I stayed clear of the '08 one because of the course and signed on for '09 because of the course - it is an excellent BQ course. There were no hiccups in the race organization. The finish was terrific; the post-race was well done; the expo was nothing special and there wasn't much gear there; the worst part of the course (the ramp at the end of the bike path at mile 25) will be gone next year, which would improve my 4-star rating up to 5. Water stops could be distributed a bit better; fans were supportive though sparse in some places. Providence did a great job hosting this event.

I did the half-marathon with my husband. The half and the full go to about mile 8 together and then break off. The hills in that first section were hard, but the flat after that made up for it. Great goody bags. The start was well organized, with water and bananas and tents from sponsors. The finish was great too! Very organized. So much food and drink (water, sports drinks, and beer). There was music at the end. There were people all throughout the course. SO many volunteers! All were encouraging. Two tiny things: one was that the expo ended at 5, and coming from out of town we only made it just in time, and the other was that after mile 8, the half-marathon mile markers were forgotten until mile 13.

Pros: Nice neighborhoods, traffic control and a great police presence.

Cons: Water stations were few and far between for the marathon distance.

There were very few spectators, but that's not the fault of the organizers. I passed some homes where the owners were mowing their lawns, and they didn't even bother to look up to see us go by.

The course was hillier than expected.

I'm disappointed in the medal because all events are clumped onto one medal: marathon, half-marathon and 5K. For those who see your medal, there's no way to distinguish what you personally did. :-(

Food for purchase? At least that's what it looked like. A food truck was there anyway, for those who just ran 26.2 miles. What the...? All I got was a teaspoon of chicken salad and a bottle of water.

I ran this just to check it off my 50-states list.

After 30+ years of running, I decided to choose this marathon as my first. I definitely made the right choice. I loved the course, as it provided some beautiful scenery and just enough elevation change to keep my pace honest. There were plenty of enthusiastic volunteers and spectators spread along the course. There were plenty of well-stocked water stations, many of which had Gatorade and GU. The mile markers were very obvious and there was a clock every 5 miles. Getting in and out of Providence was a breeze, as there was plenty of parking within a reasonable walking distance. Other positives: there was an abundance of porta-potties and enjoyable live music following the race. I only have two minor constructive criticisms: 1. the expo could be punched up a bit and; 2. although plentiful, the post-race refreshments consisted only of pizza, bananas, water and sports drink. I would definitely consider running this marathon again.

This was a very nice, small race. As a 5 hour marathoner, I have run my share of the big and the small races. This race is on a course of some rolling hills and a good part of it is on bike paths and some bridges. There was very little crowd support, so it felt much like being out for a training run once the half-marathoners split off.

The start area was easily, especially if you were staying at the Westin or the Marriott. There were lots of parking garages for those driving in. I carried my own water since the water stops were a bit far apart for my own taste, but all the stations were well-stocked. I had a friend who ran 45 minutes faster than me who had several stations in a row that ran out of cups and that could not get water. There were a variety of Gatorade flavors.

It wasn't a closed course but there was good traffic control and the intersections were clear. Some bikers on bike paths rode a bit too close to the runners for comfort, expecially on the bridge at mile 24.

The path was so skinny that if bikes didn't stop, you could not get through, but this was a short section. The course was mostly well-marked with orange cones, although I had to ask for directions twice from bored police officers along bike paths connections.

There were great race volunteers, but I had to search for food afterwards. There were no signs or anyone giving directions, so it was easy to miss. There were a few pizzas left but some people that finished before me said there where none when they came through. It's not unusual for a small race not to have food for the 5 hour people--points for this race for having some food and Gatorade.

Some of the mile markers were placed wrong and there were two 24 mile marks! There were no splits, as there were only timing mats at the start and at the finish. There were time clocks running at 5, 10, 15 and 20 miles. There were very few spectators. The expo was decent and the weather near-perfect this year.

Cox Sports Providence Marathon
Providence, RI
Sunday, May 3, 2009
8:00 a.m.

I flew into Providence on Friday afternoon and stayed in the host hotel, Westin, which provided late check-out on Sunday. The packet pick-up/expo was in the hotel on Saturday and before the race on Sunday. The technical short-sleeved shirt each runner received was nice. Race morning temperatures ranged from low 50s to mid 60s. It was mainly overcast, and wind was not a factor. The start and finish lines were outside Westin. The out-and back/looped course was through Providence, East Providence, Seekonk, and Barrington. It was fairly scenic and included several hilly sections, which deserved plenty of respect. We ran the first eight miles with half-marathoners. There was a large number of volunteers throughout the course. Traffic control was very good. There were enough water/sports drink stations, which could have been organized better, as it was hard to know who was handing out water or sports drink. There were also sports gels in a few locations. The finisher's medallion was nice, and there were plenty of refreshments at the finish, which included pizza and beer. I saw several selfish runners and non-runners taking boxes of pizza and began to wonder if any would be left for late finishers. There was a band entertaining the finishers. In short, it was a well organized running event.

I am a 50-stater and this was #46.

What a huge improvement from last year. Everything about the race - from the expo to the free pizza and beer at the end - was awesome. The course was much improved from last year as well. Very scenic. Like the last person said, there were plenty of police and volunteers along the course. The water stops were much improved over last year too.

One of my favorites!

I had a great time running my first marathon. I was a little nervous after seeing comments from last year, but because this is my home state and because of the ideal timing of this race, I signed up. And I'm glad that I did. The course was well marked. I never had a doubt about where to turn. Spectators were great - even as we were running through some of the quiet neighborhoods, people were out showing support. Many of the police officers were showing their support, and the aid stations were all stocked with more than enough volunteers handing out supplies and cheering on the runners. I can't wait to run this one again next May.

The complaints about 2008 had me concerned; however, nothing seemed out of sorts this year. A fairly flat course with well stocked/placed aid stations. Nice post-race "party" and medal. Only issue was the mile markers - either I missed a few of the 26 or some were not there and a few, per my Garmin, seemed to be placed more than a few tenths off. For example, number 25 was definitely off. Overall, a great race and location. Not sure what happened last year, but they corrected any problems and the result was well done.

I was amazed at how fun this race was, having read last year's comments. From the mellow start, to the well marked and varied course, to the amazingly happy and helpful volunteers and great aid stations, this race should continue to grow. Kudos to the race director and staff. Providence rocks!