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Apr 29, 2024

Newport Marathon (RI) Runner Comments

Back to Newport Marathon (RI) Information & Reviews

Course 4.2

Organization 3.6

Spectators 3.1

Number of comments: 138 [displaying comments 61 to 71]

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J. C. from Rhode Island (5/19/2009) "2 very different halves" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 Newport Marathon (RI)s COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 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.
G. I. from NY (11/6/2008) "DOUBLE LOOP PLEASE" (about: 2008) 50+ previous marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 First half, A+. Second half, awful. I'd love to run it, but not the course my buds ran.
S. P. from Richmond, VA (10/30/2008) "Beautiful and Challenging Course" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Newport Marathon (RI) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 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.
B. C. from Newark, Delaware (10/23/2008) "Glad I did it once" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Newport Marathon (RI) COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 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.
A. L. from Montclair, NJ (10/22/2008) "Beautiful course but be ready for the hills!" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Newport Marathon (RI) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 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.
K. L. from New York, NY (10/22/2008) "Beautiful course and nice food after the race" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Newport Marathon (RI) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 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.
Rob Klein from Aurora, Colorado (10/22/2008) "Windy, Cool, and Scenic" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Newport Marathon (RI) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Running this marathon was a late decision for me, but I was not disappointed. I arrived late Friday night so I had to do a race-day morning registration. It was smooth and seamless. When I arrived at the Yacht Club around 6:30 a.m. Saturday, the expo was already going, and appeared to continue through the day. There was fruit and coffee available to the runners before the race started. The overnight low was 51 and daytime temperature was 57. Sky was mostly overcast, but it was sunny briefly later in the morning. A bit on the cool side, but great weather for running with a long sleeve shirt and shorts. The wind was a factor in this race, but not continuously. The course was anything but straight, so the wind seemed to come and go with the short segments we ran in different directions. The race started on America's Cup Blvd., passed the Yacht Club, and headed out of the business district. Along the way, we passed Fort Adams, now a park, and you could easily imagine the Colonials lobbing cannon balls at British ships during the Revolution. After that, the course wound along the Atlantic shore - an awesome sight - both the ocean and the homes and mansions along the way. You realize why Rhode Island is called the Ocean State. There is a lot of ocean shoreline. The early course was pretty flat, but there were three significant hills later in the race. The hills were at mile 18, 20 and 25. They looked worse on the profile chart than they actually were. There were water stations along the way staffed with friendly volunteers. Gatorade and water were the drinks, but also available along the way were Skittles, M&Ms, Pringle chips, PowerBar pieces, and fruit. The course was well marked, and there was never uncertainty as to where the course went. Volunteers were stationed along the way to help guide the runners. However, there was a turn-around point between mile markers 16 and 17, and there was not a person stationed there, and there probably should have been. Still, the pavement was well marked with painted arrows. Fan support was not great, but there were still pockets of enthusiastic fans along the way cheering the runners on. The finish line was about a mile from the Yacht Club, so buses transported runners back. The post-race area had quite a spread of hot food, more fruit, and Smoothie-type drinks. Overall, this race was well organized, well executed, and supported by the community. I recommend this October race in Rhode Island.
H. B. from Middletown, Rhode Island USA (10/21/2008) "A Great Course - But Don't Expect a PR!" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 First of all, congratulations to the race director and volunteers for all of their hard work on this marathon - organizing such an event is always very challenging, so thanks for all of your efforts. This is a really beautiful course, especially the sections that run through Fort Adams, along Ocean Drive, and to the Wildlife Refuge. However, this is definitely NOT the course you want to run if you are trying for a PR or wish to qualify for Boston (I felt some solace that I finished about 40 minutes slower than my last race in Oklahoma City in April, but the "elite" times were also at least 30 minutes off)! There are some major hills in the last 10K, including the dreaded uphill transition from Paradise Ave to Purgatory at Mile #25. There should definitely have been more water stops, and unfortunately the lack of water (literally, NO (zero) water was available) at the finish, which poses a serious safety risk to everyone. Providing marathon finishers with the same medal as the relay team finishers was also a bit disappointing. Perhaps my greatest disappointment with this race was the lack of publicity. Salas' Restaurant, the famous pasta place located right next to the registration tent, didn't know anything about it (nor did Olympia Sports, EMS, Foot Fitness Too, etc.). The pre-race "expo" was the worst I have ever experienced. Again, there needs to be more marketing because this race has much to offer and could be a big draw for New Englanders and others interested in a nice fall non-PR race (I understand they are adding a half-marathon next year, which has even more potential for growing the size of this event). In summary, this is a nice, challenging course that simply needs a bit of a boost in terms of a pre-race expo, water stops, finish line amenities, and advertising, in order to be a first-class event.
D. B. from Boston, MA (10/21/2008) "A Great Experience Overall" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Newport Marathon (RI) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon. The route was great, especially the first 18 miles or so. For the last 8 miles, you end up having to share the road with cars and its more residential neighborhoods (as opposed to the beautiful seaside views and the mansions). I did feel a little nervous about the cars as well, especially near the end when I was already feeling wobbly and the cars were zooming by me. As advertised, the course is somewhat hilly. The hill in the last mile and half wasn't as bad I as thought it would be. The weather was crummy. But then, this is New England, so what do you expect? The volunteers were great and really outstanding. They helped make this a great experience. I also honestly did not expect any spectators, but even though I was in the last group of finishers, people were still out there cheering and encouraging. The race expo was so-so, but the post-race pasta, clam chowder and pizza were good. I wish that I took advantage of the post-race massage. I would definitely run this one again.
B. A. from Boston, MA (10/21/2008) "Fun but Confusing" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Newport Marathon (RI) COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 Newport is a beautiful half-marathon, but not an overly friendly or well-marked marathon. The bag pickup is not well marked when you are from out of town and trying to find it in the dark, even with their directions. I echo that the race director is pretty mean and definitely not sympathetic to people coming in from out of town/not knowing their way around. Find your own hotel. There are lots close to the start that they don't mention on the website and they actually bus you back to the start - whereas no one (neither hotels nor the race itself) near the finish sent buses to the start. The start of the race is about a quarter-mile up the road from the packet pickup and you just have to follow people to get there. According to the race everything is "right out on America's Cup Blvd." as if the road only has one address. The online map of the course is pretty much worthless without knowledge of the town. I know people who got lost driving the course the day before. The first half of the marathon is beautiful and well-spectated. The spectators are super enthusiastic early on. Then, the second half comes along with lots of hills and spread out spectators. Miles 22-24 are especially poorly marked, and it sends you out into less populated areas of town with more cars. The cars are pretty respectful, but this was when I realized that I had seen no medical support along the course. It has to be there, but I don't remember any. My wife said an ambulance went out on the course at one point, but I didn't see anything waiting along the way or at the finish (same as the halfway point). There were police at turns in the course and biking police at some points along the course. At the end the spectators looked bored (my wife said about 8 people were there for the first-place finisher) until the very last 50 yards or so. At the finish there is no food, just water and a medal. You have to take the bus back to the start for the after-race food, but I had booked my hotel to be near the finish, so I missed out on all of that. Glad I got some bananas out on the course and from my wife. All in all, there are a lot of little things that can be improved, so register early (to save money) and come with some patience.

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