I ran a PR two weeks after setting a PR at Boston. This course can be fast.

The expo was small, disorganized, and geared to the half marathoners. The full marathon numbers were posted on the wall, out of the way, behind a booth and I had to ask where they were. The shirt is cheap and falling apart, and I haven't worn it yet.

The race start was set up ok. In downtown PVD. I found free parking 2 blocks from the start on the street, but that was because I scouted it out the day before when I visited the expo. Plenty of porta-potties, although I used the BR at the convention center to avoid the lines. The race start area had signs suggesting a place to line up for your expected pace. Nobody paid attention to those and it was a bit of a cluster. The pack spread out quickly once we crossed the start.

I liked how the half split from the full early, about two miles in. The water stops were located where they needed to be, and staffed with enthusiastic volunteers. You often didn't know if you were getting h2o or gatorade until it was in your hand. No consistent flavor of gatorade either. PLENTY OF GU!! Again, PLENTY OF GU!! I packed my own and didn't partake, but there was gu available every couple miles from something like mile 5 in. Also bananas and oranges available if you needed them.

The course was ok. They got you out of providence as fast as they could. Which is always a good idea. Nice water views as you run along the river and the East Bay. Quiet community roads and the bike path were nice too. Rolling hills and a couple of slightly challenging peaks around mile 20. Weird little switchback coming off of a way too narrow pedestrian bridge.

The finish was at the same location as the start. I was medaled, kind of a cheesy medal emblazoned with the sponsor logo, and then helped myself to a water and Gatorade, and there was piles of pizza 30 feet from the finish line, exactly what you need after a hard marathon. Pizza and beer! One free Naragansett beer in the beer garden.

It was an ok race, not a destination race, unless you need RI for a fifty state endeavor. I won't repeat it, or any other event again.

This race was alright, but nothing special. The expo was small/non-existent. Ugly shirts. I wasn't a fan of the course. Sometimes it was kinda scenic, but mostly in industrial areas or on the bikepath. It was a very sunny day and there was little to no shade along the course. Finish line was a let-down. The only food I could find was pizza and stale bagel sticks. If you live near Providence this is worth checking out for a low-hassle race, but I wouldn't bother traveling for it.

I enjoyed the course and the folks on the bikes who were supporting runners by riding back and forth on the course and providing words of encouragement! I don't know her name but one lady rode back and forth between miles 10 and 18 and cheered me on at every mile! Thank you so much!

I won my age group and I was contacted right away as they are going to mail the awards. That's a nice touch.

I really don't have any negatives. That last crossing of the river was on a narrow path and there were not only runners that were walking - there were other people trying to cross in the opposite direction, which made it challenging. That's the only thing I'd change. Waters stops were well stocked and volunteers were enthusiastic.

We stayed at the Courtyard that was right at the start/finish and they were great.

I've run this race three years in a row now and it continues to improve. It's a scenic course with some good variety. Crowds are great in downtown at the start and finish, though quieter out on the bike path portion of the race. Water stations are well stocked and the volunteers were terrific this year. Great weather certainly helped. Expo was also a significant improvement over past years. I'd absolutely recommend this race to anyone looking for a well run, mid-size marathon.

This is a great marathon. The weather was ideal. The course had some hills early, and the rest wandered along bike paths and scenic sights of rivers and lakes.

Clearly the race directors have listened to the complaints from runners of the previous Providence Marathons. There was enough GU to supply the entire city. There was tons of food, even for those of us who limped in late. The expo was a good-sized; we picked up marathon-themed shirts for adults and children. One thing that I found puzzling was how little publicity there was in the local media. You really had to search the Providence Journal to find an article, even on race day. I've been places the size of Providence where there was lots of buzz, in the newspapers and on television. Providence is a great marathon and the city should celebrate it.

I really enjoyed this marathon. It's my 14th overall and I was trying to qualify again for Boston (which I did, although I missed qualifying 10 minutes faster than my BQ time by a shade over 1 minute). It's a very fair course with only one minor hill that's not really anything if one trains on hills. Race temps were ideal but I would have preferred an overcast sky. Oh well, can't have everything! Probably my favorite thing about the race (other than the course), is that the convention center is open race morning and it's only a block away from the start. It's a good place to hang out race morning and stretch, and one can avoid the portojohn lines entirely. Spectators were decent for a mid-size marathon, and there were a couple of places where they were very vocal. That always helps. The headwind with 1.3 miles to go was a bummer, but other than that, it was a fine race.

My one big suggestion for improvement is to have separate shirts for marathon, half-marathon, and 5K runners. This is a small thing and easy to fix. Runners like to show off their accomplishments with their marathon shirt, and if it just says 'Cox Rhode Races' followed by 'Marathon, Half-Marathon, and 5K', it's a bit of a let down. Especially for those that make this marathon a destination marathon (as I did), we don't want a generic shirt. My 2 cents.

I ran the half and completed state #48 with this race, and I can say that it was one of my favorites to date. The pre-race communication and website are excellent, and provide you with all the needed details. The expo, start and finish are all within walking distance of several great downtown hotels, so getting around is quite easy. The course is well-marked, accurate, and very scenic, weaving through some nice neighborhoods with the last couple of miles along the water. The water stations are well positioned throughout the course and the volunteers are some of the nicest I've encountered. The music at the start was great and the finisher's area had a good variety of foods and liquids, especially that cold chocolate milk - thank you! Finally, the finisher's medal is one of the best! Many, many thanks to the race
director for putting together such an organized and fun race. This is not one you want to miss!

Superb convenience for out-of-towners - Expo/start/finish just a couple of short blocks from major hotels Westin, Hampton Inn, Biltmore. Start corrals by the honor system. The areas for sub 10 minute mile pace groups were WAY TOO SMALL, almost ridiculously so. Only congested at the start and initial 1/2-1 mile+. Marathoners and half-marathoners split at ~ mile 2; not to encounter each other again.

Well stocked aid stations (running at a ~3:40 pace), including lots of gatorade and gels and even fruit at most of the stations (some stations were water only). Total of 14 aid stations, typically ~1.5 miles apart. This was sufficient for a cool, breezy, perfect day (low 40's Fahrenheit at start to a peak in the low 50's at the finish for 2011), but probably would not have been optimal for many runners if the day were hot/humid, unless carrying your own extra supplies.

Roads and bike paths were well marked with signs, mile markers on each and every mile and one official time clock at the 13.1 mile split. Excellent police presence to block traffic. Lots of volunteers on the course to guide you at turns, etc. Flat (loop) course except for a couple of small hills near the beginning and end. Goes through some industrial parts of town, non-descript suburban areas, and by some wealthy-appearing neighborhoods. Some areas had some really nice views of the waterfront. Nice uniquely shaped medal (shaped like the 'X' in COX Communications, the sponsor) with the date, but states 'marathon + 1/2 marathon' (does not distinguish between the two).

Overall, a well done job on the part of the organizers.

This was my first small marathon, having run only larger races, like NYC. I knew it would not be like that, but I was not prepared to spend most of the race going through bike paths and quiet neighborhoods. Most of the course was scenic, and would have been nice for a training run, but for a race, I found it boring, lonely, and hard to stay motivated & in a 'race' mindset.

The bike path was not closed to the public, which made it weird to share with cyclists and walkers. Most of the roadways were not closed to traffic - just ran on the shoulder with car traffic passing you by. Would have enjoyed the race more if it was more downtown, and in more populated areas. Maybe it would have been better if the full and half marathons would have shared the course for more of the race. (we split at mile 2)

A little hilly at the beginning, and 2 short, steep hills near mile 23. But mostly flat.

Also, I would have preferred more appropriate food at the finish - not in the mood for pizza after 3.5 hrs of running.

It was well organized for the size of the race & good if you are local, but I would not do this race again.