The Vernonia Marathon starts at Cedar Ridge Retreat Center in Vernonia, goes around the lake, and proceeds onto the Banks-Vernonia State Trail, and finishes at Banks High School on the track.
Most of the course runs along the paved trail, through scenic woods on an abandoned railroad bed. The course is mostly flat, with a gradual uphill from Miles 9 to 13 and downhill from Mile 14 to 21, where it is flat to the finish.
The Vernonia Marathon was the 324th largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 278th largest in 2022.
This year 15.6% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 14.8% of runners qualified for Boston in 2023.
This gives the Vernonia Marathon the 105th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 76th highest percentage so far in 2024.
Its Course Score of 100.17 ranks it as the 36th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 2nd fastest course in Oregon.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are within the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Vernonia Marathon a PR Score of 100.17. This PR Score ranks it as the 30th fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 2nd fastest in Oregon.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Vernonia Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 963 feet (293m) Min Elevation: 200 feet (60m)
