Newport Marathon (RI)

The Newport Marathon features a scenic, rolling road course that highlights the coastal topography of Aquidneck Island. The total elevation gain is about 842 feet, with a minimum altitude of sea level and a peak elevation of about 100 feet.

The looped, paved course begins at Easton's Beach in Newport, Rhode Island, and takes runners through historic neighborhoods and coastal corridors before looping back to a beachside finish at the same location. The first half of the route guides the field past the Gilded Age mansions of Bellevue Avenue and around the jagged ocean borders of Newport, while the second half branches out into the quiet, rural backroads of Middletown.

Achieving your time goal requires strategic pacing, starting with the iconic ocean views along the rocky coastlines of Fort Adams State Park and Brenton Point State Park. While stunning, these waterfront miles leave runners fully exposed to morning sun and open Atlantic winds. The half marathon field splits away mid-race, leaving full marathoners to tackle the quiet, less crowded rural roads of Middletown on the back half. It is here that the rolling hills become particularly dense, featuring a succession of modest climbs on local roads like Indian Avenue and Paradise Avenue.

A sensible racing strategy requires strict effort regulation through the first half to conserve energy for the rolling hills of Middletown after mile 13. Overextending on the early stretches while fighting the coastal winds can quickly exhaust runners' energy reserves before they encounter the late-stage climbs.