This course is very scenic along the bay. The weather conditions were ideal, especially since the wind disappeared for the event! I wish there was a better expo and more information in advance of the race to create excitement (e.g. a Facebook page). However, this is a small town event organized by the local boosters where income from the marathon is used to support athletics, athletic participation scholarships, and extra-curricular activities at Newport High School. I understand the marketing budget is probably small, but better information in advance would have been nice. I believe that in addition to an increased marathon field, the Newport businesses/economy would benefit much more with a slightly different marketing approach. This is certainly a marathon worth running if you want to experience a great town in the great state of Oregon!

This was my 34th different marathon. Scenery-wise, it is one of the prettiest. Newport is a great destination place to visit - lots to see and do. The list of cons I have are few, and mostly just things worth noting:
1. There is no expo. Just a packet pick up starting Friday at 3:00 PM.
2. You get your shirt at the finish line.
3. This race is low key in all areas of the race with no fanfare anywhere except the finish line. Nothing at the start, the turn-around, or mile 20. I liked the peace and quiet of the course though.
4. There's some camber in the road to deal with - difficult to avoid sometimes when there were cars.
The course is mostly flat, with a few steep hills early on and one at the end. The first few miles have a lot of turns and a brief stint on a gravel road, but it was fun to run through town and see the ocean. I love the recycled glass medal - very unique.

I am from Montana and when we see rainy weather we assume it will be cold ..not so in New Port. What a great experience to run in what i consider to be 'warm' mist. So dont let the idea of misty rain prevent you from signing up for this perfect marathon.. you will also likely meet some real life pirates while visiting the area.

I ran this marathon in 09 my husband ran it in 12. Very well organized event. All proceeds do not go into race director's pocket, but benefit local Newport organizations, they only pay for services they hire for the race - all the rest of the profits go to local organizations. Excellent spectator support - shuttle buses ran every 15 minutes to take spectators out on the course  really saves the gas! The runner support at the finish line was outstanding. A volunteer ran around and did everyhing for my husband. Can't beat the oysters on the course - if your stomach can take it! As fun as a marathon gets!

After a short jaunt through downtown Newport, we runners cruised alongside Yaquina Bay. The course was mostly flat and a net drop in elevation. The weather this year (2012) was warm enough for me to be shirt-free despite the periodic misting rain.
Crowds were infrequent but enthusiastic. The aid stations were well-placed and well-stocked. I definitely would recommend this race.

I've done this one twice and it's beautiful with great flat terrain.

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.

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.

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!

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?