Running News Daily

The Newport Marathon will not take place in 2022 due to a number of operational risks, but will return in 2023

The event was scheduled for Sunday, October 9, but that has now been shelved by organizers Run 4 Wales (R4W).

It will now return to its regular spring slot in the running calendar on Sunday, April 16, 2023.

"A return to the pre-pandemic date is in the best interests of both the participants and all key stakeholders," said R4W chief executive Matt Newman.

Runners already signed up for the event will be able to transfer into the rescheduled races free of charge or request a refund.

Newman offered his apologies and said he hoped people would understand the decision, which was made in consultation with Newport City Council and other key stakeholders.

"The new date will provide an opportunity to relaunch the event, remove a number of operational risks which arise from the late October date and ensure a high-quality event experience can be delivered," Newman said.

"Moving the event out of the congested autumn running calendar gives us the time and opportunity to work alongside Newport City Council and other potential partner organizations with a view to growing the event.

"We apologize to everyone who had signed up for the event and hope you understand that a return to the pre-pandemic date is in the best interests of both the participants and all key stakeholders."

Organizers said the decision had been taken as early as possible to give participants maximum notice before their training has commenced.

R4W and Newport City Council originally signed a three-year agreement for the event, which has grown in popularity and seen that original agreement extended.

That covered three races in 2018, 2019 and 2021, with the 2020 edition delayed a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Amica Newport Marathon, BankNewport 10 Miler, and Ocean Road 10K have all been named in the top 100 races in the USA by online racing resource Bib Raves

After a popular voting round followed by a judged round, these three events have secured top spots in their categories. All three events are annually produced by Portsmouth-based Gray Matter Marketing.

“It’s such a great feeling to have our runners nominate us to receive national recognition for events that we work hard on, and are very proud of,” says Lisa McCurdy, Director of Communications at Gray Matter Marketing. “The local support for our events has been outstanding, and runners from around the country and across the globe come to Rhode Island to not only run our races, but to enjoy visiting our beautiful state.”

The Amica Newport Marathon & Half Marathon was named as one of the top 20 half marathons in the USA. The race, which is scheduled for October 11th, 2020, is a gorgeous tour of Newport’s most stunning running routes, from downtown on Thames street out on to Ocean Drive and back through Bellevue Ave. to Easton’s Beach for a stunning seaside finish. The race regularly attracts more than 3,000 runners annually, many from out of state. In 2019 alone, the race raised more than $150,000 for local and regional nonprofits through direct donations and runner fundraising.

The BankNewport 10 Miler and Ocean Road 10K were both named in the top 20 races with a distance of 10 miles or less. The eigth annual BankNewport 10 Miler will be on May 31st, 2020, starting and finishing at Fort Adams and following the loop of Ocean Drive. The race benefits the Boys and Girls Club of Newport County and the Fort Adams Trust, and is a part of a three-race New England 10 Miler series with the other events in Portland, Maine and Stowe, Vermont.

The Ocean Road 10K, also celebrating its eighth year in 2020, is in Narragansett, Rhode Island on October 4th. Benefitting the Narragansett Historical Society, the course is flat and fast, running one-way from Point Judith Lighthouse to Narragansett Town Beach. The Ocean Road 10K has grown exponentially in popularity each year, selling out in late summer despite an increase in the field size. The event is expected to sell out again in 2020. 

In addition, for the second year in a row, RaceRaves has named the Amica Newport Marathon and Half Marathon as the top event in Rhode Island for its distance; in 2018, the online race review website ranked the best marathons by state, and this year the site ranked the half marathons.