Site Map

Nov 4, 2024

☰

Premium Listings

Verified Accounts

Free Race Organizer Account

Become An Advertiser

Marathon Details - Boring Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > OR > Boring > Boring Marathon

Boring Marathon

Boring Marathon & Half Marathon, 8K

Boring, OR USA

September 15, 2024

http://www.boringmarathon.com

News

Marathon Results

By Year:

2024 2023 2021 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 Top 3 Finishers

Race Details

Marathon, half marathon, and 8K to benefit Barlow HS track and cross country teams. Races run on Springwater Trail

Contact Information

Name:	Mike Strobel
Address:	25115 SE Treehill Lane Damascus, OR 97089
Phone Number:	971-255-9801
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (9)

Course 4.0

Organization 4.8

Spectators 3.4

Write a review

Number of comments: 9

Kirk Stafford from Portland, Oregon (10/1/2019) "Anything but..." (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Boring Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Named after one of the founding fathers of the unincorporated community (William Harrison Boring), the locals make a lot of hay out of the weird name of the place. But the run was anything but boring. About an hour after the gun went off, the heavens opened up and man did it rain! The volunteers at the stations were ready for it, and did a good job keeping our spirits up. The route was mostly along a pleasant bike path with minimal interaction with cars. Although I was among the last to come in, there were dozens of people at the finish line, cheering me on and giving me high-fives. For people like me who love small-town marathons, this one is highly recommended.
Nick Bromell from Gresham, OR (9/22/2018) "Keeping it Boring" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Boring Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This race does a great job of taking advantage of the Springwater and Gresham/Fairview Trail. The medals have always been nice, but they really stepped up their game this year. It's an amazing value for a small town event. Highly recommend for those who love the run and can do without the hassles of a crowd.
T. K. from Cincinnati, OH (9/21/2016) "Hills Keep Boring Marathon from Being Boring!" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Boring Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Top 10 Reasons to Run the Boring Marathon 10) The volunteer at mile 23 who shouted, Youre on fire! when in actuality, I was in survival shuffle mode 9) Experiencing part of the Hood to Coast (H2C) route without having to enter H2C (2 legs of the H2C route partly comprise the Boring marathon route) 8) Race director cheering runners as they crossed the Finish Line 7) 6:30AM start youll have a full day ahead of you after finishing the race 6) Enjoying the solitude of the true running experience there will be times along this course that you will be alone (but never lost) 5) The two out and back hilly spurs off the main flat bike path route keep the race from being boring. 4) Successfully avoiding the 26 mile long minefield of slugs that had made their way on the bike path on the rainy day before the race (didn't squish a one!) 3) The best race website ever 2) Trying to understand the peculiar goat theme of the race 1) According to my wife, this packet pickup is the best of all the packet pickups ever attended discounted beer at the adjacent Boring Brewing Company
N. B. from Gresham, OR (9/28/2015) "Peaceful, fun race" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Boring Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 A wonderful course that takes advantage of the Springwater Trail. This is a great race if you enjoy quiet runs and don't need lots of spectators. The small scale makes it very low-key and friendly. The medal was amazing for such a modest event. The 50k was a nice addition.
J. K. from Ohio (9/16/2015) "Great relaxed race for 50 Staters" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Boring Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Race Director does a great job hosting a nice well run race. Volunteers are wonderful. Running most of the race on a paved trailhead. Quality Inn in Gresham works very well
E. S. from Rockford, Illinois (9/16/2014) "A great well planned marathon." (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 A great surprise marathon. I liked the marathon part of the course on the trail after the half-marathon turn around. The volunteers were great and sympathetic to runners.
David Thomas from Santa Cruz, CA (9/16/2014) "Fun,well organized marathon with community support" (about: 2014) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Boring Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was the inaugural Boring Marathon and boy did it over deliver! It's clear that Mike Strobel packaged up all the great experiences from his own races over the years and put them into the Boring Marathon. I was glad I traveled out of state to participate and plan to return esp if they do a 50k ultra :) I participated in the weekend double marathon (HaggHybrid + Boring). Marketing the two events is was what lured me to travel and experience the Boring race. And earning a growler of beer for running 2 marathons - awesome prize! Support: The volunteer support was over the top. Along the course we had members of the fire dept, police dept, high school students, and general public staffing the many aid stations and managing intersections and everyone was enthusiastic. This level of community support was special. I even had many folks in cars honking or waving in support. Highlight: Around mile 22 there was an aid station manned by 2 fire dept folks. They had a fan & mist machine setup next to a chair... something they use to cool off firefighters in full gear. WOW. Just 30sec in that chair was just what I needed to get a 3rd wind! Never seen that before! Course: Starting/finishing at the local high school track was neat. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the area by running residential streets and downtown Boring. And who can forget the epic views of Mt Hood at sunrise! The course was well marked, even had chalk on the paved trail letting others know about the event! Talk about details. Feedback: My only feedback is on the (paved) trail portion of the course. While it was probably an obvious section for gaining the marathon distance on the course with safety in mind, it felt like a long treadmill with very little changing scenery. I much preferred the residential and downtown parts for exploring Boring. So that's why I gave it a 3 stars on the course. I would have given it a 5 if it continued through the town and/or rural parts of Boring (but of course I know that creates a headache for intersection management and safety but...that's would be desired ;) I can only imagine this Marathon getting better and growing in participation year over year. I highly recommend considering this event in 2015. - Dave (Santa Cruz)
N. B. from Gresham, OR (9/16/2014) "Great rural race" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Boring Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a great alternative to the Portland Marathon in the Fall. The volunteers were amazing. The course was wonderful along the Springwater Trail. I hope they are back in 2015.
G. E. from Portland, OR (9/15/2014) "nice people, great small town event" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Boring Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Event was well organized with a friendly, small town feel. Accomidations are plentiful and close to the event since Portland International Airport is less than 30 minutes away. Weather in mid September in western Oregon is highly predictable, dry, low humidity, and cool mornings. The majority of the marathon is run on the Springwater Trial which is a multiuse running/bike path that travels from Boring to Portland. The end of the trial near Boring is new and most of the marathon portion of the trail offers aspalt and/or gravel running surfaces, your choice based on what you like. Aspalt is the main path with gravel on either side. Aid stations were well stocked and appropriately spaced, volunteers were friendly. Many of the volunteers were high school cross country and track team members out in strong support of the event. The Boring Marathon benefits local cross country and track teams. Nice way to get in a great run and provide support to young athletes! This is a small town event so parking was easy and free, no crowds at packet pickup, made for a relaxing event.



Getting ready for this event? Get a personalized adaptive training plan and 1:1 coach assistance.	Get Your Plan

Quick Links

Marathon Search
Upcoming US Marathons
Upcoming International Marathons
Search Marathon Results
Latest Running News
Recent Newsletters
Race Director Tools

Calendars

US/Canada

International

World Marathon Majors

Kirk Stafford from Portland, Oregon (10/1/2019) "Anything but..." (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Boring Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Named after one of the founding fathers of the unincorporated community (William Harrison Boring), the locals make a lot of hay out of the weird name of the place. But the run was anything but boring. About an hour after the gun went off, the heavens opened up and man did it rain! The volunteers at the stations were ready for it, and did a good job keeping our spirits up. The route was mostly along a pleasant bike path with minimal interaction with cars. Although I was among the last to come in, there were dozens of people at the finish line, cheering me on and giving me high-fives. For people like me who love small-town marathons, this one is highly recommended.
Nick Bromell from Gresham, OR (9/22/2018) "Keeping it Boring" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Boring Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This race does a great job of taking advantage of the Springwater and Gresham/Fairview Trail. The medals have always been nice, but they really stepped up their game this year. It's an amazing value for a small town event. Highly recommend for those who love the run and can do without the hassles of a crowd.
T. K. from Cincinnati, OH (9/21/2016) "Hills Keep Boring Marathon from Being Boring!" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Boring Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Top 10 Reasons to Run the Boring Marathon 10) The volunteer at mile 23 who shouted, Youre on fire! when in actuality, I was in survival shuffle mode 9) Experiencing part of the Hood to Coast (H2C) route without having to enter H2C (2 legs of the H2C route partly comprise the Boring marathon route) 8) Race director cheering runners as they crossed the Finish Line 7) 6:30AM start youll have a full day ahead of you after finishing the race 6) Enjoying the solitude of the true running experience there will be times along this course that you will be alone (but never lost) 5) The two out and back hilly spurs off the main flat bike path route keep the race from being boring. 4) Successfully avoiding the 26 mile long minefield of slugs that had made their way on the bike path on the rainy day before the race (didn't squish a one!) 3) The best race website ever 2) Trying to understand the peculiar goat theme of the race 1) According to my wife, this packet pickup is the best of all the packet pickups ever attended discounted beer at the adjacent Boring Brewing Company
N. B. from Gresham, OR (9/28/2015) "Peaceful, fun race" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Boring Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 A wonderful course that takes advantage of the Springwater Trail. This is a great race if you enjoy quiet runs and don't need lots of spectators. The small scale makes it very low-key and friendly. The medal was amazing for such a modest event. The 50k was a nice addition.
J. K. from Ohio (9/16/2015) "Great relaxed race for 50 Staters" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Boring Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Race Director does a great job hosting a nice well run race. Volunteers are wonderful. Running most of the race on a paved trailhead. Quality Inn in Gresham works very well
E. S. from Rockford, Illinois (9/16/2014) "A great well planned marathon." (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 A great surprise marathon. I liked the marathon part of the course on the trail after the half-marathon turn around. The volunteers were great and sympathetic to runners.
David Thomas from Santa Cruz, CA (9/16/2014) "Fun,well organized marathon with community support" (about: 2014) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Boring Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was the inaugural Boring Marathon and boy did it over deliver! It's clear that Mike Strobel packaged up all the great experiences from his own races over the years and put them into the Boring Marathon. I was glad I traveled out of state to participate and plan to return esp if they do a 50k ultra :) I participated in the weekend double marathon (HaggHybrid + Boring). Marketing the two events is was what lured me to travel and experience the Boring race. And earning a growler of beer for running 2 marathons - awesome prize! Support: The volunteer support was over the top. Along the course we had members of the fire dept, police dept, high school students, and general public staffing the many aid stations and managing intersections and everyone was enthusiastic. This level of community support was special. I even had many folks in cars honking or waving in support. Highlight: Around mile 22 there was an aid station manned by 2 fire dept folks. They had a fan & mist machine setup next to a chair... something they use to cool off firefighters in full gear. WOW. Just 30sec in that chair was just what I needed to get a 3rd wind! Never seen that before! Course: Starting/finishing at the local high school track was neat. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the area by running residential streets and downtown Boring. And who can forget the epic views of Mt Hood at sunrise! The course was well marked, even had chalk on the paved trail letting others know about the event! Talk about details. Feedback: My only feedback is on the (paved) trail portion of the course. While it was probably an obvious section for gaining the marathon distance on the course with safety in mind, it felt like a long treadmill with very little changing scenery. I much preferred the residential and downtown parts for exploring Boring. So that's why I gave it a 3 stars on the course. I would have given it a 5 if it continued through the town and/or rural parts of Boring (but of course I know that creates a headache for intersection management and safety but...that's would be desired ;) I can only imagine this Marathon getting better and growing in participation year over year. I highly recommend considering this event in 2015. - Dave (Santa Cruz)
N. B. from Gresham, OR (9/16/2014) "Great rural race" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Boring Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a great alternative to the Portland Marathon in the Fall. The volunteers were amazing. The course was wonderful along the Springwater Trail. I hope they are back in 2015.
G. E. from Portland, OR (9/15/2014) "nice people, great small town event" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Boring Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Event was well organized with a friendly, small town feel. Accomidations are plentiful and close to the event since Portland International Airport is less than 30 minutes away. Weather in mid September in western Oregon is highly predictable, dry, low humidity, and cool mornings. The majority of the marathon is run on the Springwater Trial which is a multiuse running/bike path that travels from Boring to Portland. The end of the trial near Boring is new and most of the marathon portion of the trail offers aspalt and/or gravel running surfaces, your choice based on what you like. Aspalt is the main path with gravel on either side. Aid stations were well stocked and appropriately spaced, volunteers were friendly. Many of the volunteers were high school cross country and track team members out in strong support of the event. The Boring Marathon benefits local cross country and track teams. Nice way to get in a great run and provide support to young athletes! This is a small town event so parking was easy and free, no crowds at packet pickup, made for a relaxing event.

Become a better runner

Marathon Details - Boring Marathon