Hundreds of runners skilled a start-line nightmare on Sunday on the Portland Half Marathon in Portland, Ore., when the race started eight minutes forward of schedule.
Whereas the marathon and 10K occasions began on time at 7:00 a.m., the half-marathon, scheduled to start at 7:15 a.m., caught many off guard when the gun went off at 7:07 a.m. The early begin left runners scrambling, with many nonetheless arriving, warming up or utilizing the toilet. Individuals described the expertise as chaotic, with some solely realizing the race had began once they noticed others operating. “I believed they have been simply corralling us near the beginning, however then I spotted we have been really racing. It was loopy,” one participant mentioned.
Thomas Chaston of Colorado Springs, Colo., ran the quickest time on the course—64:56—however was awarded third place after being compelled to start out two minutes late. The highest finishers have been decided by gun time, regardless of the half-marathon’s early begin. Noah Rasmussen of Corvallis, Ore., was given the win with a time of 65:55. Rasmussen famous on his Strava that he, too, was caught off guard by the early begin, and was pinning his bib to his chest through the first mile.
Chaston instructed Canadian Operating that the early begin utterly threw him off. “I used to be tying my sneakers about 300 metres from the beginning once I heard the announcer say, ’30 seconds to go till the half-marathon.’ I checked my watch in disbelief and located myself leaping 40-inch barricades to make my method there.”
The 25-year-old College of Portland scholar estimates he handed greater than 1,000 individuals within the first mile. “I used to be consistently weaving between runners,” Chaston mentioned. “It was annoying, and somewhat bit harmful, as nicely.”
The Portland Marathon’s social media platforms have been flooded with complaints, however race organizers moved to cover and delete feedback from their pages. Some runners vented their frustrations on-line, calling it essentially the most chaotic begin they’d ever skilled. One runner’s remark summed it up: “There’s no higher warmup than the straight panic of lacking the beginning time.”
The half-marathon noticed a report variety of finishers in 2024, and it got here with a registration price of USD $170. “All of us traveled to Portland to organize for the 7:15 a.m. name,” Chaston added. “To begin it eight minutes early is unthinkable.”
Along with the start-line confusion, some contributors, together with Chaston, criticized the course design and size. A number of runners reported the course felt longer than the official 13.1 miles (most Strava actions confirmed 13.3 miles), whereas others have been shocked by the choice to route a part of the race onto the freeway as an alternative of utilizing extra scenic choices, like bridges or the waterfront.
Portland Marathon awards winner’s trophy to unsuitable runner, some despatched 800m lengthy
The Portland Marathon has confronted challenges lately, from logistical errors to administration modifications. Notably, former race director Lester Smith, who managed the marathon for many years, was sentenced to probation in 2023 after a tax fraud conviction. Since then, new administration has taken over, however Sunday’s occasions recommend the race continues to be grappling with organizational points.
We reached out to the Portland Marathon race organizers for remark however had not obtained a response by the point of publication.
