Traffic impacts, things to know ahead of 2023 Eugene Marathon and Half Marathon

Thousands of runners will take to the city's streets for the Eugene Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday.

Both the Marathon and Half Marathon kickoff at 7 a.m. on Sunday and finish inside Hayward Field.

Saturday will feature the Eugene 5K at 8:45 a.m. and the kids 1K Duck Dash at 8 a.m. Both races start just outside Hayward Field and will end on the track.

"The biggest difference this year is just growth," race director Ian Dobson said. "Our participation base, finish festival and expo area has grown. We've been able to put in a lot of work and effort into increasing the medical support that we have around the event, and I think it's going to enhance the experience for people."

Here's everything you need to know ahead of this weekend's races, including traffic impacts.

Growing number of participants

According to Dobson, there are approximately 10,000 participants competing among all four races, compared to 9,700 last year. Organizers expect 3,500 for the half marathon, 2,500 for the marathon, a sold out 1,800 for the 5K and 1,500 for the Duck Dash.

Dobson said this was the first year they've sold out in the 5K but that it also wasn't a surprise.

"Our philosophy around growth is that we want to manage it incrementally," he said. "We want to make sure that we can do a good job with the numbers that we have."

Traffic impacts

The 26.2 mile marathon and 13.1 mile half marathon courses will be a mirror image from last year, splitting on the south side of the Willamette River's Knickerbocker Bridge.

Those living in south Eugene should expect some disruptions from 6:30 a.m. until about noon, while Franklin at Agate will be closed from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m.

"This race is a really important part of the identity of our community," Dobson said, "We are TrackTown USA and road racing is the adult version of track and field in a lot of ways that we get to involve and include everyone.

"I think our community should also know that we really respect the time and disruption that our event causes. We certainly try to maximize the impact of our event in terms of economic, social and try to minimize the disruption."

A popular race for competitive athletes

The Eugene Marathon and Half Marathon has been a stop for professionals and elite runners who are looking to shave off personal times as well as reach larger goals.

The 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying window closes in December with the standard of 2:18.00 for the men and 2:37:00 for the women.

Dobson said they created the new elite coordinator position that's specifically dedicated to making sure those athletes have everything they need so they can perform well.

Professional runner Des Linden, 2018 Boston Marathon champion, will be having a book signing for her new memoir, "Choosing to Run," at the finish festival on Sunday. Shalane Flanagan, 2017 New York City Marathon champion and assistant coach for Oregon Ducks track and field, will be hosting a podcast for the weekend.

Alison Desir, activist, runner and author of "Running While Black," will be hosting a talk at the expo on Friday afternoon and then will be leading a group run in the evening.

Edith Noriega is a sports reporter for The Register-Guard. You may reach her at ENoriega@gannett.com and follow her on Twitter at @Noriega_Edith.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Eugene Marathon, Half Marathon: What to know ahead of race