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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 1 to 11]
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K. B. from Colorado Springs, CO
(10/9/2022)
"Beautiful Marathon!!" (about: 2022)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Newport Marathon (RI)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 In 2022, we had great, cool temps. The breeze off the ocean got pretty stiff in the second half, but it was not terrible. The first half - as many have observed - is a perfect tour of Newport mansions and Ocean Drive, just stunning. The second half is scenic, but sparse as it winds through a wildlife refuge and some tony neighborhoods overlooking the ocean. Rolling hills in this race are not major, but they are consistent. I have to say that the organization and volunteers were superb. Aid stations were well-stocked, and the volunteers friendly and very encouraging. The half is the marquis event, but the full marathon is really good too. Overall, well organized, phenomenal way to see this stunning coastal town!! | |
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Race The Nation WOOD from North Carolina
(8/27/2019)
"Run through the best of Rhode Island!" (about: 2018)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Newport Marathon (RI)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 You would be hard pressed to find a route that provides as many elements as this one: running through downtown Newport, by the mansions along the Cliff Walk, along the ocean, through Sachuest Point National Wildlife refuge, and then the rural streets of Middleton. I very much enjoyed the variability. The location of the expo, race start, and finish is right on the beach, beautiful. We thought the vendors were on the light side. You need to get a bus to the start, but an impressive fleet of free, non-stop shuttles transported both runners and spectators back forth all day, so there were no delays. They have wave starts, which is always helpful. The course has rolling hills mainly on the back half, but nothing too steep. After party was pretty good, but we couldn't stay long so can't say too much about that. I really liked the medal, a ship in a bottle that hung horizontal, a nice little change. Newport is a beautiful place to visit. Between the beaches, the mansions and the harbor, it is hard to find a more picturesque city. The center of town has a variety of shopping districts with great bars, shops and restaurants; the whole place is very walkable (once you find a parking spot that is). So this is a super destination race. You can get a feel for the race and the place at our YouTube channel Race The Nation. | |
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T. S. from Indianapolis
(10/24/2018)
"House hunting" (about: 2018)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Newport Marathon (RI)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Who knew you could find the house of your dreams -- or maybe 50 houses of your dreams -- while running 26.2 miles? Now if I can just win the lottery maybe I could buy one. What a cool course, not only for the mansions of the 'other half' but also the scenic ocean views and yes, the rural areas of the second half. The hills were indeed tough for this flatlander, but I'm way past the days when I was looking for PRs and BQs so not a big deal. If those things are a big deal for you, maybe this isn't your race, but I can't think of any other reason to not recommend it. It was my first visit to Rhode Island and I loved hanging around an extra day to check out Newport. Wonderful restaurants, too. | |
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T. E. from New Hampshire
(12/6/2017)
"Hilly RI Course" (about: 2017)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Newport Marathon (RI)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The first half of the marathon was very scenic and had good fan support plus you were with a lot of half marathon runners. The second half was a different story, a lot fewer runners, a lot hillier, less scenic route, and very few fans. There were also sections where we were running on the shoulder of the road with a lot of traffic going by, especially miles 14 and 26. It really felt like a half marathon with the second half added as an afterthought. As much as I hate saying it, two laps of the first would have been better. The course aside, the organization was top notch. Aid stations were well spaced and stocked. Packet pick up was great, and the shuttles to and from parking were excellent. The food at the finish was good, especially the soup. | |
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S. F. from Roseburg, OR
(10/11/2017)
"Beautiful and a little hilly course" (about: 2017)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Newport Marathon (RI)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Loved the race. It has hills starting at mile 1 and continued to have rollers throughout. Aid stations were plentiful and cheerful. Several great cheer crowds were present as well. We went through the charming streets of Newport, RI and along the scenic ocean, through more rural and suburban areas in the 2nd half. My watch reported 26.49 when I ran across the finish line. | |
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A. N. from Rockville, MD USA
(10/11/2017)
"Big Al's Comments" (about: 2017)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Newport Marathon (RI)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 OMG! What a beautiful city Newport is! However, this was one of the toughest and hilliest marathons I have ever run (out of 64 marathons)! They said the second half had all the hills, but forgot to mention that the first half was just as tough with lots of hills, hairpin turns and out and back sections. Not to mention 30-40 mph winds during pretty much the entire day and high humidity. Of course no marathon should end without a major downpour during the last few miles!! At least the sun was not shining and temps were decent = The expo was more or less non-existent and crowd support was about the same. This course, however, is one of the most scenic marathons I have ever participated in. So, if you like scenery, running along the water and past multi-million dollar mansions, this marathon is a must. But, if you're looking for a fast marathon, a PR or a BQ, look elsewhere. | |
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N. K. from Brownstown, PA
(10/10/2017)
"Beautiful Ocean Marathon" (about: 2017)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Newport Marathon (RI)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This course was fantastic. Running along Ocean Drive and Bellevue Avenue was awesome. What a cool thing to have the waves breaking along the cliffs while running by. The first half was clearly the most scenic, though the 2nd half was still a pretty solid experience. Watching the sunrise pre-race was also really nice. T-shirt, medal, and post-race food were all great. Packet pick up was easy and at a fun place. Overall, the organization was top notch. Plenty of port-o potties, lots of water stops, and plenty of GU/banana stops. One minor enhancement: half of the GU stops only had strawberry banana or banana, and I have an allergy, so it was a huge disappointment when reaching for a GU only to find out I couldn't eat them. Other stops had good choices like vanilla and caramel, so I would just recommend that all flavors would be available at all of the stops. | |
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M. K. from Washington, DC
(10/14/2015)
"Gorgeous course, beautiful place" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Newport Marathon (RI)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my 27th marathon and the prettiest. There were miles of coastline (breakers, cliffs, beaches, dunes, boats), and the non-coastline bits were attractive, too. Road is wide enough and the field is small enough that you quickly have room to run your pace without having to slow because of runners in front of you. The race was under new management this year, and the new people did a fantastic job. Packet pickup could not have been quicker or easier. On race day, there was drinking water available at the start, and there were plenty of port-o-lets. The aid stations were abundant, and gu was available at multiple places. Mile markers were easy to spot. The race started on time. An emailed question to the race address received a quick and friendly answer. This is not a PR course; there are hills, especially in the second half. But I highly recommend this race to anyone looking for a terrific running experience and a beautiful place to spend a weekend. | |
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G. C. from Waterford, CT
(1/8/2015)
"Run it for the Half, not the Full" (about: 2014)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Newport Marathon (RI)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The race started late, again. Pretty sure we stood there for fifteen minutes waiting for people to show up. Hey, I guess if they wanted a PR they should show up early. Parking was good, buses were good. The first half was gorgeous, going past the mansions. The second half was very boring because there aren't many runners or spectators for the second half. It's basically an out-and-back. Aid stations were decent. Good fans. No music to speak of. Food at the end was just pizza, ok I guess. | |
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T. L. from TX
(10/15/2014)
"A Beautiful Marathon Course" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Newport Marathon (RI)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my 37th different marathon. True, the first half is more spectacular than the second half, but the second half is far from 'ho-hum'. Beautiful scenery from beginning to end! It is quite hilly, so be prepared. We stayed within walking distance to the start-finish, which I highly recommend. My complaints are few. Really, my only issue is that once again this race started 15 minutes late. Everything else seemed to run smoothly along the course. Sometimes the water stops were confusing (not always water first, Gatorade second), but there were plenty of stops and they seemed well staffed. The expo tent wasn't much, but I didn't expect much for a race of this size. We were able to purchase extra race shirts and\or trade in our official race shirts for others. The finisher's medal is gorgeous. The finish line on the beach was beautiful! Overall, this marathon experience was one of my favorites! Newport is so much more beautiful than I imagined! |
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