Spend a weekend at the coast for the 2025 Newport Marathon & Half

I lived in Newport for 5 years as a kid, and sometimes I still miss the vibe of coastal life. The Newport Marathon/Half Marathon is on my list of races I’d like to do, if only for the excuse to take a weekend away to enjoy at the beach. Also, if you do decide to do this race, you will need to pick up your race packet the day before the race, so this is a great excuse to enjoy the beauty of the coast beforehand.

This year, the Newport Marathon/Half Marathon is on Sunday, June 1^st and hopefully the weather will be perfect. You never know what the day will bring, but June at the coast has the  definite potential to be epic.

Another benefit of this race? It’s pretty flat, starting at about 60 feet above sea level with only one short hill at mile 4 and a “flat to finish” end. The marathon is also certified and sanctioned by the USATF, and therefore a Boston Marathon qualifier. There’s a lot of potential to PR here too.

The race starts at Yaquina Bay State Park at the historic lighthouse (rumored to be haunted!) Runners will head north alongside the ocean through many Newport neighborhoods, traveling over some gentle hills before heading back to the start under the Yaquina Bay Bridge and through the fishing village. Check out everything about the course here.

There are aid stations about every two miles with portable toilets, water, Gatorade, band aids, and Vaseline. There will be bananas and oranges at one aid station, but runners are encouraged to bring whatever food they trained with on race day. However, there will be oyster shooters at mile 11 and 19, so don’t miss those if you’re up to the challenge!!

This race is one that you should give a try at least once!!