Frequently Asked Questions
There is NO parking at the start/finish. Full Marathon parking will be located at Second Beach, 475 Sachuest Point Rd. Middletown, RI. Half Marathon and 5k Parking Lot will be located at Industrial Park, 31 John Clarke Rd. Middletown, RI. Shuttles will run continuously starting at 5 am, with a break from 6:30am to 8:30am for the start of the race.
***THE LAST SHUTTLE BEFORE THE START OF THE RACE IS AT 6:30 AM.
Allow yourself plenty of time to park, take the shuttle, and pick up your race bib and timing chip.
Please do not get dropped off right on Memorial Blvd at the beach as this causes a great deal of traffic backup. We recommend getting dropped off at the intersection of Aquidneck Ave and Valley Rd. in Middletown or at the intersection of Middleton and Memorial Blvd in Newport. There is NO RACE PARKING within one mile of the start/finish. You will be towed from local businesses if you park in their lots.
ONLY Participants are allowed on the shuttles from the Middletown parking lots.
Finally, while we love our 4 legged friends, dogs are not allowed on the shuttles, please leave them at home for this event. Thank you for your cooperation with this.
Yes, there are time limits. The Half Marathon has a walker-friendly time limit of 3.5 hours and the Marathon time limit is 6 hours. Because of our strict time limit on the race with our partner communities, if your estimated finish time is greater than 5.5 hours - you will be assigned to the Early Start corral. Please see below for more details.
Yes. All races are chip-timed and will have starting mats. Both gun time and chip time will be provided. We have partnered with RaceJoy to provide a comprehensive race communication experience. One feature of this robust app is live athlete tracking using your smartphone. Click here to learn more. You can also sign up for text alerts when you pass by timing mats. Please click on RESULTS NOTIFICATIONS from your registration - https://runsignup.com/Race/FindARunner/?raceId=34170
You may pick up your bib and register for the race at these times/locations:
Thursday from 4:00 pm-7:00 pm at Rhode Runner, 657 N. Main St, Providence
Friday from 1:00 pm-7:00 pm - TBD, Newport
Saturday from 5:45 am-7:45 am at Easton’s Beach.
*****PLEASE NOTE - YOU MUST PICK UP YOUR BIB IN ADVANCE OF RACE DAY unless you reserved Race Day bib pick up when registering. You will be asked to show confirmation on race morning that you have selected this option. YOU MUST HAVE A PHOTO ID for bib pickup.
Runners need to show a driver’s license when picking up their race packet. When picking up a packet for a friend you need a signed note from the runner and a photocopy of their license. You can take a photo of the ID and note and text or email it to the person picking up. ****IMPORTANT - if you reserved Race Day bib pick up, you can ONLY pick up for yourself.
With the registration fee, you will receive an entry in the race, an official race shirt (sizes limited after January 1), on-course support, free race photos, RaceJoy Athlete Tracking, and finishers will receive a medal (half and full marathon), one free beer in the Whaler’s Beer Garden, post-race massages courtesy of Pappas/OPT, finish line food and beverage.
Medals will be awarded to all full and half-marathon finishers. All participants will receive a shirt, as shirt orders are placed very early in the registration cycle, shirt sizes are only guaranteed before January 1st.
Yes, we will distribute awards once most of our age group categories have filled in or the full marathon, half, and 5k. For all 3 distances, we will award the Top 3 Overall Open and Female as well as:
-
Top 3 Place Open/Women (age 19 and under)
-
Top 3 Place Open/Women (age 20-29)
-
Top 3 Place Open/Women (age 30-39)
-
Top 3 Place Open/Women (age 40-49)
-
Top 3 Place Open/Women (age 50-59)
-
Top 3 Place Open/Women (age 60-69)
-
Top 3 Place Open/Women (age 70-79)
-
Top Aged 80+ Open
*Must be present for awards.
Yes, the full and half marathon courses are USATF certified.
Yes, the Marathon is a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon. If you obtain your BQ at the Newport marathon, please visit the award tent for a special memento of your accomplishment.
Aid stations are located throughout the half and full marathon course at approximate 2-mile intervals. Please reference the course map for exact locations. Aid stations will have water and an Nuun Hydration. Some additional aid stations will have Gu energy gels and bananas.
There will be a gear bag check at the start of the Marathon and Half Marathon. All gear must be placed in bags (not provided by the race, please provide your own) and any unattended bags will be discarded. Please do not leave anything valuable in our gear check, as Rhode Races & Events are not responsible for lost or damaged items. Any clothing discarded at the start of the race or on course will be held for one week and then donated to a local group home.
The course is moderately hilly. You can go to our website to check out the elevation map under the tab “Course.” Please visit the “Course” tab on the website for full elevation and turn-by-turn directions.
Yes - RI DMAT will be located at mile 6 and ~mile 19 as well as at the finish line. Middletown Rescue will be at mile 15/24. Aid stations will have assistance.
Yes, there will be pacers running the half and full marathon for various finishing times. Look for them, they will be wearing signs. Pacers will provide pace for a marathon time of 3:30, 3:45, 4:00, 4:30, and 5:00. The half marathon will have pacers at 1:40, 1:50, 2 hrs., 2:15, 2:30 and 2:45.
To find the race hotels, click on the “Travel” tab on the Rhode Races Newport homepage - www.RhodeRaces.com/events/Newport
Pre-registration closes at 6 pm on the Wednesday before the race, this is also the last day for shirt selection and to defer or transfer. After this time, you can still register online, up until 15 mins before the race starts, or until we run out of space. Our registration page will count down the number of bibs left once we are under 100.
As part of our sustainable initiatives, we encourage a bring-your-own hydration option as this means fewer cups and bottles as part of our event.
While earphones are not banned, we discourage their use in the race for the safest experience for you and your fellow participants
No. Dogs and strollers are not permitted in the race due to insurance and safety precautions for our participants. As much as we love babies and pets, you will be removed from the race if you are running with either a stroller or a dog. Please make other arrangements.
Yes. Select the “Courses” tab on the race website home page. www.RhodeRaces.com/events/Newport
No. Newport is a popular destination and our permit does not allow us to close roads. We do create coned running lanes. For your safety and the consideration of the community in which we run, we do require that you stay within these coned running lanes
You can change your race distance at any time, right up until the morning of the race, provided there is still room in the new distance. If you are registered for the full marathon and only complete the half distance, by USATF rules, you are considered a DNF and will not be awarded an official finish time nor medal.
You can process this change yourself before you pick up your bib.
Here are the steps to Transfer Races
1. Sign In to RunSignUp
2. Go to your Profile
3. Click My Registered Races
4. Click Manage Registration next to the registration that you would like to transfer your event for
5. Click the Transfer Event menu item
6. Click the Start Transfer button
7. Select your new Event from the Event Drop-Down
8. Agree to the Waiver and click Continue
(Here's a link as well to help you claim your registration and merge it to your account:
https://runsignup.com/How-To/Claim-an-Account)
There is a video link here that shows the procedure - https://runsignup.com/How-To/Transfer-To-Another-Event
You are welcome to defer your entry to next year or transfer to any race in our portfolio, within one year of your original event, or transfer your bib to another runner. The deferral or transfer process must be completed before pre-registration closes (6pm on Wednesday before the race) and there is a small fee to complete this transfer.
To defer to the same race next year, please follow these steps:
1. Sign In to RunSignUp
2. Go to your Profile
3. Click My Registered Races
4. Click Manage next to the registration that you would like to transfer your event for
5. Click the Defer menu item
To transfer to another race within one calendar year of the original race -
1. Sign In to RunSignUp
2. Go to your Profile
3. Click My Registered Races
4. Click View/Edit next to the registration that you would like to transfer
5. Click the Transfer to Another Race or Transfer Bib menu item
6. Find the race that you would like to transfer into and click the Start Transfer button
7. Register for the new race, and your Race Transfer Credit will be applied at the checkout
No. If you cross the finish line twice, the slower time will be recorded.
Due to the size of this race, it is not allowed. We would like to give all our participants ample room to finish safely.
No, bicycles are not permitted on the course. It impedes runners and our safety and security personnel. Additionally, it is unsafe with the course open to traffic.
Yes. There will be port-a-johns at the start and located at every aid station on the course, generally every 2 miles. Please see the course map.
Please click here for our full policy.
The race will occur on all occasions except in the cases of extreme weather. These extreme cases include thunderstorms, hurricanes, and high heat and humidity. We communicate regularly with local EMS teams to determine when to call a race. If the need to call the race happens once the start has occurred, we will use the Event Alert System, or EAS, a color-coded method of quickly communicating to participants the potential for adverse weather conditions that can affect the race event. A series of color codes is used to indicate the increasing severity of adverse conditions as outlined below. Flags will be hung at aid stations to match the alert needed. The system could also be used to warn of other potentially dangerous situations, such as cold, storms, tornadoes, or even non-weather situations like auto accidents, fires, or civil unrest on or near the course. On-course personnel, course marshals, and aid stations will be informed of the course shutdown so that they can then communicate the information to participants on course.
To encourage more people to pick up in advance of race day, we are charging a nominal fee for race day bib pick-up. This is to ensure we plan for the correct amount of participants planning on picking up on race morning, limit the number of people picking up on race morning to ensure we can get everyone checked in quickly, and offset any costs associated with picking up early. We apologize for this inconvenience but we hope to ensure a smooth race day for all of our participants with proper planning.
To add on Race Day bib pick up after you have registered:
-
Sign In to RunSignUp
-
Go to your Profile
-
Click My Registered Races
-
Click Manage next to the registration that you are editing
-
Click Add-On menu item - if you have already reserved Race Day Bib Pick up, it will be reflected here.
-
Edit the quantity of the Add-On that you would like
-
Click Continue
Our race officially has a time limit of 6 hours. However - we do have an early starters option for those that need extra time, the start time for the early starters is 6:30am. While the course is not yet supported and secure, it does allow you an extra hour to finish, we feel it is better to have more support at the end, rather than in the beginning.
A couple notes about this - the course is not yet supported but is still getting set up. We just ask you stay on the sidewalks until we officially start at 7:30a. The route is marked but it will be important to be familiar with the first few miles. Aid station supplies will be in place but the volunteers may not arrive until a bit later. Finally, you would be ineligible for Age Group Awards and if you finish in under 4.5 hours, you risk disqualification. Just some FYIs.
Because of our strict timelines with the municipality, everyone with an estimated finish of <5.5 hours will automatically be assigned to the Early Start corral.
Littering along the course is strictly prohibited, especially gel packets and their tops. We provide trash cans at aid stations as well as smaller buckets at every mile marker. Please dispose of your trash in these receptacles and not on the roads, beaches or private property. We are lucky enough to be allowed to run in these beautiful locations, but we must respect our neighbors and our environment. Any runner caught littering will be disqualified.
Bandits are those who run the race without a bib, ie they did not pay an entry fee. Bandits are effectively stealing from the race organizers and other runners in the race. A race is a carefully orchestrated event with allocated resources such as medals, shirts, water, nutrition, etc planned down to the participant level. If a number of unplanned participants join the race, they take away these valuable resources from those that did pay. Water, nutrition, hydration are in particular huge concerns when unplanned runners take from those entered. Additionally, many of our events are capped as the course can only hold a certain number of runners for the safety of the participants and the residents. When someone runs a marathon, every extra step counts and having unregistered runners on the course takes away from those that are legally entered into the race. Finally, if something were to happen to an unregistered participant, we do not have their emergency contact information, or any method to determine who this participant is and how to contact their next of kin. As a result, anyone found running without a bib will be removed from the race course immediately and banned from all future Rhode Races.
YES! Individuals can refer 3 friends using their unique referral code and receive $15 back - or - for larger groups of 10 or more, each member of the group will receive $5 to $15 in refunds, depending on the size of the group! Sign up on the same team for the refund to be automatically applied when thresholds are reached.
Please visit RunSignup.com/profile to verify your race entry and make any changes - profile updates, upgrades/downgrades, transfers, deferrals, etc.
There are no age restrictions but you must show your ID when picking up your bib.
