Newport News readies for 11th annual 1 City Marathon; National Black Marathoners Association to hold summit

Newport News officials told the City Council on Jan. 28 that preparations are underway for the 11th annual 1 City Marathon, scheduled for the weekend of March 1–2, and that the event will host the National Black Marathoners Association (NBMA) this year.

"This year will be our...11th annual 1 City Marathon," Owen Miller, the city’s chief strategy officer, told the council. He said last year the event drew 3,039 registrants and this year registration was running about 10% ahead of 2024 projections.

The marathon is a point-to-point race that starts in Newport News Park and finishes near Victory Landing Park downtown. Miller said the full and half marathons begin at 7 a.m. Sunday, with course operations and final finishes wrapping up around 2 p.m. Saturday events include shorter races at City Center — a 5K and a nautical mile — followed by a public celebration at Tradition Brewing. Both the full and half marathons finish near Coastal Fermentary in the city’s Yard District.

Why it matters: City officials said the race draws participants from across the country and supports local economic activity through visitor spending, volunteers and sponsorships. The city estimates roughly half of registrants come from outside the Hampton Roads region.

Details and partnerships Miller said the marathon has a reputation as a "fast and flat" course and that historically a notable share of finishers qualify for the Boston Marathon; the race’s historical qualifier rate is roughly 17 percent. He said last year’s participants represented 39 states and that organizers expect the number of out-of-region participants to remain high.

The city also announced that the NBMA selected Newport News as the host city for its annual summit, bringing "several hundred" participants, according to Miller. Bayport Credit Union and the Bayport Foundation will sponsor a renewed charitable element this year intended to provide local scholarships, a program Miller said the race hopes to expand in future years.

Operations, volunteers and registration Miller thanked title sponsors, volunteers and the city's professional race partner, Flat Out Events. He said the city typically has about 500 volunteers for the weekend and that online registration will remain open through race weekend to allow late sign-ups.

Questions from council members focused on outreach and the NBMA visit. Miller said staff are coordinating with the city’s tourism office and the event coordinator to arrange local hospitality, host hotels and visits to museums and restaurants for visiting participants.

Speakers Owen Miller, Chief Strategy Officer (city staff) City Manager Alan (first name used in meeting; role: City Manager) Councilman Neely (Council member who asked about NBMA agenda and outreach)

Proper names Newport News Park (location) Victory Landing Park (location) Coastal Fermentary (finish area, Yard District) Tradition Brewing (Saturday celebration host) National Black Marathoners Association (organization) Bayport Credit Union / Bayport Foundation (sponsor) Flat Out Events (race-day partner)

Clarifying details Projected registration: about 10% higher than 2024 (projected, not final) 2024 registrants: 3,039 Volunteer estimate: approximately 500 volunteers annually Race weekend dates/times: March 1–2, 2025; full/half marathons begin at 7 a.m. Sunday; final finishes near 2 p.m. Boston-qualifier historical rate: ~17% nationally for this race

Meeting context Engagement level: presentation followed by multiple council questions; topic took roughly 20 minutes of the work session Implementation risk: low (operational event planning) History: race started in 2014 (first full weekend-run years from 2015 onward)

Searchable tags marathon, events, tourism, Bayport, NBMA, volunteers, Coastal Fermentary, FlatOut

Provenance [{"block_id":"transcript_s352","local_start":0,"local_end":585,"evidence_excerpt":"Thank you, mister mayor, and good evening, everyone. As the mayor indicated, the, first item on the agenda is an update on preparation for the 11th annual 1 City Marathon. Of course, this event has become a source of pride, unity, and an opportunity to showcase our city while supporting health and wellness initiatives for employees and residents. Owen Miller, our chief strategy officer, is here to provide details on the upcoming race weekend. Owen?","tc_start":"00:05:52","tc_end":"00:09:12","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"transcript_s947","local_start":0,"local_end":285,"evidence_excerpt":"See there registration is still going. I actually just received word that this year we are not going to close it early. And so in fact it will stay open. That's the 1st year we want to try to make it as conducive to anyone signing up late as they can. So online registration will stay open until race weekend. So that 1st day, March 1st and then the 2nd day, March 2nd. With that, I'll take any questions.","tc_start":"00:15:47","tc_end":"00:16:27","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]