Newport Marathon Dies after City Council Fails to Pick Between Rival Vendors

In a contest between two companies to host the Newport Marathon this October, there is no winner.

The marathon, a popular event that has drawn nearly 5,000 runners to Newport for several years, is now effectively dead after a deadlocked City Council Wednesday night failed to approve either of two permit requests from rival companies Eident Sports Marketing, which has run the marathon since 2008, and Gray Matter Marketing, a local company that got the recommendation of city staff and had hoped to take over the event after a controversy over trampled dunes at Easton’s Beach that marred the race last year.

“I’m inclined to vote no to both of them at this point,” said Mayor Jeanne Marie Napolitano before the council voted 3-3 and failed to approve a permit for Gray Matter Marketing to host the marathon on Columbus Day weekend. Her comments came after passionate testimony from the owners of both companies that they should be given the permit.

“I don’t even think it’s worth it to have it at the beach or that there needs to be a new group,” the mayor said. “I won’t support either one.”

See Update: Newport Council to Reconsider Vote that Killed Newport Marathon

“I feel the same way you do,” said Councilor Kate Leonard, who said that she felt like the City Council is being thrust into the middle of a civil dispute between two companies and “I don’t really feel comfortable with that.”

Councilor Marco Camacho voted along with Leonard and Napolitano against giving Gray Matter Marketing the permit.

A motion by Napolitano to approve Eident’s permit request was not seconded, causing the request to die without a vote.

Eident Sports Marketing owner John Matthews presented first and said that his company has the experience and connections to host a successful event. He noted that he already has many runners signed up through online registrations and touted what he said has been tens of millions in economic activity for the City-by-the-Sea in the years that Eident has hosted the race, beginning in 2008.

Eident has marketed the marathon as the culminating event in the Rhode Island Triple Crown of running and said the race has been successful and problem free despite last year’s issue with the dunes.

Addressing the dunes issue, Matthews said that he wasn’t aware what happened until days after the race was over when he read a newspaper report of the dunes being trampled by runners making their way from the Easton’s Beach parking lot to the starting line, which was on the beach.

“It certainly wasn’t something that the city wanted and we didn’t want and it certainly was unfortunate,” Matthews said.

Matthews said he paid for the repairs and promised to move the starting line off the beach and into the parking lot if the council desired.

He also accused Gray Matter Marketing of swooping in to take the event from his company unfairly, saying he’s “never seen anything like this” in his decades of experience in the business. He said his rivals’ plan uses the same marathon route and Gray Matter’s proposal for a revenue sharing model with local charities getting a guaranteed $50,000 minimum donation presented an ethical “slippery slope.”

“I just don’t believe in offering charitable donations as a way to get an advantage,” he said, noting his lawyers had written a cease and desist addressed to Gray Matter Marketing’s lawyers earlier this year. Gray Matter reportedly withdrew its request but then resubmitted it days later.

Matthew Gray of Gray Matter Marketing told the council that he understands that his company would be “behind the 8-ball” if it got the permit, but their experience hosting successful events in Newport and elsewhere is proof that they could pull it off.

Gray Matter hosts a half marathon, the Newport Night Run, the Ocean Road 10K in Narragansett and has partnered with the Rhode Island Bridge and Turnpike Authority, the state Department of Transportation and others, Gray said.

Gray said he decided to apply for the permit to host the Newport Marathon upon hearing of the problems with the dunes last year, notably correspondence from city staff to the council about the damage, including a recommendation from the Public Works Department that Eident “no longer be welcome to host events at any property by the city of Newport in the future.”

Gray said that he wasn’t trying to steal the race from anybody. Instead, he said he was under the impression that the city would not entertain Eident’s application based on last year’s problems and the negative recommendations from city staff.

“That is why we chose the same date,” Gray said. “We are highly capable of producing a successful, high-class event.”

Acting City Manager Joseph Nicholson had asked the City Council to approve a fee increase to cover lost revenue at the rotunda during the marathon, additional special police detail costs and an increase in the beach lease fee. All told, the total fee would be $28,500 — an increase over the $15,000 paid by Eident last year.

The councilors who voted in favor of granting Gray Matter Marketing’s permit request suggested the city could end up more involved in the legal battle between Eident and Grey Matter if it killed the marathon.

In a joint statement, Councilors Lynne Ceglie, Naomi Neville and John Florez said they were disappointed that their fellow councilors voted against the proposal.

“By choosing to not to grant a license to either potential marathon vendor, they essentially killed the Newport marathon,” they said. “In the end tonight’s biggest loser was the city of Newport and the multiple charities that will also be impacted by this decision or lack there of. This marathon is a huge economic engine for the city. I would encourage those Councilors that voted to abstain to reconsider their vote and take into consideration the best interest of the citizens of Newport.”

The status of the Newport Marathon and the possibility of no marathon this year will likely send waves through the running community. The race has become an increasingly popular event for runners across the country thanks in part to the spectacular views along the route. Many runners are already signed up, paid up and have been booking hotels.

Councilor Justin McLaughlin recused himself from the discussion and vote.