Thought it was very disorganized. Cars almost hit several runners. Why were they allowed to drive that fast on the course? Also, aid stations breaking down before the end of the race. What motivation is that to finish in those miserable weather conditions? Where were all the volunteers? If we were still out there running, they should be there handing out water!!! The course was supposed to stay open for six hours. Should have stayed open longer instead of breaking down early in those conditions. And my results for finishing are not even posted. Did I run for nothing??? Well at least I know I finished. And the medal is pretty. :) Also, I did not like having to run through the half-marathon finish line to continue on with the full marathon. That was very de-motivational. I didn't even know where to continue on with the full marathon. Made the next seven miles brutal. Luckily I got my second wind for the last six.

The weather for this race was rainy all day - mixed with wind (and a little hail and sleet I think). Of course, that was not the fault of the race officials and they managed to make it a great race. There were no-charge shuttles from off-site parking to the start and finish lines. Non-participants were welcome on the bus, which made it easy for my husband to see me off at the start and be there at the 13.1 point and finish line without worry. The course took us through downtown, past the water, by some fabulous mansions, inland and back to the beach, so we saw a lot of the local area. It was a little hillier than I expected (but coming from Houston, all races seem hilly)
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Spectators cheered us on with yells, cow bells, etc. I think the weather might have prevented some from coming out. I don't think I would have come out today. Friendly volunteers stayed at their stations until the end although they were very wet and must have been cold.

Charles Bregny, Race Director, and a couple of other people drove around during the second half to make sure all runners were OK in spite of the weather. Jessica, an enthusiastic volunteer at the finish line was a wonderful sight as she covered me with the reflective cover and gave me my medal. Mr. Bregny, Jessica and the other people at the finish showed concern for our comfort and helped me, my husband and other runners warm up and get back to our cars. Trust me, I earned this medal for persevering through the weather. I would do it again and hope for weather that would allow me to see this beautiful region of the country.

The course was spectacular and breathtaking, however the organization was sub par.

The torrential downpour was bad enough to run through, but at least while you are running, you keep warm; however, after you stop running, to stand around in the freezing rain, with your clothes soaked, with no shelter of any kind for over an hour, waiting on the bus to come to take you to the start (where the cars were allowed to park) is inexcusable. Runners waited in the freezing rain, shivering and possibly suffering from hypothermia, with no guidance as to when the buses would get there. I think the race organizers should have added extra buses given the brutal weather conditions, or at least marshaled the hoards of runners waiting well over an hour, letting people know where to go for shelter and how long it would be until the buses arrived!

I'll start with the course. In a word: spectacular. The ocean (OK... technically the bay) views were stunning. The second half of the course had very limited ocean views, so it pales in comparison to the first half. It was pleasant enough, though.

I take exception to the comments below that complain about the hills on the second half. They're fairly described in the course description, and they're best described as rolling. This is Rhode Island for heaven's sake. There are NO big or steep hills on the course. If you want to run a perfectly flat marathon, sign up for one. I, for one, do not.

The race organization was very good. I never experienced the race in the past, but judging from the comments below it seems like they've made significant improvements. There's ample free parking at a casino about two miles away and an constant stream of shuttle buses to take you to the start. The shuttles are easy to find at the finish. The start line was on the same street as registration/number pickup, and there was ample shelter from the rain (more on that next...).

The weather today was abysmal: 40s, with high winds and rain the whole way. We had the unfortunate luck of running during a fall nor'easter. I give credit to any spectators who showed up at all. I have no idea how it would be on a normal day. The food at the finish was good: pizza and soup, to go with the normal fruit, etc.

I agree with the other comments. I've run this race twice. The first half is fantastic. The second half is brutal. It is really well organized. I had no problems with the transportation. More bathrooms close the start line would be nice. This year they are adding a half-marathon, which is just the first part of the course.

First half, A+. Second half, awful. I'd love to run it, but not the course my buds ran.

Newport is a beautiful town and a gorgeous setting for a marathon.

Overall, we had a good experience here. The "expo" and packet pick-up was an easy-in, easy-out experience. There really wasn't much to stop and see. We were a bit disappointed to find out that there were no post-race showers available as we had to drive 7 hours after the race. Bring baby wipes! The guest of honor at the pasta dinner was awesome. Her name was Patti Catalona and she was so inspiring to talk to! She was one of the best parts of the whole event! Most hotels in Newport were under a 10-minute drive to the start. The nice and warm real bathrooms at the start were a treat! I did almost miss the start however because it didn't start by packet pick-up where the bathrooms/port-o-pots were, and I had to run about 10 blocks to make it in time. The first half of the course is gorgeous! Water, beach, big mansions, the fort- it was all very pretty. There were some rolling hills the first half, but nothing overly challenging. The second half wasn't as scenic, was mostly inland, and contains most of the hills on the course. The wind was a bit of a factor, blowing pretty heavily along the water, but dying down as you got inland. Weather was perfect temperature-wise - high 40's at the start, 50's at the finish. It was overcast for most of the race, with the sun breaking through towards the later miles. It is a pretty small race, but I was never alone, thanks to the relay participants. (They make the relay runners wear sashes, so you know who they are.)

One annoyance was that the second half of the course didn't match up with the map given out with our packets. We had driven the course the night before, but where we ran was different. It wasn't well marked either, as the top 3 women (and top man) all went off-course for approx 1.5 miles. The elevation charts did not seem to be accurate as well. It was pretty much a continuous uphill from about mile 19 to 23, a quick downhill stretch, then a BIG uphill at mile 25. The last hill (aptly named Purgatory) was fairly short, but quite steep. As other people have commented, we weren't even given a lane on the road to run in for the second half of the race. We had to run on the shoulder with the roads open to traffic. There were a couple points that were quite dangerous with cars coming from both directions.

The medal was nice but not spectacular. The water at the finish line was a good distance away so I didn't even get any water until a good 30 minutes after I finished. I never saw any transportation from the finish line back to the start either(about a 10 minute drive), we luckily had a friend waiting to drive us back. We had really been looking forward to lobster at the post-race party as they have had in past years, but no lobster this year. They did have clam chowder, pizza and warm pasta- must be the downturn in the economy as to why there was no lobster. :)

Two of the three of us in my travel party set PR's at this race, so we felt it was pretty fast despite the hills and wind. (The 3rd was one of the ones who went off-course!) It is not a flat course, but it is definitely worth it for the scenery! If they could fix the misdirection problems, get an accurate map, get some post-race showers and bring back the lobster, this would have been one of my favorites.

The first half of this marathon was fabulous. Running through town, around the fort, by the ocean, and by the mansions just made the miles fly by. I ran with my fuel belt and I'm certainly glad I did because I didn't have to stop at any of the water stations, which were VERY far apart (they were even farther apart than the 3 miles they had indicated on all the race documentation).

The second half of the marathon was a different story. Starting at mile 17, it was basically all uphill until the last half mile of the race. The hills kept coming and the hill at mile 25 was miserable. I train on hills, so I felt that I was prepared for them but there is no need to have such tremendous hills for a marathon, especially so late in the course - I'm sure there is another way to run the route to avoid them. Also, the traffic was terrible. This part of the race was through rural neighborhoods and the cars were criss-crossing around the runners trying to pass them. We were running on the road without a shoulder - it was outright dangerous.

There were not a lot of spectators, but the ones that were there were very energetic and kept showing up at different places along the route (I thank the lady with the cowbell for all of her support). The volunteers at the water stops were great - they were decked out in costumes and really cheered the runners on.

I have to say I'm glad I ran this once (and even qualified for Boston) but I would not run it again or highly recommend it to anyone else. It's unfortunate because if they could double the first half of the race and add more water stations, it would be a first-class marathon.

I want to thank the volunteers and organizers who braved the cold weather to make this an enjoyable race.

PROS:
Some of the best race-course scenery you will have on a marathon.

Great end-of-the-race food - well organized, plenty of it, and tasty.

Well-placed race water, sports drink, and fruit - thank you again, volunteers!
Buses back to the start (about 1 mile from finish) ran on time and quickly.

CONS:
Possible organization issues - I was told at the race expo the day before that the Visitor Center had $8.00 all-day parking. They charged me $18.50, even when I showed them I was in the race. So, know where you will park before you go. The elite females ran off the course; that may not effect me but it is not good if you have a timed major marathon.

Pre-race pasta party was lacking. Got there early and the restaurant did not make up an extra dish of salad for all of us who paid $12.00 to get in. They just said it was out - and sorry, but no more. Strange.
The course is very busy with cars at some spots. Maybe they should move the time to 7:00 a.m. to cut down on road traffic, but it does not seem that people or visitors to Newport want to wait for the race to be done before they cut into runners. Just be alert for traffic.

Move some basic food and drink to the end - the post race party back at the start had some great food but you had to take a shuttle bus back to get it. It would help to have some fruit, bagels, extra water, etc. at the real finish.

If you like cheering crowds, they will not be at this race. The die-hards who braved the cold weather where great, but there are long stretches with just you and the scenery. That's something that I like, but others may not.

Basic tips: the hills are very tough. You have a killer one at mile 25, so add in some big ones on your training. Also, dress for the weather; it was really cold and you run by the ocean, so it gets colder. Check the weather and be prepared in layers if needed.

Overall: Beautiful course with die-hard volunteers, making it a marathon worth going for if you like a challenge.

Very scenic course. The 2nd half of the course is definitely hillier than the 1st half, and the last hill after mile marker 25 is a tough one. However, once you reach the top, it's all downhill to the finish!

The food after the race was nice as well - they had catered food in a tent with plenty of tables and chairs where registration/packet pick-up took place. Food included clam chowder, pasta dishes and pizza.

Suggestions to improve the race are as follows:

1) There was vehicle traffic along the course, especially in the 2nd half. I can understand how this can be disconcerting to runners.
2) It would be nice to have more frequent fluid stations, which were placed every 3 miles during the 1st 15 miles of the race.
3) Parking in Newport was very expensive. I parked near the visitors center and it ended up costing me $17! I don't think street parking is an option since the meters need to be fed every 3 hours (unless you're a really fast runner!)

Overall, it's a nice race and I would highly recommend it to others.