5 / 5 Stars

I've run several Revel races and they promise fast and scenic downhill marathons to help you achieve PR/BQ. The Revel Mt. Hood is particularly fast, especially in the first 15 miles. The scenery is stunning as you gaze out from the historic base lodge at Mt. Hood to spectacular mountain scenery in the Oregon Cascades. The one challenge with this type of race is that after 15 or so miles when the course becomes more gradually downhill and there are some uphills, the quads are fried. I'd recommend following the Revel online coaching strategy as it really helped me achieve a BQ (though not fast enough to earn a Boston entry). In addition, Portland is not far and that is a tremendous city for food, culture, and walking around (though not on burned out quads!).