By the numbers: What's the expected economic impact of this year's Eugene Marathon?
This weekend, thousands of runners will gather at Hayward Field in what will be the culmination of countless combined hours of dedicated training for the Eugene Marathon’s racing events.
Four races are hosted through the Eugene Marathon: the full marathon, the half marathon, the 5k and the Kids Duck Dash for children ages 2-12. The full weekend of events includes the preliminary Health and Wellness Expo, the races themselves and the Finish Fest, a celebratory event for runners to snag swag bags, snacks and beverages from local vendors and enjoy the post-run, party-like atmosphere at Hayward with a live DJ performance.
Runners by the numbers
All races are filled up on registrations with the exception of the Kids Duck Dash, meaning that this year’s events expect a total just shy of 13,000 runners across all four races if the Duck Dash registration fills up completely. About 600 runners are registered to race in the Krusteaz Doublestack Challenge, which allows runners to register for the full marathon or the half marathon with the 5K race added on.
The full marathon sold out in March with 3,800 runners registering. The half marathon and 5K races both sold out in early April, capping runners at 4,600 and 2,500, respectively. The Duck Dash race allows for 2,000 kids to join and still has some availability for registration.
Becky Radliff, director of marketing at the Eugene Marathon, said this year’s registration accounts for about 3,000 more runners than in 2023 and noted that it’s new for the event to sell out on registration for all three main races.
“We have a lot of local runners so it’s almost like a meet-up of all the runners in the community each year in addition to thousands of runners who come in from around the U.S. and the world,” Radliff said.
“We have all 50 states represented in our runners this year as well as 28 countries. It’s pretty exciting, it is a record. We had 20 countries represented last year, so (there are) eight more countries we can knock off the list.”
How much of an economic impact does the Eugene Marathon have on Lane County?
The Eugene, Cascades and Coast branch of Travel Lane County runs economic impact reports annually to assess just how much money flows through the area during these races.
Andy Vobora, vice president of stakeholder relations at Eugene, Cascades and Coast, utilized an impact calculator to estimate the expected revenue from this year’s marathon events. He said that with this year’s events being sold out, the economic impact for 2024’s races is expected to be the largest to date.
The 2023 events raked in an estimated $4.8 million in economic impacts across hotels, retail, transportation, restaurants and jobs supported. This year’s impact estimates sit at around $6.8 million.
Total estimated direct economic impacts - $6.8 million
Hotels - $2.8 million
Retail - $1.48 million
Restaurants - $1.4 million
Transportation - $433,000
Number of jobs supported - 3,415
Hotel room demand - 14,000 rooms over the course of the weekend.
Vobora said room demand for hotels is pacing at 30% ahead of 2023’s demand, with an average rate increase of 2% at $238 per night. He noted that occupancy for the short-term rental sphere is not as stressed as hotels, with plenty of options available even during this busy weekend.
What to do in the Emerald City?
Vobora said to be fully immersed in the history of Hayward Field, visitors should consider visiting the Hayward Hall museum located at the base of the Hayward Tower on Agate Street. The museum is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and provides an opportunity to learn about the track and field legends who have made history at Hayward Field.
“The marathon’s brand centers around the reality that participants, ‘Run in the footsteps of legends,’” Vobora said.
“As a participant numerous times, I can say that finishing on the Hayward Field track is something you never forget.”
Eugene, Cascades and Coast’s website features itineraries for folks wanting to explore a range of experiences across Lane County, from local restaurants and shops to picturesque vineyards, hikes and more.
The celebrations certainly don’t stop at the finish line, either.
According to Vobora, hotel bookings for this year’s Olympic Trials in June are pacing 387% ahead of 2023’s numbers. Summer brings a slew of events to Lane County such as the Prefontaine Classic, Oregon Country Fair, the Oregon Logging Conference and the Florence Rhododendron Festival.
Vobora said Travel Lane County’s message to residents is to stay connected to the community and warmly welcome visitors to the Emerald City.
“As we go through the coming track season, which is another epic year, we encourage residents to buy a ticket and experience the Hayward magic, volunteer for an event, or in cases like the marathon, lace up their shoes and participate,” Vobora said.
The Eugene Marathon events begin April 26 with the Health and Wellness Expo at the Graduate Hotel and 5th Street Market.
Hannarose McGuinness is The Register-Guard’s growth and development reporter. Contact her at 541-844-9859 or hmcguinness@registerguard.com
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: The Eugene Marathon has a bigger economic impact than you might think
