were extremely enthusiastic and the opportunity to run through a gorgeous national park and the roads completely closed to traffic is an experience I will never forget. The butterfly migration was incredible. Kudos to the organizers and the National Park Service for allowing a group of runners to enjoy such a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The director of the race was awesome. If you want a pure marathon experience, this is a must-do - at least once! You will not regret it! Train hard and go for it! | |
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E. R. from New Jersey
(9/8/2008)
"Run it for the destination, not the course" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I will start off by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of this race, and although I was disappointed by the layout of course itself, I still think this is worth the trip. While you may be envisioning a grand tour of the crater rim, with unending views of blue lake and sky, for the most part there are only a few (although extremely breathtaking) quality views of the lake. The rest of the course is run down often heavily-wooded service roads in the National Park. In addition, these roads have serious sharp-angled embankments at times, to the point where you feel like your one foot is a few inches lower than your other. You cannot prepare yourself for the experience of running up the midpoint and 22 mile hills, even if you think you know what you're getting yourself into. They're TOUGH, but you'll find a way through it if you've come all this way.... There are very few spectators, so don't count on that. Water stations are readily available and miles are clearly marked, although I am certain a few were out of place. So with all that said, here's why I still think this is a great race to run: - The organization is well done, and the volunteers clearly take pride in offering a good race experience. - Not every course should be a chance for a PR. We flatland-loving marathoners need a good slap in the face once in a while to keep us humble, while reminding us what a special thing it is we're doing. - If you're going to have only a day in your life Oregon, then this is the one place I think you should be. It is a fantastic national park and an amazing site to see. We spent several hours touring the crater rim after the race was over, and the views were much better in the afternoon than in the morning, due to the early morning haze. - A small crowd of runners that enjoy - wait for it - running! No one shows up to this thing for the fancy medal or the t-shirt. This was my Oregon race for my 50-states goal and I would recommend it as everyone's. If you don't mind a six- or seven-hour drive the day before and after, you can spend time in Portland or San Fran too.... | |
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S. C. from OFallon, IL
(8/12/2008)
"Vacation Marathon" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Great marathon to bring the family along and see the sites. It's a small marathon (about 100 people in the full marathon, 400 more in the accompanying 13- or 6.7-mile races). Things to note: each of the 3 races share a start line but have separate finish areas and it's tough if not impossible for someone running the 6.7 or 13 to run and then go over to see the marathon finish. All of the 6.7 and 13 milers are on paved roads, and only the last 4 of the marathon are on dirt. You're bused to the start and from the finish back to one of the two villages. Finish line for marathon was in a campground with very few spectators and just warm water, Gatorade, and watermelon. After the marathon you have to stand around and wait for a bus to fill up to leave, which can be a long wait. There is no expo or check-in - they mail you your number and give shirts at the finish. The medal is pretty cheap/unattractive. The course is tough. The elevation, 5800 to 7800 feet, is noticeable but still allows you to run. The hills are brutal. The first 8 miles aren't bad, but after that there's a 6-mile-long hill. It's not overly steep, but it goes on endlessly and really saps your strength. There are some steep downhills after that and you can get moving pretty well if your legs will allow. The last 4 miles are an out and back on a dirt road - 2 miles up, and 2 miles down a winding, somewhat steep hill. It's a real sole-crusher. The weather is usually cool and dry. I recommend this marathon for the scenery, relaxed atmosphere, and challenge. If you're looking for a fast course and spectators, you won't find that here. |
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