Team Relay:

Create or Join Your 3-5 Person Marathon Team.

TEAM REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED

Team Relay Details
The marathon relay will be run in an ekiden race style format. An ekiden, a term that originated in Japan and usually referred to as a marathon relay in English, is a long-distance relay, road race. The original concept of the race hearkens back to Japan's ancient Tokaido (road) communication and transportation system in which stations were posted at intervals along the road. In the race, each runner on a team runs the distance from one "station" to the next, and then hands off a cloth sash, or tasuki, to the next runner. It is considered a great honor to wear the tasuki and, in doing so, represent a team. Teams are encouraged to make their own tasuki that displays their team logo, race charity, or unique design. Teams that do not bring their own tasuki will be provided with one by race management.

Leg #1: 6.25 miles Start to Brenton Point State Park:
The first relay leg is 6.25 miles and starts on Memorial Boulevard at Easton's Beach. The mostly flat leg runs up Memorial before turning left on Annandale and right on Narragansett. Next runners will head down Wellington Avenue where runners get a southerly view of Newport Harbor. At 3.5 miles, the course heads into Fort Adams for a brief loop along the water museum fortress. The last few miles of leg one traverse rural Ridge road and scenic Ocean Drive before the 1st handoff at Brenton Point State Park.

Leg #2: 6.85 miles Brenton St. Park to Easton’s Beach:
The second leg is 6.85 miles and starts at Brenton Point State Park overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Narragansett Bay. The relay legs covers the gently rolling hills of Ocean Drive as it follow the coastline to Bellevue Avenue. Runners pass by the world famous Newport Mansions on Bellevue Avenue before turning into Salve Regina University adjacent to the Cliff Walk and the Breakers Mansion. After a final turn onto Memorial Boulevard, runners are rewarded to a long downhill before the handoff at Easton’s Beach.

Leg #3: 4.25 miles Easton’s Beach to corner of Sachuest Point Rd and Hanging Rock Rd.
The third relay leg is 4.25 miles and begins at bustling Easton’s Beach, where the City of Newport meets the seaside burgh of Middletown. A turn onto Tuckerman Avenue leads to a gradual rise before feeding back onto Purgatory Road and a sharp downhill to Sachuest Beach. The remaining portion of this leg are all flat and run along the Sachuest Beach and the Sachuest Point Wildlife Refuge before the exchange point at the Hanging Rock Road gazebo.

Leg #4: 5.25 miles Corner of Sachuest and Hanging Rock to Vaucluse/Indian Ave Intersection
The fourth leg is 5.25 miles and runs along the Norman Bird Sanctuary and the Sakonnet River. This leg runs mostly on Indian Avenue where you will briefly get to run in the Town of Portsmouth and then be able to declare that you’ve run the entire Aquidneck Island. As you make your way back down Indian Avenue, your last handoff will be next to St. Columbus Church on the corners of Vaucluse Avenue and Indian Avenue.

Leg #5: 3.6 miles Vaucluse/Indian Ave Intersection to Finish line
The fifth and final leg will be a sprint to the finish. With a little more than 5k to go to the finish, the last runner will be faced with a challenging hill to start their leg and end with a sprint down Tuckerman Avenue to the beachside finish back at Easton’s Beach.

Relay Sashes: Teams designing their own tasuki are requested to make the sash within the measurements of 50 - 60 inches long x 2 -3 inches wide.

Timing Chips: At registration, each team will receive one B-Tag chip, to be worn by the individual running the last leg of the relay.

Relay Shuttle Details (pending 2010 course changes)
• Shuttles will provide transportation for all runners and spectators from the Newport Grand parking lot to the race start (runners will receieve preference over spectators to ensure that all participants reach the race start in time for the race start)
• Shuttles will take the relay members to their respective legs from the race start shuttle drop off area on the following schedule:

7:30 - Runners for 2nd leg depart for Brenton point. (shuttles 1 and 2)
8:10 - Runners for 3rd leg start from mile 13.1 (no shuttle required)
8:30 - Runners for 4th leg depart for Hanging Rock Rd. (shuttles 1 and 2)
8:50 - Runners for 5th leg depart for Vaucluse/Indian Ave. (shuttles 3 and 4)
8:45-9:30 - At Brenton Point, return 1st leg runner’s to Easton’s Beach. (shuttles 5 and 6)
9:30 - Continuous Relay pickup from exchange zones 4 & 5 (shuttles 5 and 6)

• Shuttles will provide transportation from the end of each relay leg in a continuous loop to the race start and finish area and Newport Grand Parking lot.