Pivoting, Planning, And Growth: Eugene Marathon Goes Virtual In 2021 While Getting A Jump on 2022 - Sport Oregon Voices

Sport Oregon Voices:

Oregon’s largest marathon embraces unique virtual format this year while looking forward to next year’s opportunities when the world’s running community focus centers on Eugene.

By now, most of us have likely become all too familiar with many of our favorite activities shifting to virtual formats. For runners, that includes the world of competitive road races and marathons.

In Oregon, the Eugene Marathon recently joined a growing list of prominent race events around the country going virtual, with its February announcement of its plans for the 2021 race, which will consist of a Kids Duck Dash, a 5K, half-marathon and marathon. But while virtual fatigue has set in for many some 13 months into the pandemic, the 2021 Eugene Marathon is still a breath of fresh air for return racers, and appealing for those who have never had the chance to be a part of it.

A thoughtful – and very Eugene – approach to this year’s race format and presentation has resulted in an encouraging wave of support and registration, even in its virtual form. The event, which annually takes place on the last weekend of April, was cancelled in 2020, falling on the front end of the pandemic shutdown that really left no other choice, especially on such short notice. Like many sectors, there was no set blueprint on how to proceed, considering the health and safety concerns and the fact that the Eugene event annually attracts over 6,000 participants, hundreds of volunteers and involves a multitude of city, health agency and University of Oregon coordination as the largest marathon in the state.

“There weren’t a lot of best practices out there, or things that you could 100 percent implement no problem, because it’s just so different state to state, city to city even,” said Courtney Heily, executive director for the Eugene Marathon.

In reviewing all sorts of scenarios, the group conferred with “like partners” from the California International Marathon, and similar marathons in Austin, Texas; Missoula, Mont.; Pittsburgh, Pa., and Los Angeles.

“We were really lucky to be able to bounce ideas off of everyone, but I don’t feel like there really has become an industry standard or best practice,” said Ian Dobson, race director for the Eugene Marathon. 

Certainly everyone involved wants to get back the traditional mass start road race, but Eugene race organizers also have also seen an anecdotal shift in focus amongst the running community, making the return of these types of race events – in any form – even more critical, and appreciated, especially after last year’s race was forced into cancellation.

“Over the course of the last year, I think we’ve seen two things happen that are sort of in contrast, both of which are sort of opportunities,” Dobson said. “It seemed like there was this big growth in running, but we’ve also seen people lose their goal, their motivation.

“The virtual event is that line in the sand still. It’s not the same, it’s nobody’s first choice, but I think that more and more, we all get that we need these things in our lives. We feel like it is just an important part of your own process, for each individual person who would be our participants in a normal year.”

Widely renowned for its rich history in running, and for its incredible community support for track and field events, Eugene is a special place for running enthusiasts of any level, really. This year’s race weekend, which will be held April 23-25 (full race window is April 23-May 2), is particularly appealing in that registered participants of the marathon and half-marathon will own a piece of history, receiving “Hayward Magic Medals” as part of their robust swag package. The wooden medals are crafted from the salvaged east grandstand steps of the iconic track and field venue that saw decades of the top athletes in the world compete, and thousands of Eugene Marathon participants cross the finish line, as is tradition. The steps – repurposed by a local designer – are an exact miniature replica of the steps they are cut from.

Jon Marx, the marathon’s marketing and content coordinator, says that they’ve seen an uptick in out-of-market race enthusiasts as a result of the virtual format, numbers no doubt helped by the unique features offered. While registration numbers are, year to date, very similar to what they had in 2019 when they last held an in-person race, Marx says some 20 different countries are represented amongst the registered participants thus far in 2021.  

“I think we’ve created something that’s really authentic,” Marx said. “Part of that is, with the medal, you’re bringing a piece of Eugene to wherever you are across the country or across the world. I think that’s one of the reasons it’s really resonated with people.”

In a typical year, the marathon sees about one-third of its participants coming from the Eugene-Springfield area, an additional one-third registering regionally from other areas around the Northwest, with the final third coming from other areas states or countries. With this expanded appeal to out-of-market runners, then, it would be natural for race organizers to consider a continuation of the virtual format – at least in some form – once they are able to return to a traditional in-person race. 

“We’ve talked about that as a team, for sure,” said Heily. “I think it depends on the event. Ours is unique in that it’s Eugene, and I think there’s something special about that, for people that are all over the country and all over the world. So, I think for a race like ours, it makes sense to do a virtual [component]. I can see us offering that for years to come in some capacity for people who want to be a part of Eugene.”

For all the challenges, pivoting and patience that 2020 and 2021 have created for race organizers, there is already a tangible amount of enthusiasm building for 2022. As Dobson puts it, nothing “has been plug and play” over the last year, but Eugene will have a significant spotlight on it come next year, namely with the coveted World Athletics Championships being held in the city during the summer at an expanded and modernized Hayward Field.

Beyond the competitive and participation components, though, there’s a substantial economic boost to the city and state associated with all of this increased sporting activity. In any normal year, events like the Eugene Marathon already are critical economic drivers, especially considering the national and international appeal. But add in all the additional attractions that 2022 will present, and it becomes an even greater opportunity for growth and economic impact.

It’s all the more reason the Eugene Marathon organizers are already planning for next year’s race as they look both grow the race and return to their robust in-person format.

“We see ourselves as getting into a whole different tier of size in 2022,” said Heily. “Our course is built for it, we know how we can manipulate the race sizes in terms of the Saturday and Sunday races to really grow in numbers. All the stars are aligning, in terms of the new Hayward Field venue, you have Worlds coming in 2022, and you just have people itching for live events in the spring again.”

If You Want to Participate

To register for this year’s virtual Eugene Marathon events, click here. Note that limited space remains for the marathon, and the Doublestack Challenges are sold out. For additional information on this year’s virtual format, click here.