I think this may have been the first year of the relay, which I participated in this year. I have run 2 full marathons and am glad that this was not one of them!! The organization was very poor, the course route was not well marked and cars could drive alongside the runners throughout the course!! At some points it seems outright dangerous! Race day happened to be very cold and there was no shelter for relay transition teams - I happened to be at the third leg waiting for my team member for almost 2 hours in the freezing cold, wearing light running gear. Race director was very rude and unfriendly.

This was my second small-scale marathon and I loved it. As other runners have noted, the course was spectacular and the hills and gusty headwind along the ocean presented a tough but ultimately rewarding challenge. The volunteers along the course were generous and helpful. The after-party was the best I've seen, with bountiful selections of pasta, pizza, bagels, clam chowder, and a cash bar. There was an enclosed tent at the start (same venue as the after-party) and plenty of tables and chairs for both runners and family/friends. A bonus was access to real, heated, sparkling-clean restrooms with roomy showers at the start and after-party.

While I highly recommend this marathon as a must-do, the race experience could be significantly improved with clearer instructions for runners. The website contained scant information on race logistics, with unclear directions for number pick-up location and no information on critical details like baggage check, transportation to the start, and starting line procedure, making it tough for first-timers and out-of-towners to plan or pack appropriately. I spent 20-30 minutes circling the area trying to find race registration the night before the race, only to arrive a few minutes after registration was officially closed to find everything had been taken down early. There were several other runners in the same situation who also had gotten lost due to unclear directions (i.e., no street address or cross street provided; no signs for how to get in the gated area once you got there). Unfortunately, most people we asked directions from were from out of town as well and so could not help. Also, it would have been great if the host hotels made basic accommodations for runners - while our hotel (Holiday Inn Express) started serving breakfast at 6:30 a.m. and was very nice about making cab arrangements. There was no late checkout (our hotel was firm on 11 a.m. checkout) or organized transportation to the start. Finally, while I found most of the course adequately marked, one of the larger rest-stops on the course was incorrectly but prominently marked Mile 23, when we had just passed Mile 22. To be fair, this appeared to have been done unofficially by well-meaning fans, on several large hand-written signs, but it was still misleading.

Overall, despite the logistical challenges, I had a great time and hope to come back. This is the perfect marathon to run for the experience, not the PR; and I highly recommend that every marathoner get in at least one 'to-experience' marathon at some point!

This was a GREAT fall marathon with a very scenic course. I missed the expo, but got to pick up my packet in the morning. Because I was there early, around 7 a.m., I got to park right next to the start for $10.

Very helpful volunteers! I heard that there was limited water along this course, so I carried water and I am glad that I did, as there was not a lot of water for the first half, and it was windy and cool. The second half there were more water stops. The volunteers were great and decked out in Halloween outfits - very fun!

The first half was relatively flat and had a lot of traffic support with police officers on mountain bikes, which was great. The back half of the marathon was much more rural, hilly (killer hill at mile 25), and less prestigious. This section of the course was riddled with two-way, very-fast-driving traffic from mile 17-18 onward. I actually had a car honk at me and I had one person yell at me to "get off the road!" I felt unsafe a great deal of the time on the back half; in fact, a group of us stopped in the middle of a tough hill, as we thought that a runner behind us had been hit by a car. While the volunteers were great, it felt like the police support for traffic was limited to the city and the wealthier parts of town, not in the rural sections.

That said, overall it was a really great, hilly and fulfilling course with great volunteers, a good shuttle ride and parking very close to the start.

I would say that the course was the best part of this race. Having never been to Newport, RI, the course offered the racers to see all of the treasures Newport has to offer.

During the 3rd mile you are running behind an old fort along the water. After going through some neighborhoods, you get to the ocean where from around the 6th to 8th mile you are running along the shore. What a spectacular run. Thereafter, during miles 9 and 10 you run through a part of town that has all of these mansions and by the time you get half way, you see the crowd there. The 2nd half was more lackluster in terms of the course and the crowd. At times, you felt lonely because there was nobody around you, especially when you are running through the fens part of it - around mile 17. But thank God I did not have to run around the infamous track that I saw as I passed mile 20. Thereafter, the crowd started coming back.

It was funny: There was a gentleman that I would also see consistently every other mile. After awhile, I noticed his car pass me and then stopped to cheer the runners on. He seemed to have the lonely job that the crowds should have had. I thanked him at mile 25 and made light of the fact that I had seen him a couple of times beforehand. Otherwise, a great race.

I would have also appreciated a chip because the start of the race was extremely crowded where the field had to pass through about a 14 foot-wide gate and driveway to get on to Newport's streets. Thus, I do not know what my real time was, even though a gun time of 3:31:49 is still respectable for my first marathon.

While the lobster and clam chowder lunch was great for the runners, those that were cheering me on, my friends, were not allowed any of it. I had to double fist a few bowls to make sure they had something to eat after cheering me on. There should be something for those who cheer.

The runners were great. Many were not from RI and were running it to cross off RI on their 50-state list.

I met an experienced marathon runner during the beginning of the race, as we were getting out of Newport. I told him this was my first marathon during that initial mile. When I passed him later at mile 25, all I could hear him say was "ROOKIE!"

LOL

This was my first marathon, and it was better than everyone said it would be. The scenery was not only varied enough to accommodate my short attention span, but the lack of crowds allowed me to actually enjoy it. The hills were a little intimidating, but they gave me a lot of short-term goals to distract me from the more terrifying task of running 26.2 miles. We could have used one more water stop around mile 25, but some nice spectators gave out water at the top of the hill. In what other race do you get to see parks, mansions, and shoreline, not to mention the llamas at mile 3 and free candy at mile 23? Not everyone gets to finish a marathon with a Butterfinger in their hand! This race was just good, clean fun.

This is the best marathon I've run. I've run large marathons like Chicago, with lots of spectators, but there are too many runners. This was well organized, the support crews were fantastic, and the fans that were present were enthusiastic. Having a smaller marathon allowed me to enjoy what has to be one of the most scenic runs that you will find. The hills at the end were simply an exclamation point, so that you will never forget this race. The post-race lobster fest was as unique as it was good. You are not going to find a race quite like this anywhere else. Go for it.

This was my first ever marathon and it beat me up. The hills at the end were exceptionally brutal. I remember passing some one who said, "Is there any flat land in Newport?" That said, the course was beautiful. From mansions and oceanside forts, to cliffs and surfers, there was always something to look at - all of it gorgeous.

The spectators were sparse and that's just fine with me because this course lends itself to tuning out. A HUGE advantage to the race was that it allows for MP3 players.

I wouldn't recommend this race to first-timers. It hurts.

What everyone is saying about the beauty of the course is dead on. It would be hard to find something better to look at for 26 miles. And Newport impressed the heck out of me as a town. We had a room already booked in Boston, not knowing that Newport would be so cool, so we missed out on some post-race fun, no doubt. (Not that we didn't have fun in Boston.)

If you ask me and the guy I ran with, the course got flat-out dangerous at points. Late in the race when it got hilly, and people got tired, it wasn't even marked. There was no section of any road that was marked off. At one point we had to cross a busy 4-way stop with no support. There were runners on both sides of the road just hugging the shoulders. Drivers within a foot of you at times. I honestly can't believe nobody got hit by a car. I mean that. This is the only downside of the race; it just happens to be a major one.
The course is challenging too, which I liked.

There are a lot of good things to say about this race, but I figured someone should post about how ugly the course management was for the last 7-8 miles.

Get some more police and volunteers and you guys will have one of the better small races around. It was a nice place to put in my last "long training run" before I ran a couple of other races this fall.

The course is absolutely beautiful. You run by the beaches, through the mansion area, along the harbor but the water stops were just too few and a bit too far between. It was fairly warm this year so it made it seem even farther between stops. The first one was just over 3 miles and the 2nd was at about 6.4 miles. When I passed the 2nd water station I knew that it was going to be a fairly rough run.

Running by the finish line on the start of the 2nd half was mental kick in the shorts because you knew that somehow you were going to end up back there. There was a nasty hill about mile 25 and here I thought VT and NH were hilly. This course had several hills.

The medal was pretty cool and the ribbon that was attached was one of the best, it let the medal hang straight and not twist or turn. All of the folks involved with the race were very helpful and answered any questions that I had.

Truly a wonderful marathon experience. The course goes along the Atlantic coastline with beautiful views of the ocean. There is also a bird sanctuary on the course...and, of course, all the beautiful mansions! The folks were friendly and helpful. My only comment would be to better mark the course. However, I had incredible support throughout the race so I had assistance with finding my way. I also ran into a local young woman who was doing the race and slowed her pace to guide me as well! I was well cared for! I highly recommend this marathon!