Ring That PR Bell! Rhode Races Newport Half Marathon recap

"Disclaimer: I received free entry to the Rhode RacesNewport Half Marathon as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!"

Newport is one of my favorite towns on the East coast. With absolutely breathtaking views and awesome food, it's hard not to love it!

I originally decided to run the Rhode Races Newport Half Marathon as a training run to help prepare for the New Jersey Half Marathon at the end of the month. I had a 12 miler scheduled and felt 13.1 was appropriate to go for(plus I need more bling!)

Race day came and I was up at 4:45am to get out of the house by 5:15am at the latest. I had decided to do race day packet pickup (something I swore I would never do again!) because people who ran the race previously said it was so easy and quick. The race warned runners to try and get down earlier in the week to get their packets, but I did not heed their warnings.

When I got to Newport (or rather Middletown, as that’s where runners had to park) it was a gorgeous, sunny day. The wind off the water was not super strong and I felt great! I had met fellow BRP Joe (caffienefeen.blogspot.com) and he was wonderful company on the bus ride and in line for packet pickup. Thanks Joe!

BRPs waiting in the loooonnng packet pickup line

I had plans to take the race slow, really treat it like a training run. I had discussed this with a lot of people, telling them “No, I definitely have no expectations. I’m not looking for a PR.” Even when the starting gun went off I told myself to take it slow, enjoy the views, stick with the 2:45 pacer.

The run up the 75 foot hill at the very beginning felt strong. I hit mile 1 and was surprised at my time, but told myself to slow down or burn out my legs early. So I thought I did. And then I kept hitting faster and faster mile times and still felt strong.

By mile 7 I decided to really go for it. I was calculating what my projected finish time might be given my 6.5 mile time and realized I could maybe PR. That wasn’t the plan, but I was still feeling strong so I decided to just lay it all on the line.

My legs continued to feel amazing, the scenery couldn’t get any better, and the crowd support was fun. At mile 11 I checked my watch and knew what pace I needed to maintain to PR. My legs were starting to feel heavy, but I wanted it so bad so I dug deep and pushed. I might have even yelled to myself “GET IT! DON’T QUIT!” Mile 12 was a downhill blur and I literally sprinted to the finish.

I am proud to say I hit a 3 min half marathon PR (2:19:50) and could not be happier! I didn’t expect it, I didn’t necessarily even want it at the beginning of the race, but here I am. It’s taken me 2 years to PR again and I am absolutely ecstatic! Newport did NOT disappoint and I can’t wait to come back next year!

PR! PR! PR!

And of course, I need some proof of my PR so I jumped on to Athlinks and claimed that shiny result! Athlinks is an awesome way to track all results for your races, and I always use it to figure out what goals I should shoot for next. I definitely suggest creating an account and claiming your results too. Share your Athlinks profile link in the comments below and I’ll follow you!

Read more about my experience with Rhode Races Newport below:

Registration: Registration was quite simple for this race. Registration prices can vary greatly between $50-$80 online based on when you register. As it gets closer to the race online registration prices increase, as it happens with most other races. I think this year there were VERY limited (if any at all!) spaces to register at the expo. I heard somewhere in the ballpark of 15 spots!

Expo/Packet Pickup: I was unable to attend the expo prior to race day, but I really wish I would have made the drive down to Newport. In previous years I had heard the packet pickup for Newport was easy with hardly any lines. I'm not sure what they changed this year, but it was probably the most nerve wracking part of my day. I got in line with plenty of time until the race and ended up running to the front of the line (sorry!) because the race was about to start. It was confusing as one line branched into gear check and there were 5k runners looking to get their bibs too. I had promised myself I would never do another race day packet pickup again after Providence last year...I wish I listened to myself. In all fairness though, Rhode Races DID warn everyone to try and come ahead of time if at all possible as they were expecting long lines on race day. I just didn't listen.

Swag: All runners received a short sleeved technical shirt in men's or women's cut. The design on it this year was super cute and very nautical (appropriate!). I really love the feel of it and can't wait to rock it on future runs. All half marathon and marathon finishers also got a GORGEOUS medal! They really outdid themselves in my opinion!

Start Line: I did not spend a lot of time in the starting corrals before the race started (maybe 2 mins tops) as I was waiting to get my bib. But everyone was asked to self seed based on projected finish times. There were also pacer groups spread out throughout the start.

Course: Wow, this one is a doozy! There was 400 ft elevation gain, which might not sound like a ton to some people from more mountainous regions, but for a girl from Cape Cod, it was really something. The first mile had a 70 ft climb and it felt like from then on things were generally uphill. Though it was generally uphill, besides the first big climb I felt like everything else was gentler and manageable. The course itself was absolutely stunning. It took you along some of the most famous streets in Newport as well as a nice long stretch down Ocean Drive with gorgeous breaking waves, sea air, and wonderfully expensive houses. That was definitely my favorite part! The crowd support along the middle of the course was sparse, but locals were definitely out and cheering throughout the 13.1 miles.

Aid Stations: There was an aid station every 1.5 miles (or so). They were well stocked with water at every station and Gatorade at every other station. There was 2 station with blocks and gels. The volunteers at the stations were so wonderful and encouraging.

Parking: Parking was not allowed at the start/finish line which is understandable. There was plenty of free parking in a nearby industrial park with shuttles to the start. The shuttles ran relatively regularly and got us to the start line on time.

Race Management: Rhode Races is such an amazing company. They have a strong social media presence to keep runners informed and they also sent out a ton of emails leading up to race day with important information and athlete guides.