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☰
Newport Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Newport Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.7 
Organization 4.6 
Spectators 3.4
Number of comments: 107 [displaying comments 21 to 31]
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D. R. from Boston
(11/7/2011)
 "Destination marathon" (about: 2011)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Newport Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Beautiful location. Had just finished another marathon & not fully recovered, so had to go slow. Very hot day - should have been more water stops or at least ice in Dixie cups. Thank goodness for lady w a cooler of small bottles of water - saved me from overheating. Course was just beautiful, & I liked the ease of a low keyed well- organized race. | |
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G. T. from Oregon Coast
(7/4/2011)
 "Most excellent!" (about: 2011)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Newport Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I love our coast and was thrilled to make registration this year! It was a perfect course, just the right amount of participants and spectators (as I prefer quiet, small, uncongested races) and, it was a great morning to run. Yes, it was very hot (for a coastie) but I still PR'd by 13 minutes, even with having to slow my pace the last 3 miles due to the heat. Having the cold water hose spray available at the finish was a critical move on this day. The only downside I remember is the noise in the crowded room at packet pickup-sound reverberating off the low ceiling was deafening. Adding chip timing would be a positive addition. But, hey, LOVE the medal. | |
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S. M. from Portland, OR
(6/15/2011)
 "Unseasonably warm - great first marathon" (about: 2011)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Newport Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I wanted to add to/correct my comments from 6/13/2011. Despite this race not being chip timed, my recorded time was dead on. Any human error was my own and my comments should not have implied otherwise. Great race. Nice course. Excellent people. I hope to make it back next year! | |
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S. M. from Portland, OR
(6/13/2011)
"Unseasonable warm, good first marathon" (about: 2011)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Newport Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon so my comments are not coming from a wide breadth of experience. As promised the course was fairly flat. Most of the aid stations were well organized, although I did have to stop and run back to get water at one as they were not prepared for 5 runners in a row. I'm glad they are switching to chip timing next year as I didn't like the added pressure to find the optimum spot at the start. Also my garmin and gun time were off by 30 seconds. The length was different too, but I expected that. Although, chip timing is not fool proof, it does remove some human error. With the new Boston registration process, every second counts. Overall it was a great experience and the volunteers and fellow runners were all extremely friendly. Did I mention it was damn hot? | |
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J. J. from Vancouver, Washington
(6/8/2011)
 "Great event...Well organized...Loved it." (about: 2011)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Newport Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first Newport marathon and I will run it every year I am able. Nice small town feel, locals treat you great. Loved the course. Not allot of people on the course for support which I am ok with. Water stops were well manned and stocked. weather was warm but it's the Oregon coast...you just never know. A note to the Race Director...Great job!! Friendly people from start to finish...Great views. | |
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J. S. from San Diego, CA
(6/7/2011)
"Such a blast!" (about: 2011)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Newport Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Exactly what a marathon should be. Not too big, not too small, not too formal, not too laid back, not too flat, not too steep. Not too expensive, not too cheap. If you can, get to Newport and do this race... you won't regret it. Everything was JUST RIGHT! | |
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Tyson Poskochil from Lincoln, NE
(4/24/2011)
"Scenic, flat, and fast!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Newport Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 As a runner from Nebraska, I was welcomed by locals at this race as soon as I got out of the car - they were thrilled I'd come all that way to Newport to run. The course was very scenic and I loved watching the great blue herons, otters, and gulls along the waterway that occupies most of the course. Plenty of aid stations, and the oyster shooters (if you're brave enough to try one) are also a plus (I had to do just one!). Plenty of post-race snacks of good quality at the finish, and the half marathon is held on a separate date so it doesn't get overcrowded. Nice glass finisher's medal at the end, although I found the technical shirt to be a bit small (shirts are given at the end of the race when you finish). Course is generally flat and fast, as I finished in 4:18 with a consistent run-walk ratio of 2:1. Plenty of great places to dine and visit while in town as well. I was also very impressed with the overall awards, which are large, wood carvings of great blue herons. | |
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P. R. from Portland
(10/12/2010)
 "Nice, small, low-key marathon" (about: 2010)
3 previous marathons
| 2 Newport Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I like this marathon because it is low-key and the Newport area is a beautiful place to visit. The field is small and you could probably show up to the race 15 minutes before the start and be fine. There are no walkers or slower runners from shorter races to weave your way through. The runners, organizers, and town in general have a friendly feel. The course has some steep but very short hills in the beginning. Then it is very flat. After two times, I've come to realize I prefer some rolling hills to work different muscles. Mentally, it feels a bit tougher too, since so much of the course looks the same (without spectators) and you double-back on a large portion of it. There really are no crowds for much of the marathon. I've also come to realize that crowds are a nice distraction for me during a marathon when I wouldn't really care for shorter distances. Finally, the course doesn't provide much shade if it's a sunny day (like 2010 race). The heat can take a toll if you've been training during the winter/spring and then have a sunny day. The medical, after-race attention probably isn't what you'd receive after a larger race either. The first time I ran (2009), I was dizzy and disoriented (and a fairly early finisher) and no one seemed to notice. I thought the finisher's medal was awesome. I'd consider it the best I've received from any race. So... some pros/cons depending on your racing style and preferences. | |
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G. C. from Los Angeles, CA
(6/9/2010)
"Fantastic small marathon, scenic flat quiet course" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Newport Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a great race with a small/medium-sized field (800 runners). The organization is great. Packet-pick up was quick. I did not get a chance to look at items at the expo, as I had to rush to make the pasta dinner (closes at 8 p.m.). The pasta dinner is a great deal - all-you-can eat pasta, garlic bread, salad (with or without shrimp) and dessert for only $7. The start line is within a half-mile walk of several hotels on Elizabeth Street, so you can take your time and still make the 7 a.m. start. They have a truck right next to the start line where you can drop your gear bag even 5 minutes before the start, so there's no need to spend 30 minutes cold or throw away your warm-up clothes! No chip, so if you seek a fast time, you have to line up close to the start line. However, given the small number of runners, this is not an issue. The course is easy - a few short rollers within the first 4 miles, and a moderate incline at mile 26. The rest of the course follows the Yaquina River and is relatively flat with some very minor inclines. I really enjoyed the course, as it is quiet, peaceful and very scenic. Those who seek constant spectator support will be disappointed, as crowd support is relatively scarce (but people who are there are supportive). There is one photo op during the race, around mile 12. The other part I liked is the turnaround after mile 15. This means that you get to see the race leaders and encourage them - and they sometimes encourage you. I found this really cool, as it is not often the case in most marathons. Volunteers were great, except one station where they messed up with water cups and I could not get mine. They serve HEED, which I did not try, as I sticked to water and to the GUs I was carrying with me. The last 0.2-mile is downhill, which helps finish faster. The finish chute is great and the area where runners recover is close to non-runners. They have fruit, bagel, drinks, and rogue beer and chowder (both of which I did not try). You can also buy the picture they took at mile 12 for $10 at the finish. The medal is made of glass and it is not my favorite, but some people like it. Finisher shirt is technical and awesome but sizes are too small - you can exchange it later. I recommend staying for the awards ceremony, as it is very convivial and they have some items that they give away to people who did not place. Overall a great small/medium-sized marathon, highly recommended if you want to escape the megathons or if you seek a fast, mostly flat course. I did not BQ but got a 7-minute PR. The high rate of BQs in the previous year was due to a short course - they lengthened the course to a full 26.2 in 2009. The weather is usually cool but that year it was slightly too warm (65°F around 10 a.m.). A couple of very small negatives: - The race is on a Saturday, which is not super convenient for traveling. - The road around the Yaquina River is banked and you have to make a choice: avoid the banked areas and stay close to the central line, or run the tangents to shorten your run, but sometimes run on the banked areas. I chose the second strategy and ended up with exactly 26.2 on my Garmin, without physical problems linked to the banked road. However, I know that some people have had issues with that. - Because the other side of the road is open to traffic, you cannot really run the tangents when you face the runners coming in the opposite direction. But these are very minor things, and overall Newport is my favorite marathon from the 6 I have run, so I will definitely come back. | |
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E. E. from Bainbridge Island, WA
(6/8/2010)
"beautiful course and sweet, little town" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Newport Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 My first time in the Newport Marathon, and my sixth marathon overall. I was admittedly not well-prepared and coming off of an injury, but I still enjoyed the weekend immensely! One of the main problems I encountered was due to not carrying my own fluids (or at least my own water bottle). Dehydration was an issue for me, mainly because the aid stations from mile 19 to 24 ran out of cups. Major bonk action. This is something that could easily be fixed with more cups! Newport was a great, little town to finish the run in; I got to go grab a free pint at the Rogue and then ice my aching legs in the ocean. Not much crowd support, but I liked the small-town feel, and everyone was very welcoming. I definitely will come back and redeem myself next year with a fast time on this pancake-flat course!! |
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