It was a typical Newport Fall morning on Sunday, October 13th — except at Easton’s Beach, where runners from near and far gathered beneath the rising sun to line up and run 13.1 or 26.2 miles through Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth. By midday, thousands of feet had crossed the finish line at Easton’s Beach to the smiles and cheers of spectators, volunteers, and other runners, and collected their finisher’s medals — more than 3,400 pairs of feet, to be exact, making the 2024 Amica Newport Marathon the largest in the event’s 15-year history.
Christopher Collet (Providence, RI) was the first to break a finish tape, topping the podium for the men’s half marathon in just 1 hour, 11 minutes, 52 seconds. William Olseh (Porstmouth, RI) came in second, with William Ballard (South Kingstown, RI) finishing third.
On the women’s side of the half marathon, Amy Haas (Columbus, OH) set a new course record of 1 hour, 19 minutes and 23 seconds. When Hass crossed the finish line, she also completed a years-long goal of running a half marathon in every state in the US — Rhode Island being her 50th state. Mary Kate Randolf (Brooklyn, NY) and Ally Spiroff (Brooklyn, NY) completed the women’s half marathon podium in second and third, respectively.
In the men’s marathon, Tim O’Neill (Brookline, MA) stormed across the marathon finish line in 2 hours, 37 minutes, 49 seconds, setting a new course record on the men’s side for 26.2. Patrick Cooper (Newport, RI) finished in second (2:43:55) and Matt Meinema (Fort Wayne, IN) in third (2:47:31).
Kelsi Chappell confidently took the top spot in the women’s marathon, with a finish time of 2 hours, 48 minutes, and 53 seconds, earning her not only a course record but the first time a woman has run a sub-three-hour marathon on the Newport course. Chappell, who ran in support of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, also won the 2018 and 2017 women’s Amica Newport Half Marathons. Hazel Wyness (Westhill, Aberdeenshire, Scotland) finished the women’s marathon in 3:06:08, earning a second place podium spot and perhaps kudos for furthest travel. Becca Pizzi (Belmont, MA), completed the women’s podium in 3:09:18.
Overall, more than 3,400 runners completed both distances combined, taking in iconic Newport sights such as Thames Street, Brenton Point, Ocean Drive, Bellevue Avenue, Surfer’s End, Sachuest Wildlife Refuge, Hanging Rock, and more. Year after year, runners from near and far remark on the stunning scenery along the route, making the grueling miles of long-distance running just a little bit better.
The Amica Newport Marathon and Half Marathon partners with five local charity partners — The Newport Tree Conservancy, The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, Boys Town New England, the Newport County YMCA and the Aquidneck Land Trust. Each of these organizations recruited runners to participate in the race on their teams, fundraised for their causes, and provided volunteers throughout the weekend. In addition, local nonprofits, teams and groups volunteer their time and energy on race day to fulfill numerous on-course support roles. 11th Hour Racing provided sustainability-related initiatives and oversight in an effort to reduce environmental impact. The Amica Newport Marathon team extends its sincerest gratitude to those volunteers as well as staff and first responders who keep our runners safe and the day going smoothly.
More detailed event information is available at newportmarathon.com. The 2025 event is scheduled for October 12th, 2025 and registration will open in the coming weeks.
