Portland, OR · October
Portland Marathon Training Plan
A free 10k, half marathon, and marathon plan for the Portland Marathon, built around the course and your current fitness. Answer four questions and you will see every week of it. No account, no email, no card.
- Distances
- 10K, Half marathon, Marathon
- Course
- Rolling
- Usually held
- Each October
The Portland Marathon course
Rebuilt in recent years around downtown Portland and the Willamette waterfront, starting and finishing on Naito Parkway and taking in four bridge crossings. Those bridges supply most of the elevation change; the profile is mild by West Coast standards. The race is better known for the atmosphere and the reliably cool weather than for anything the course demands.
Weather on race day
Early October in Portland is usually in the 40s at the start and the 50s or low 60s by the finish, with a real chance of rain. Cool and damp is the normal case and is very good marathon weather.
What to train for
Standard marathon aerobic development, plus bridge grades. Nothing on this course requires specialised terrain work, so the build should be about weekly volume and long runs with goal-pace segments. Practise running in rain rather than moving those sessions indoors.
Registration and official details: Portland Marathon official site
Portland Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Portland Marathon?
Most runners give a marathon sixteen to twenty weeks of focused training on top of an existing base. The plan above counts back from your actual race date, so if you have less time than that it builds the best plan the remaining weeks allow rather than pretending you have longer.
Is the Portland Marathon course hilly?
Rolling. Rebuilt in recent years around downtown Portland and the Willamette waterfront, starting and finishing on Naito Parkway and taking in four bridge crossings. Those bridges supply most of the elevation change; the profile is mild by West Coast standards. The race is better known for the atmosphere and the reliably cool weather than for anything the course demands.
What is the weather usually like at the Portland Marathon?
Early October in Portland is usually in the 40s at the start and the 50s or low 60s by the finish, with a real chance of rain. Cool and damp is the normal case and is very good marathon weather.
Do I need an account to get a Portland Marathon training plan?
No. The plan above builds in your browser with no account, no email, and no card. Make a free account only if you want to keep it, log your runs against it, and have the coach keep adapting it as your training goes.
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