Amica Newport Marathon
Newport, United States · October · Independent
Why people love it
- Ocean Drive, Bellevue Avenue mansions and Hanging Rock on a coastal first half.
- Start and finish at Easton's Beach; Boston qualifier.
- Cool October mornings: highs about 14 to 18 °C (58 to 64 °F).
- RaceRaves scenery 4.7 of 5 from 59 ratings.
- Octopus shirt, nautical medal and five local charity teams.
Watch out for
- Parking and shuttle confusion is the top complaint; allow extra time to reach the start.
- Rolling hills, 258 m (847 ft) of gain, and stiff sea wind in the second half.
- Narrow first-half roads shared with half marathoners.
- Quiet second half; post-race food ran out for slower marathoners.
- Newport rooms are pricey in October.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Tough
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.3
RaceRaves 4.4 of 5 from 59 ratings; MarathonGuide 5.0 from one review. Coastal first half praised; · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.9
RaceRaves production 4.2. Volunteers, signage and communication praised; parking, buses and food running out for slower marathoners are the complaints. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyDoable3.4
Aid and volunteers rate well, but 130 to 275 m (424 to 900 ft) of gain, sea wind and a quiet second half test newcomers. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialAverage2.8
Boston qualifier, but rolling hills, a steep opening climb on Memorial Boulevard and sea wind slow it; RaceRaves difficulty 3.2 of 5. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course scenerySpectacular4.8
RaceRaves scenery 4.7 of 5: Ocean Drive, Bellevue Avenue mansions, Brenton Point and Hanging Rock. The second half is quieter neighbourhoods. · High confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points3.0
Narrow first-half roads shared with half marathoners, three hairpin turns in the second half and a Ledge Road out-and-back. · Medium confidence
- Road surfaceGood3.6
Paved roads with no pothole complaints; narrow sections pushed one half runner onto the sidewalk. · Low confidence
- Road closuresPartly closed3.4
Narrow first-half roads shared by half and full runners; one near-miss with traffic and one half marathoner calls traffic poorly managed. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessRolling2.8
258 m (847 ft) of gain per MarathonGuide; runners' watches read 130 to 275 m (424 to 900 ft). · Medium confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Loop from and to Easton's Beach, so no net drop. Boston qualifier. · High confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSome waiting2.8
Confusing parking lots, buses dropping runners on the wrong side of the street and delays; return shuttles were smooth for others. · Medium confidence
- Pacers and timingSome pace groups3.4
Not widely discussed; the course was re-certified in 2022. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportDecent3.4
A 2026 half runner called fan support outstanding, but the marathon's second half is quiet and the race favours half marathoners. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsGood3.7
Water, sports drink, gels, some bananas and plenty of toilets; food ran out at the finish for later marathoners. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindWindy2.2
Winners and runners cite ocean wind in 2019, 2022 and 2025; it gets stiff in the exposed second half. · Medium confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant4.3
Race-day highs 14 to 18 °C (58 to 64 °F), lows 3 to 9 °C (38 to 48 °F); cold rain in 2025. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable2.8
Wind in 2019, a nor'easter in 2025 and a clear cool day in 2022: coastal October weather varies. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy3.6
Beach start and finish and a loop through Newport; the first half is easy to watch, the second is spread out. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level5.0
Near sea level; high point about 32 m (105 ft). · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityBook early2.8
Fall is tourist season in Newport and rooms fill early. · Low confidence
- Hotel valuePricey2.2
Newport hotels are expensive on race weekends. · Low confidence
- WalkabilitySome driving3.0
Easton's Beach is about 3 km (2 mi) from downtown; shuttles and parking are the norm. · Low confidence
- Travel easeOne connection2.8
Providence airport is 60 km (37 mi) away and Newport traffic is slow over the bridges. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSome complexity2.9
Race-day packet pickup in some years; parking and shuttle confusion is the recurring complaint. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGreat4.6
Historic seaside town with mansions, Thames Street dining and the Cliff Walk. · Medium confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inEasy3.6
Open registration; the 2024 field was the largest ever, so register early. · Low confidence
- Value for moneyFair3.4
The octopus shirt and medal are praised; fee not found. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Newport, Newport County, United States
- Typical month
- October
- Latest or next date
- 10 October 2027
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 1,085 athletes
- First held
- 2010
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- loop
- Climbing
- 258 m (845 ft)
- Start time
- 07:30
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Paved roads
- How to get in
- open
- Air temperature
- 3–17 °C (37–63 °F)
- Humidity
- Coastal, moderate
- Altitude
- 15 m (49 ft)
- Nearest airport
- T. F. Green Providence (PVD), 60 km (37 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Downtown Newport, Easton's Beach, Middletown
- Booking
- Newport hotels are pricey in the fall season; staying off-island or in Middletown saves money.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRavesRaced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
59 ratings, 4.4 overall; scenery 4.7, production 4.2, difficulty 3.2, swag 3.7. Runners call the first half among the most scenic they have run, praise volunteers and swag, and criticise parking and bus logistics, narrow shared roads and a quieter second half.
“Probably the most scenic course I have ever run.”
- MarathonGuideRaced 2022 · aggregator · Positive
One review at 5.0: cool weather, a scenic first half past the mansions and Ocean Drive, rolling hills in the sparse second half, superb organisation; listing shows 258 m (847 ft) gain.
“Beautiful Marathon!!”
- BibRaveRaced 2019 · aggregator · Positive
Older BibRave posts describe oceanfront views and Gilded Age mansions, an opening hill that helps late, wind and rain, and a long shuttle or walk to the start.
- What's Up NewpRaced 2022 · article · Positive
2022 recap: clear sunrise over Easton's Beach, course remeasured and USATF certified with a new finish area and Ledge Road out-and-back, over 2,000 finishers, five charity partners and local volunteers.
- Patch NewportRaced 2019 · article · Mixed
2019 race-day coverage: the winners said wind off the coast made the course harder.
Raced Amica Newport Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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