Welcome to Portland

Having grown up in New Hampshire, I absolutely adore Portland. It is the quintessential, charming New England town. It’s beautiful to visit anytime of the year, but especially so in the summer and fall. The Maine Half Marathon (part of the Maine Marathon race) takes place on the first Sunday of October. We ran the race in 2015 and would highly recommend it as an active fall getaway.

Where to Stay

Portland is a fairly small city, so most of it is walkable to the starting line. We stayed near the Portland Museum of Art on Deering Street which was a nice area (though we wouldn’t recommend our Airbnb.) Anywhere south and east of the starting line (Downtown and Old Port neighborhoods) would be good too.

About the Race

Considered a top race in the state, the Maine Half Marathon is an out-and-back course that shares the first 6.5 miles with the marathon route. While we usually don’t love out-and-backs, the beautiful waterfront views of Back Cove and Casco Bay along with the fall foliage in the trails and parks keep you from getting bored. The course is flat with a few rolling hills and the air is cool, so it’s a fast race. (Course map)

We prefer to do our sightseeing after the race, so for a Sunday race like this we suggest arriving on Saturday and leaving Monday if you can. Enjoy an easy afternoon settling into the Airbnb and orienting yourself to the city.

4:00 - Arrive in Portland. If you are coming from the New England area, you can take the Amtrak Downeaster from Boston (and several points in between). It’s a scenic route that follows the coast. You can also fly into the Portland airport. Head straight to your Airbnb to check in. While you can walk from the train station to downtown, it is fairly industrial, so the better bet is to take a ride share.

4:30 - After dropping off your bags, head to the expo center (Sullivan Gym, University of Southern Maine, 96 Falmouth St.) (A) to pick up your bib.

5:00 - You’ll pass by the race starting line (Baxter Boulevard, between Forest Ave. and Preble St.) (B) as you head to the nearby Hannaford (C) or Trader Joe’s (D) for pre-race meal grocery shopping. For us, that’s white pasta, red sauce, sauteed vegetables (red pepper, green pepper, mushrooms), garlic bread, and chocolate chip cookies.

5:30 - If you have the urge to stretch your legs, take a stroll down bustling Congress Street (E) . If you prefer to take it easy like us, that’s cool too, just head back to the Airbnb. There’ll be plenty of time to explore tomorrow.

6:00 - Cook and eat. Get organized for tomorrow, and head to bed as early as you can.

**Day 2. Race and Recover with a Three-Stop Lobster Tour**

Sunday

Race day! The race route will take you to scenic areas around Back Cove and north of Portland. After the race, get ready, because you will be making three stops for Maine lobster (yes, I am serious.)

6:00 - Wake up and eat breakfast (for us, instant oatmeal and coffee). Head to the starting line.

7:45 - Race! Enjoy the stunning scenery and crisp, fall air.

10:00 - Celebrate your finish with a post-race snack and then head back to the Airbnb to shower.

11:00 - Now for the really fun part. Stop #1 on the Lobster Tour is Portland Lobster, Co (A) (open daily 11am-11pm). Here you will get your classic lobster roll. Highly recommended that you get said lobster roll with a local Allagash brew (the brewery is located just outside of Portland proper). At this hour, it shouldn’t be super crowded so you won’t need to stand in line long. Enjoy the lobster roll at one of the outdoor stools and watch the boats in Old Port.

12:00 - Explore the downtown area. Wind your way up Commercial Street, double back on Fore Street and then Congress Street. You’ll pass many fun shops on each street (Asia West (B) on Commercial Street is one of our favorites.)

1:00 - Stop #2 on the Lobster Tour is Eventide Oyster Co. (C) (open daily 11am-12am). Get another lobster roll here, because I promise you it is nothing like the first one. This place tends to get busy and you may need to wait—we ended up standing at high-top. Don’t skip this!

2:00 - From Eventide, head east to Fort Allen Park (D) and then up the Eastern Promenade (E) for a nice view and to breath in some ocean air.

3:00 - On the way back, stop in at Rising Tide Brewing Company (F) (open 12-9pm daily, till 7pm on Sun) for a sampler flight.

4:30 - Stop in at the Airbnb to rest the legs and clean up for dinner.

6:30 - Time for stop #3 on the Lobster Tour. Head to dinner at Street and Co. (G) (open 5-9:30pm daily, till 10pm on Fri and Sat). Make a reservation and order the Lobster Fra Diavolo for two. It is delicious—and enormous. After dinner, head back to the Airbnb to get some rest.

Sleep in, have a tasty brunch, and then depart. If you have more time for your trip, I’d recommend tacking on a few days in Boston as the train takes you right there.

10:00 - Check out of the Airbnb and head to brunch. I like places that take reservations because nothing makes me angrier than waiting in line for breakfast. UNION (open daily 7am-10pm) and Artemisia Cafe (open daily 9am-2pm) are two good options centrally located in the downtown area. You can also try Standard Baking Co. (open Mon-Fri 7am-6pm, Sat-Sun 7am-5pm) if you’re looking for a quick bite instead.

11:30 - Ride share to the train station/airport. Train/fly home.