Looking for a flat, spring course on which to qualify for Boston brought me to Newport. I enjoyed the course from start to finish. It was nice sleeping in more than usual before the start of a race, and simply walking to the starting line and easily getting into position (we stayed at the beautiful Elizabeth Street Inn). The chatter among runners was friendly and I got the feeling that many people knew each other. Supportive smiles were plentiful and the organizers seemed to be on top of everything. I brought gels, so I had no issue with the HEED (as mentioned in other posts), and rather enjoyed trying one with a healthy ingredient list for a change. No problems there. Everything about this marathon was simply charming. If you are thinking about trying a small-scale marathon, Newport satisfies. Even without a lot of spectators, the seal "cheering" on runners passing through the harbor more than made up for it. I enjoyed the challenge of the hill at around mile 25 and to top it all off... I qualified! Newport, you rock! I send my thanks to the race director and volunteers. A lot of townspeople were supportive as well.

This was my first marathon and it was awesome. My goal was to finish the race happy and healthy, which I did. I thought the water stations were sufficient (though the HEED was watered down). The course was basically flat, and the scenery was very pretty.

This is my 2nd time running Newport. It is a beautiful, flat course - a great one to race on. The spectators, although sparse, were enthusiastic and volunteer support was great. My only issue, which I'm wondering if others had this same problem with, was that the HEED seemed very watered down. It almost tasted like water. I was plagued with leg and foot cramps from about mile 10 on, which was frustrating, and wonder if the watered down HEED was part of the problem. Other than that, though, it was a great race that I look forward to running next year - minus the leg cramps, hopefully.

The 2009 course was different from the one in 2008. There were many twists, turns, and small hills in first 4 miles. A little distance had to be added, as the previous year's route wasn't a full 26.2. Hence, all of the comments about PR's.

Positives: Miles 4 through 26 are nice, along a river. Very friendly volunteers and staff. Easy parking at finish area, and the bus transfer to the start was quick. Good weather and finisher shirt.

Negatives: While it didn't bother me, don't run this race if you want fan support. Water stations need to be larger and have more volunteers. It was hard to find a flat spot on the road along the river. The slope/grade was tough.

Overall, I'd recommend to others. This is a neat little town with friendly people. Good choice for Oregon on my way to 50/50.

This was a beautiful marathon. I LOVED IT, but there were not enough water/drink tables.

The Newport Marathon is ideal - gorgeous scenery, pleasant course, incredibly friendly people, and an excellent race director (I didn't get to meet him in person, but he was very kind and helpful via e-mail). It was well organized and low-key. The weather was perfect marathon weather; of course, the Oregon coast can be iffy. I did PR significantly, as many runners do on that course. It's one of Oregon's must-do marathons. For me, it was one of the highlights of my year.

Almost a perfect race. Weather was perfect: upper 40s at the start and upper 50s by the end. Flat course. Don't mind the minimal crowd support. The long stretch of sloping road by the estuary is just a bit of a bother. Very nice 10th anniversary medal and beautiful design shirt (it's cotton).

This was a perfect marathon weekend in Newport. The weather was perfect (no rain! yahoo!). The scenery was beautiful and the town of Newport was very supportive of all of these runners coming to visit. I also cramped really badly, and I'm not sure why. I had Heed at another race recently and it was also diluted a lot for some reason. Anyway, I stopped for a couple of oyster shooters on my way back, and once I started I could not stop; I had around 20! Great for energy! I ran this in '04 and it rained a lot that weekend and was low tide. This time I had a great time running the course. It was high tide in the bay and no rain. The race organization was perfect from the expo to the awards ceremony. Loved the chowder and beer at the finish and the medal and T-shirt. Great time and great small-town marathon experience on the beautiful coast of Oregon. I would definitely come back again.

For me, everything came together text-book perfect at this marathon, my 9th. I PR'd by 10 minutes on the mostly flat, utterly scenic course. Cool and overcast (50 degrees), no wind, not crowded and... no timing chip to tie on my shoe and worry about losing. Yeah!

I give 5 stars all around. I don't understand why some people have given fewer stars for spectators just because there aren't many. This is a smallish marathon, so don't expect thousands of spectators lining the entire course. There are plenty at the half and the finish, and they're great. I have learned (the hard way) not to rely totally on any marathon to supply me with my particular favorite sports drink brand. Always find out in advance what's "on tap" and bring your own if you need to.

I will be running Newport again.

I have to agree with many of the comments recently made about this course. This was my first marathon and I too had a smile on my face right through until the end (well almost to the end). The race is very well organized and you can tell that the organizers and volunteers take pride in the race and the community it is in. Newport is a beautiful community and it is so great to see such a small race of its caliber around. Thank you for making my first marathon such a wonderful experience; I know it won't be my last.