Newport Council to Reconsider Vote that Killed Newport Marathon

The Newport Marathon might not be totally dead.

A deadlocked Newport City Council on Wednesday failed to approve either of two permit requests from rival companies each vying to host the marathon, effectively killing the popular event that draws thousands of runners every year.

Word of the demise of the race sent shockwaves through the running community in Rhode Island and across the country.

But the council, in an about face, will now meet next Wednesday to reconsider its vote to approve Gray Matter Marketing’s proposal to host the marathon, which failed in a 3-3 draw with Councilor Justin McLaughlin abstaining from the vote because of his son’s involvement with the nonprofit Clean Ocean Access.

Clean Ocean Access was due to receive a minimum of $10,000 in race proceeds as one of five nonprofits named in the revenue sharing model proposed by Gray Matter Marketing.

Mayor Jeanne-Marie Napolitano said in an interview Friday that she understood that McLaughlin will now no longer abstain from the vote and will vote along with the three councilors who voted to approve on Wednesday, giving them a 4-3 majority. The request for the special session came after Clean Ocean Access has been removed from the proposal, which would eliminate the apparent conflict of interest, the mayor said.

“It is my understanding that they have the votes to give the permit to Mr. Gray,” Napolitano said.

Napolitano had voted against giving the permit to Gray Matter Marketing and made a motion to approve the permit request from rival Eident Sports Marketing, which has hosted the race since 2008. Her motion was not seconded and no vote was taken.

Napolitano argued that the council had been put in a difficult spot because of the competition between Eident and Gray Matter.

The mayor said while she understood concerns raised about trampled dunes at Easton’s Beach last year, she also understood that Eident’s owner, John Matthews, immediately paid for repairs and seemed earnest in his assertions to ensure no damage would occur in the future, whether by installing additional fencing or moving the start and finish line off the beach entirely.

“It was an awkward situation,” Napolitano said of the meeting Wednesday night. “It’s just unfortunate. I felt that Mr. Matthews had made restitution and you know, it just didn’t feel right.”

Matthews, in an interview Friday, indicated that he wasn’t ready to quit the race.

“Our intention is to have this race,” he said. “We’re working on solutions. Nothing is over until it’s over.”

He reiterated points he made Wednesday, mainly that he already has scores of runners signed up and Gray Matter would “be behind the 8-ball” in terms of scrambling to pull off a successful event on short notice.

“And the reaction to the story and support I’ve received from the running community will put them even further behind the 8-ball,” Matthews said. “I don’t think the council really understands the support we have and that runners in particular see through this and that Gray Matter is using the dunes issue to take this race.”

With Gray apparently poised to secure the permit, it is unclear what would happen next. It is possible that the dispute could end up in court, though Napolitano is holding out hope that both sides can somehow come together for the sake of the city.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on March 18 in the Pell Elementary School cafeteria.

For more details about this story, read our earlier story HERE.