The race is held on the old Navy Air Station in Brunswick, ME. When you are there, be sure to get a Lobstah Roll!! And be sure to bring layers to dress warmly. It was the "nicest" weather in all 5 years according to the race director in 2015. It was raining and windy. I just happened to notice that the 2016 race has been moved 3 weeks later in the month...

The swag: the medal was shockingly large and pretty fantastic! The medal features a plane and the propeller actually moves. I was surprised how large the medal was and felt like a real winner when they placed it around my neck at the finish.

The race scenery was pretty cool. The overall terrain was mostly flat. I wish I had been in PR shape, because this was a FAST course. Maybe next year... The coolest part is running out on a still functional runway...but be ready for a significant headwind in one direction. That said, my entire day was made when an actual commercial jet liner was taking off on the runway adjacent to the one we were running AS I WAS RUNNING. Seriously... you can't beat that.

Parking was fantastic and the race was very well managed. Plenty of parking all around the start/finish and the race started right on time (late starts are my pet peeve). There were plenty of aid stations with happy and cheering volunteers. I was impressed with the level support out on the course.

Even with the weather and wind, I would strongly recommend this race to anyone. The flat course makes is prone to PR if you show up with that in mind (and they had pacers, btw). And when else are you going to be able to run on an ACTIVE RUNWAY? A great experience and a fun race.

Bottom Line Up Front: I'm doing this again next year. Without a doubt!

I signed up for this race at the last moment... but was very pleansantly surprised by the entire event.

PRE-RACE: Packet-pick up was easy to get to and basic--get bib and shirt and a couple other grab-bag type items. There was no real expo to speak of... I was there less than 5 minutes and out.

PARKING: Since the race was at a park, there was PLENTY of parking. I arrived about 60 minutes prior to race start time of 0900hrs. I was able to park within 100yards of the start/finish. Most runners arrived after I did and still were able to find better parking than I have had for most any other race.

BATHROOMS: There were several porto-johns available for use...

COURSE: The start was a bit narrow and crowded. The park's road at that point was only wide enough for a single car and getting over 500 runners into that space was crowded, to say the least.

The rest of the course was beautiful...and fast. The route was comprised of 2 loops, each run 2 times (i.e. 4 total loops). The smaller of the two loops was about 1.5 miles and was done twice in a row. After the first two smaller loops the larger 5 mile loop was then done twice. Some people did not care for the looping aspect, however, I enjoyed that the race allowed me to recon the entire course WHILE I was running it! The added bonus was that you went by the start 4 times... and that means PEOPLE. CHEERING PEOPLE! Every lap was like the starting rush all over again! Morever, I knew EXACTLY what the finish was going to be like right down to the crack in the road. So, by the time I was really coming to the finish I had my line and was able to run the final hill and to the finish smartly.

I did not set out to run fast, but the course was easy to keep my pace. I PR'd and was absolutely not expecting that when I woke up that morning. I had heard the course was "flat and fast". I'll agree with "FAST", but there were some slight rolling hills and a good/fair climb around mile 6 (and 11 because it was in the larger loop--again, I ran it much better the second time because I knew where it was and how long it was). I'm hoping to set a land-speed record here next year!! (well...for me anyway).

FINISH: The finish was just off the road and toward the parking lot. It naturally narrowed...which was fine when I got there someone by myself. There was only 1 person handing out finisher medals and they were about 30 feet beyond the finish. It appeared they were trying to stay out of the way of the race photographer that was planted firmly in the middle of the finishing path...about 10 feet behind where I was sprinting my heart out! Again, fine when I get there by myself. It seemed a little more hectic when the finishers arrived in groups. Perhaps having more than 1 medal presenter and having them on both sides would have been more efficient/effective.

AID STATIONS: Of course, because of the loops, there were aid stations every couple miles. Well manned and enthusiastic supporters.

POST RACE: The race results were posted very quickly. The post race food was varied and abundant! (very good!!) Finally, the exit was not incumbered either... great parking upon arrival AND easy exit route that did not interfere with the course or any run/walkers still on the course.

The BLING: Yes... we all know, the joy of running is its own reward. But why not get some cool bling as well! The finishers medal was well made and solid. It was formed in the race logo and pretty large. Given the relatively cheap cost to run, I did not expect such a nice medal.

COST: Great cost. I registered within the last days prior to the race and had no problems AND paid less than I have for other races that I got the early registration discount to run.

I absolutely want to do this again next year. And because I get to loop past the starting point a few times, it is the rare race that permits my son to be there and cheer me on. I'm a big fan of this race.

Bottom Line: This was a fun race with a FANTASTIC Post Race Party!

Pre-Race: Good Communication before the race.

Race Day: The weather was COLD! But definitely got nicer as the day progressed. I really liked that the race started at 0700 rather than a later start time (I've been seeing 0900 start times recently to "allow for warmer running temps"...no thanks, I'll just wear another layer!). Big PROPS to the race organizers too. The starting line was great and the race started right on time! That's a big plus.

Parking: The race started/finished at the Navy-Marine Corps Stadium. There was plenty of parking.

Post-Race: Great festival and music following the race. They were serving warm chilli at the finish as well-much appreciated after running in temps below 30F.

Course: The course started out running through downtown Annapolis. What a view! It was relatively flat and fast through the first 5 miles or so. Then it headed out into some hills. Not the worst hills I've run, but best to be prepared. The hills continued through about mile 11 or so.

Course(part 2): Three "out and back" sections. While the course was generally beautiful, there were 3 sections that were out and back. One even had you run ACROSS the other runners going the other direction! Fortunately, I was able to see a spot and jet across the roadway, but I'm sure that was a disaster when there were crowds in both directions.

The second out and back had all the bigger hills.

Swag: The medal was nice and large with a great image of Annapolis. The race "shirts" or "premiums" could only be picked up in the runners tent following the race (a nice touch, really). They were long sleeve running jackets. I'll definitely be wearing this one as we move into the winter weather.

This was a great race and they gave a discount for military personnel. There were USNA Midshipmen throughout the course and as would be expected, they were shouting, "GO NAVY!" throughout to the runners. It was fun atmosphere and you just can't hardly beat the scenery of Annapolis. Definitely a great race and one I recommend to anyone that is in the Maryland area.

Bottom Line Up Front: If you want to have a relatively fast race with the chance to brag about placing in your age group... Do THIS race!

First off... this was a COOOOOLD day. Rain/snow and generally miserable weather... that dissuaded a lot of people from coming out race that day. However, for those of us that sucked it up (and dressed warm), the views of the fall foliage in central Mass were amazing.
Race day was miserable and cold. That's not the race organizer's fault. The good was the location...there was a gym with showers and lockers for use to the runners at the start/finish. And Parking was more than sufficient for the racers (and even those that decided to stay home when they saw the actual weather).

PRE-RACE: There was no expo. This is always a little disappointing since the EXPO is where you get a lot of cool stuff and ideas for upcoming races. That said, the field was so small (less than 150 for the HALF and 5K combined) that an EXPO would probably have been a non-starter. Instead, during race packet pick-up, they hosted a FREE PASTA DINNER. Nice touch and a good way to relax with other runners.

START: The start was a little hectic. Not very many people, so it worked out well. Although they did start the 5K and the Half runners simultaneously, I would have liked to see those starts staggered by 15 minutes or so.

COURSE: The course was generally well marked. Generally. There were a couple points where I was confused about where to go. The 5K and Half ran together for over a mile. Then they split… I saw several runners a tad confused about which direction to go. Also, there were a few of places with short "out and back" or "neighborhood loops". This got confusing when getting all turned around and I was left confused as to which sign I was supposed to follow. I almost went back into a 2 mile loop mistakenly…glad I didn’t, but I know a guy that did 
The remainder of the course was better marked and just basically followed the road.
There were some decent hills, but nothing to break a runner’s will.

FINISH: The finish went down a muddy trail/road that was full of water filled pot-holes. Honestly, it’s a miracle no one twisted an ankle or worse. There was no chip timer used either. I was not a fan of the time recorder that casually wrote down my time for the “official” results—my “gun time” on my watch was 18 seconds faster. I’m not talking about the GPS distance (which I know can vary), I’m talking about the fact that they guy took 18 seconds to record my time then used THAT time rather than the one I saw at the finish (which did match my watch time). I guess that’s a long way of saying, manual error resulted in an inaccurate “official” time.

COST: Super great price. In fact, that’s why I registered and I’d do it again at that price!
The finishers’ medal was a tad disappointing. It was basically a generic medallion with a sticker with the race logo…biggest disappointment was it was the same for the 5K and the Half. (could have at least printed 2 stickers…)

The “INTAGIBLES”: Everyone I interacted with was fantastic. Other runners were friendly, pleasant and nice. The race officials and the race organizer couldn’t be nicer. In fact, the race organizer was the one cooking for the Pasta Dinner and having a great time doing so!

Overall, this was a “good” race. If you like the feeling of a small runner field or hate HUGE crowded races…this is the PERFECT race for you.

BOTTOM LINE: The best race I’ve ever done. The most scenic and wonderfully amazing views. I will be doing this every year I live here and probably travel back after I move away.

PRE-RACE: The EXPO was pretty small compared to others I have seen. However, there was A LOT of stuff there to check out. Plenty of volunteers around to assist and help everyone get their race packet and check-out the gear. There were 3 colours of shirts available so you could choose between GREEN, Black or Blue (I’m a Sparty Alum...so GREEN it was!!)

COURSE: The course is amazing. I live near it, so enjoy the beauty of being able to run those roads on a regular basis. The race runs thru downtown Newport a bit, then by Fort Adams, out to the Ocean and around some amazing views (of both the ocean and homes), then up thru the historic row of Mansions, then though Salve Regina University and finishing on a downhill run to the beach. You just can NOT get bored while running this race. Plus with the FULL Marathon beginning prior to the Half, the course is filled with other runners throughout.

There are some rolling hills and a couple not so rolling hills, but overall, I would not say it's a "hilly" course. But certainly not flat.

AID STATIONS: There were several aid stations throughout the course and they were all very well manned. The volunteers were fun and enthusiastic. The gatorade and water were clearly identified so you could get whichever you wanted (or both).


T-shirt/Medal: Choice of shirt was nice. The medals were very nice.

PARKING: No on-site parking was available. There were buses that transported runners to and from the race starting location. They had several buses so there was not really much waiting there. The shuttle service seemed to be well managed and ran smoothly.

Race Management: This was part of a 3-race Triple Crown Series managed by the same company/group. Every one of the races started late--not just a couple minutes...15 to 20 or more. This is my pet-peeve. I thought the rest of the race and post race festivities were well done, but I just can’t give 5 stars when there is a late start.

POST-RACE: The beer was great. The food was just a pile of pizzas and/or bananas. After a well run half marathon, I CAN eat just about anything, however, I would like a couple additional options... but again... the beer was fabulous! The Local Brewery was there to provide libations and refreshments following the race.

OVERALL: Newport, RI, is one of the most beautiful and historic cities in the United States. If you ever get the chance to come in October (or plan to come, choose Oct), then you should work your trip to allow you to run the Newport Half (or FULL).