Marathon Details - One City Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > VA > Newport News > One City Marathon

The Newport News One City Marathon & Half Marathon, 5K

Newport News, VA USA

March 3, 2024

http://www.onecitymarathon.com

More Info:	News
Results:	2024 \| 2023 \| 2022 \| 2020 \| 2019 \| 2018 \| 2017 \| 2016 \| 2015 Top 3 Finishers by Year

Contact

Name:	City of Newport News
Address:	2400 Washington Avenue, Newport News, VA 23607
Phone Number:	757-926-8621
Email:	Email the organizers



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Reviews

Course 4.7

Organization 4.9

Spectators 4.4

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Number of comments: 28 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 > ]

B. S. from Vero Beach, Florida (3/7/2024) "Great BQ and PR course" (about: 2024) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 One City Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Chose this race purely for its BQ potential and it did not disappoint. Living in the south, this was perfect for winter training and for excellent race day conditions. The course is very fast with enough turns to keep it from being too mundane but not so many as to affect your time. I do not know how they afford to put this race on as the amount of law enforcement and traffic protection in place was crazy. Never felt exposed and there is no chance to miss a turn. Community and volunteers were outstanding and very surprising. I did not expect the level of enthusiasm or volunteer quality. Most or all seemed very experienced and accommodating. The organization is excellent and literally everything was thought of as to what you may need. From expo to finish, there was no unnecessary waiting or lines. The course is fast with no appreciable uphill or downwhill portions and the scenery, for the most part, was great. There are some really beautiful sections. After party was above expectations as well. And yes, knocked 10 minutes off the PR and made a BQ by 15 minutes so the race delivered.
Tia Pettygrue from Tampa, FL (4/24/2023) "Fast Course, got my BQ!" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 One City Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I chose this race to BQ because of the course and weather. Both were perfect. Packet pick up was simple and easy. No expo but they had a few last minute items if needed. Race start area was in a park, plenty of room to move around. Enough port-a-lets. Energetic atmosphere. Start was not crowded. Ran on roads, thru neighborhoods and parks. Always felt very safe, so much police presence. The course is not completely flat, as there are a few inclines but nothing major and the declines were nice. Enough turns to keep things interesting but not too many and none too tight. Finish line was awesome, turn the corner and it's there. Not a lot of spectators, so if you need that, this may not be the race for you. But plenty of water stations and great volunteers. Finish line party was awesome, great food choices from food trucks and live music. I PRd by 9 minutes and got an 11 min buffer for Boston, so I would definitely recommend this race. Well organized.
D. G. from Rhode Island (3/10/2022) "Top Notch Race" (about: 2022) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 One City Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The pre race communication was excellent. The expo was at the host hotel and was scaled back this year as they returned to an in-person race so there was only one vendor selling all of the essentials. I thought the course was just average&it had some really nice sections and some decent areas through the neighborhoods . I would not say there were any terrible sections. It is definitely a flat, fast course. The volunteers were excellent from the expo to the finish line&very friendly and supportive and so were the police. Where this race truly shines in my opinion is with the people who make this event happen. Everything was top notch. Organization seemed flawless. Plenty of buses at the start and they left right on time. Runner safety seemed paramount at this race. Busy roads were either closed completely or had a lane coned off. Plenty of volunteers along the way at intersections along with a huge presence of police on the roads holding traffic and keeping the runners safe. Water stops were numerous and well stocked by enthusiastic volunteers. Post race party was fantastic&.the usual fruit, snacks, Gatorade, and water plus a coupon for an item at one of several food trucks and two craft beers. There is a brewery and distillery right there if you wish to continue the party&and you might want to stick around because there were 3 excellent bands playing into the afternoon. Overall great experience.
R. P. from Richmond, Virginia (3/10/2020) "My Best Marathon!!!" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have a lot to say about my March 1, 2020, New Port News Marathon. I was running my 25th Marathon with 6 buddies (4 of us were doing the full and 2 Half). Last year I had signed up for the half but was not able to run due to a glute injury. Many of my friends who already ran this course had nothing but good things to say. So I decided to run this year. The expo was just the right size and it was in the same hotel where we were staying, which made it a lot better. The transfer to the start line was great and we were allowed to stay in the buses which were warm. The race day temp were just right, the packet drop off was conveniently situated right in front of the start line. The course was nice and flat, and the sag/water support every two miles were just great. Course was well marked and the spectators kept cheering us. Though it was not a big race, this was one of the well organized Marathon's that I've run. My first goal was to come under 4 hours! As I mentioned everything just fell in place, not only did I break 4 (my first) I qualified for Boston with a time of 3:46, and came first in my age group! A memorable day that I'll never forget. All my buddies also did very well.
T. S. from VA (3/8/2020) "Great race for fun or BQ" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ One City Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This year was my 6th time running the race and it just keeps getting better! Great organization for this point to point course getting you from the finish line (parking) to the race start. Crowds and volunteers are super supportive. The course is really flat and fast with just a few small rollers, which make this a great course to try for a Boston Qualifier! Great fun!
T. C. from Maryland (3/5/2020) "Great small town fast race with easy logistics!" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 One City Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was looking for a flat, fast course in early spring and this race delivered! Packet pickup was small and easy. Nothing fancy but it got the job done. Tshirt is long sleeve, tech, nice. It's a point to point course (I stayed at the host hotel so it was easy to take the shuttle from the hotel to the start). We were able to sit on the warm buses until 15 minutes before the race start, which was really nice. Newport News Park, which has bathrooms -- no port o potties! Because the race was fairly small - 400 marathoners - the lines were short. Gear check was near the start line and very easy. Temperature on race day was PERFECT - 29 at the start and low 40s at the finish, very minimal wind. The race is point to point and south. The beginning is tree lined and very pretty. Some of the course is along a commercial road, which isn't the best but it's not forever. The race also goes through some neighborhoods, a museum, and along some paved trails. The mile markers are permanent street signs. It's a fairly flat course - I think around 250 feet of elevation over 26.2 miles. The end is a long straightaway until you make a right turn and see the finish. There weren't tons of spectators but the ones that were out were loud and enthusiastic. The students were especially great, as were the guys in the animal onesies offering beer (I didn't partake but it made me smile). Water and Gatorade were every two miles and the volunteers were AWESOME. I ran a 6 minute PR and a Boston qualifier time by almost 7 minutes. Highly recommend for a fast course with great logistics!
J. P. from Ontario, Canada (3/5/2020) "Best Small town BQ race" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 One City Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 14th marathon and it was a fantastic event. A friend and I flew down from Toronto to run this marathon $99 hotel, $64 car rental from Norfolk, expo in hotel, easy peasy. Our Tokyo marathon was cancelled so we rushed to find a replacement, so glad we can here instead of Napa Valley! Superb organization with Expo in the host hotel, shuttles to and from the start/finish areas, warm buses at the start**, real toilets in the ranger station plus portos, fast bag check, warm tents at the finish, make your own granola, free toiletries, hot chocolate and food trucks, stand up tables, outdoor heaters, oh, and TWO free beer! The volunteers at the expo, the start, on course, everywhere were just incredible. Even saw our favorite expo volunteer at the finish for a hug. (Shirts were massive, seemed like mens shirt sizing) The weather was cool -2'c to +4'c, sunny, minimal wind and beautiful course thorough parks, waterfront, historic neighborhoods, downtown, it had it all. There was also just the right amount of turns and elevation to keep your legs awake and no long stretches that didn't end. The permanent mile markers was also helpful and bang on. I stuck with the 3:30 pace bunny and had a 9 min PB at 45yrs old! 1st in my AG. For only having 3000 runners they had top notch attractions. I will be back for another girls racing weekend and will bring them all!! This is my favorite non-major marathon! If you are looking to BQ this course is it (better than Erie) and it felt almost downhill for most of it. Only downfall was it was the first time I placed in my age group but they didn't have those medals/award there and will be mailed out. It would have meant so much more to be able to pick it up at the end than getting it in the mail sometime in the future. Regardless I rate this race 99.9/100.
M. S. from Michigan (3/2/2020) "Really delightful small marathon" (about: 2020) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 One City Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Just ran this yesterday. It's a very well-done small race, and I found much of the course to be pretty. Lots was on a principal city street, but I didn't find that to be a problem. We ran through residential areas, on a university campus, and in some park and tree-lined areas. The course is pretty flat, and there were frequent water stations. Two complaints: very poor post-race shuttle service back to the hotel. A whole bunch of us had to Uber instead. The shirt is way too big, even though it's an XS. I would definitely consider running this one again.
J. B. from United States of America (3/15/2019) "Beautiful Scenic View of Newport News" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 One City Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Thank you first responders, military and city of Newport News for hosting this race. This marathon was Amazing, fun and such an epic event with such great crowd and community support. Camaraderie amongst runners was awesome and the crowds gave much need motivation and enthusiasm through each mile. And of course a special thank you to the race coordinators, Jason Todd and staff and volunteers of flat out events and point 2 and all the sponsors. Truth be told, this event could not be held without each and every one of you beautiful, phenomenal people. Much respect and move love can't wait to run this event again in 2020.
K. N. from Washington, DC Suburbs (3/13/2019) "Excellent Event" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 One City Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The One City Marathon is an exceptionally well organized event. The Newport News police and community members come out in force to put on an excellent event. They close off the entire road to allow runners ample room to run on a great point-to-point course. The school children cheer squads are very spirited, and I really enjoyed the flat and interesting course. The host hotels are very accommodating of runners and offer a great rate. The shuttles are smooth, and the final miles of the race offer glimpses of the Newport News Shipbuilding yard, which was really cool!

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 > ]

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B. S. from Vero Beach, Florida (3/7/2024) "Great BQ and PR course" (about: 2024) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 One City Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Chose this race purely for its BQ potential and it did not disappoint. Living in the south, this was perfect for winter training and for excellent race day conditions. The course is very fast with enough turns to keep it from being too mundane but not so many as to affect your time. I do not know how they afford to put this race on as the amount of law enforcement and traffic protection in place was crazy. Never felt exposed and there is no chance to miss a turn. Community and volunteers were outstanding and very surprising. I did not expect the level of enthusiasm or volunteer quality. Most or all seemed very experienced and accommodating. The organization is excellent and literally everything was thought of as to what you may need. From expo to finish, there was no unnecessary waiting or lines. The course is fast with no appreciable uphill or downwhill portions and the scenery, for the most part, was great. There are some really beautiful sections. After party was above expectations as well. And yes, knocked 10 minutes off the PR and made a BQ by 15 minutes so the race delivered.
Tia Pettygrue from Tampa, FL (4/24/2023) "Fast Course, got my BQ!" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 One City Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I chose this race to BQ because of the course and weather. Both were perfect. Packet pick up was simple and easy. No expo but they had a few last minute items if needed. Race start area was in a park, plenty of room to move around. Enough port-a-lets. Energetic atmosphere. Start was not crowded. Ran on roads, thru neighborhoods and parks. Always felt very safe, so much police presence. The course is not completely flat, as there are a few inclines but nothing major and the declines were nice. Enough turns to keep things interesting but not too many and none too tight. Finish line was awesome, turn the corner and it's there. Not a lot of spectators, so if you need that, this may not be the race for you. But plenty of water stations and great volunteers. Finish line party was awesome, great food choices from food trucks and live music. I PRd by 9 minutes and got an 11 min buffer for Boston, so I would definitely recommend this race. Well organized.
D. G. from Rhode Island (3/10/2022) "Top Notch Race" (about: 2022) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 One City Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The pre race communication was excellent. The expo was at the host hotel and was scaled back this year as they returned to an in-person race so there was only one vendor selling all of the essentials. I thought the course was just average&it had some really nice sections and some decent areas through the neighborhoods . I would not say there were any terrible sections. It is definitely a flat, fast course. The volunteers were excellent from the expo to the finish line&very friendly and supportive and so were the police. Where this race truly shines in my opinion is with the people who make this event happen. Everything was top notch. Organization seemed flawless. Plenty of buses at the start and they left right on time. Runner safety seemed paramount at this race. Busy roads were either closed completely or had a lane coned off. Plenty of volunteers along the way at intersections along with a huge presence of police on the roads holding traffic and keeping the runners safe. Water stops were numerous and well stocked by enthusiastic volunteers. Post race party was fantastic&.the usual fruit, snacks, Gatorade, and water plus a coupon for an item at one of several food trucks and two craft beers. There is a brewery and distillery right there if you wish to continue the party&and you might want to stick around because there were 3 excellent bands playing into the afternoon. Overall great experience.
R. P. from Richmond, Virginia (3/10/2020) "My Best Marathon!!!" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have a lot to say about my March 1, 2020, New Port News Marathon. I was running my 25th Marathon with 6 buddies (4 of us were doing the full and 2 Half). Last year I had signed up for the half but was not able to run due to a glute injury. Many of my friends who already ran this course had nothing but good things to say. So I decided to run this year. The expo was just the right size and it was in the same hotel where we were staying, which made it a lot better. The transfer to the start line was great and we were allowed to stay in the buses which were warm. The race day temp were just right, the packet drop off was conveniently situated right in front of the start line. The course was nice and flat, and the sag/water support every two miles were just great. Course was well marked and the spectators kept cheering us. Though it was not a big race, this was one of the well organized Marathon's that I've run. My first goal was to come under 4 hours! As I mentioned everything just fell in place, not only did I break 4 (my first) I qualified for Boston with a time of 3:46, and came first in my age group! A memorable day that I'll never forget. All my buddies also did very well.
T. S. from VA (3/8/2020) "Great race for fun or BQ" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ One City Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This year was my 6th time running the race and it just keeps getting better! Great organization for this point to point course getting you from the finish line (parking) to the race start. Crowds and volunteers are super supportive. The course is really flat and fast with just a few small rollers, which make this a great course to try for a Boston Qualifier! Great fun!
T. C. from Maryland (3/5/2020) "Great small town fast race with easy logistics!" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 One City Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was looking for a flat, fast course in early spring and this race delivered! Packet pickup was small and easy. Nothing fancy but it got the job done. Tshirt is long sleeve, tech, nice. It's a point to point course (I stayed at the host hotel so it was easy to take the shuttle from the hotel to the start). We were able to sit on the warm buses until 15 minutes before the race start, which was really nice. Newport News Park, which has bathrooms -- no port o potties! Because the race was fairly small - 400 marathoners - the lines were short. Gear check was near the start line and very easy. Temperature on race day was PERFECT - 29 at the start and low 40s at the finish, very minimal wind. The race is point to point and south. The beginning is tree lined and very pretty. Some of the course is along a commercial road, which isn't the best but it's not forever. The race also goes through some neighborhoods, a museum, and along some paved trails. The mile markers are permanent street signs. It's a fairly flat course - I think around 250 feet of elevation over 26.2 miles. The end is a long straightaway until you make a right turn and see the finish. There weren't tons of spectators but the ones that were out were loud and enthusiastic. The students were especially great, as were the guys in the animal onesies offering beer (I didn't partake but it made me smile). Water and Gatorade were every two miles and the volunteers were AWESOME. I ran a 6 minute PR and a Boston qualifier time by almost 7 minutes. Highly recommend for a fast course with great logistics!
J. P. from Ontario, Canada (3/5/2020) "Best Small town BQ race" (about: 2020) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 One City Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 14th marathon and it was a fantastic event. A friend and I flew down from Toronto to run this marathon $99 hotel, $64 car rental from Norfolk, expo in hotel, easy peasy. Our Tokyo marathon was cancelled so we rushed to find a replacement, so glad we can here instead of Napa Valley! Superb organization with Expo in the host hotel, shuttles to and from the start/finish areas, warm buses at the start**, real toilets in the ranger station plus portos, fast bag check, warm tents at the finish, make your own granola, free toiletries, hot chocolate and food trucks, stand up tables, outdoor heaters, oh, and TWO free beer! The volunteers at the expo, the start, on course, everywhere were just incredible. Even saw our favorite expo volunteer at the finish for a hug. (Shirts were massive, seemed like mens shirt sizing) The weather was cool -2'c to +4'c, sunny, minimal wind and beautiful course thorough parks, waterfront, historic neighborhoods, downtown, it had it all. There was also just the right amount of turns and elevation to keep your legs awake and no long stretches that didn't end. The permanent mile markers was also helpful and bang on. I stuck with the 3:30 pace bunny and had a 9 min PB at 45yrs old! 1st in my AG. For only having 3000 runners they had top notch attractions. I will be back for another girls racing weekend and will bring them all!! This is my favorite non-major marathon! If you are looking to BQ this course is it (better than Erie) and it felt almost downhill for most of it. Only downfall was it was the first time I placed in my age group but they didn't have those medals/award there and will be mailed out. It would have meant so much more to be able to pick it up at the end than getting it in the mail sometime in the future. Regardless I rate this race 99.9/100.
M. S. from Michigan (3/2/2020) "Really delightful small marathon" (about: 2020) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 One City Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Just ran this yesterday. It's a very well-done small race, and I found much of the course to be pretty. Lots was on a principal city street, but I didn't find that to be a problem. We ran through residential areas, on a university campus, and in some park and tree-lined areas. The course is pretty flat, and there were frequent water stations. Two complaints: very poor post-race shuttle service back to the hotel. A whole bunch of us had to Uber instead. The shirt is way too big, even though it's an XS. I would definitely consider running this one again.
J. B. from United States of America (3/15/2019) "Beautiful Scenic View of Newport News" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 One City Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Thank you first responders, military and city of Newport News for hosting this race. This marathon was Amazing, fun and such an epic event with such great crowd and community support. Camaraderie amongst runners was awesome and the crowds gave much need motivation and enthusiasm through each mile. And of course a special thank you to the race coordinators, Jason Todd and staff and volunteers of flat out events and point 2 and all the sponsors. Truth be told, this event could not be held without each and every one of you beautiful, phenomenal people. Much respect and move love can't wait to run this event again in 2020.
K. N. from Washington, DC Suburbs (3/13/2019) "Excellent Event" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 One City Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The One City Marathon is an exceptionally well organized event. The Newport News police and community members come out in force to put on an excellent event. They close off the entire road to allow runners ample room to run on a great point-to-point course. The school children cheer squads are very spirited, and I really enjoyed the flat and interesting course. The host hotels are very accommodating of runners and offer a great rate. The shuttles are smooth, and the final miles of the race offer glimpses of the Newport News Shipbuilding yard, which was really cool!

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Marathon Details - One City Marathon