Breakers Marathon?

It is getting pretty popular...keeps growing every year.

The course is probably the most scenic course you will find in New England. I did a lot of long run training on the roads they use and it is pretty flat. Did I mention that the course is scenic? You start out on America's Cup Ave and quickly turn down Thames St. The course winds around Newport Harbor to Ocean Drive...about 5 miles of ocean front running here. The rest of the course is just as nice and the miles seem to melt away as you look around.

I put down the $$ for it last month. Looking forward to it!

DO IT!

VM

I ran Breakers last year and if you like small marathons, this is a pretty good one to run.  The course is quite scenic with the first half hugging the shore line and the second half on country roads in Middletown.  Do not, I repeat, DO NOT underestimate those hills in Middletown on the second half of the course as they really kicked my butt.  I trained for a 3:20 and ended up with a 3:32 (the heat probably had something to do with it too, and the fact that I had just moved to Newport from Anchorage, AK about a month before this race).  Two girls who ran the first half of the course slower than I did, passed me around mile 18 going up a hill and probably finished around 3:20.  Don't go out too fast especially since the first half is so flat and scenic.  So, I recommend some hill repeats or at least finishing every long run on a hill (up Memorial Dr. from Easton's Beach if you live in Newport).

Last year the temps were about 65F to start and quite humid.  Hopefully it won't be the same this year.   I've run 6 marathons total (plus 2 ultras) and at least in the marathons the fueling stations are usually 2 miles apart.  At Breakers, they were like 3 miles a part!!!  Be prepared for that especially under hot/humid conditions.  I was quite disappointed that hydration was spaced that far apart.  I hope they improve that this year.

Don't expect lots of crowd support, but you have 800+ other runners and great scenery, so who needs crowds.   With it being such a small race, you can almost literally toe the starting line, which is cool.  All in all, a great race and I loved the fact that I could walk from my house to the start and walk home from the finish.   BUT, if I wasn't moving to San Diego here soon, I'd run the Cape Cod Marathon on October 26th this year - http://www.capecodmarathon.com/.  You may want to check out the website at least.