Thousands run in Portland Marathon: ‘Told myself 1 step at a time’

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - The 2023 Portland Marathon welcomed thousands of runners from around the country to see the sights of the Rose City on Sunday morning.

This was Yosief Berhe’s first marathon - 26.2 miles.

“Definitely pushed myself more than I thought I could, but I did better than I thought I could and I’m just happy to be here,” Berhe said. “It was a hell of a time.”

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Others, like Cathy Rhodes, ran a half-marathon - 13.1 miles.

“It was a great loop, everything was well marked, a lot of cheering fans, the aid stations were great. It was just a lot of energy and the bands. It was a lot of fun,” Rhodes said. “Portland’s neighbors are really into it so there was a lot of support. You could do it by yourself and feel like you had a team.”

The route took runners over Portland’s iconic bridges and through charming neighborhoods, with plenty of moral support along the way and at the finish line.

That support was what Berhe said he needed to finish.

“Mile 23 I had a bad cramp, I had to walk a little bit, but I saw my boy Nick lift his sign up and I just ran as much as I possibly could, just closed my eyes and just sprint,” Berhe said.

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Though the race was challenging at times, Berhe says if you’re considering running next year, you should.

“Just go for it,” Berhe said. “I thought I would never in my life, run a marathon in my life. I just told myself I could do it, one step at a time.”

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