This was a disappointing first marathon, especially after using part of the Boston Marathon two weeks earlier as my 22-mile training run. I would not run this race again.

Pros:
-Scenic course. Running along the water and country clubs was very pretty, and gave us a nice breeze. There was also a good amount of shade.
-There were plenty of porta-potties at the start, though they were placed right at the start line, which got congested.
-I liked the bib timing - one less thing to think about.
-There was plenty of food and drink at the finish, though I had no appetite for greasy pizza after running in 80-degree weather.
-Nice medal and shirt (though it would be nice if the marathoners had their own shirt; there's no way to tell if you ran the marathon, half marathon, or 5K).

Cons:
-Nonexistent expo. I went looking to buy running gear, and there was none to be found.
-The race was definitely geared towards the half marathon runners.
-Very few spectators. We ran on bike paths and through residential areas where the residents had no idea that a marathon was even going on.
-Some people liked the bike paths, but I thought they were too straight, flat, boring, and lonely.
-The race started an hour too late, so it was really hot from mile 20-on.
-Combined with the lack of aid/water stations after mile 20, this killed my chance at a BQ. I was on pace for a 3:35 until mile 20, but finished in 3:51, somewhat due to heat and dehydration.

This was my 52nd marathon.

Pros:
Good organization
Packet pick-up was easy
Great volunteers
Lots of food (pizza) at finish
Awesome medal
Tech shirt

Cons:
Late start. Runners are used to getting up early to run. Given the heat it would have been nice to start at least an hour earlier to minimize the impact of the heat.
Lack of water in the later miles
No sports drink, gels, etc. from mile 17, on where they are needed most
Small expo with limited vendors; I needed Body Glide and had to go elsewhere to get it
Course was not well marked; a couple of us made wrong turns and did extra miles

It was hot and humid (realize race director can't control the weather) and the lack of Gatorade from mile 17 to the finish was a major snafu. One of the later water stops didn't even have water. From Mile 23 to the finish, again no water stops - not good. I suggest that the race start at least an hour earlier to minimize the impact of weather - plus it would also help with traffic control. If you plan to run this race, make sure you carry water and your own gels. If you need crowd support, this is not the race for you.

I ran the half. Some of the workers in the host hotel and adjacent convention center were unaware that a marathon expo was taking place, which was interesting.
The race itself was well-organized. The start and finish went seamlessly. An additional water stop could have been placed around the 6-7 mile mark (in Pawtucket).
The course has some gradual, rolling hills. In all, a decent experience.

I was pleased that the half and full marathon courses parted ways early in the race, before 2 miles - that was a big plus for me. The course was not really challenging, though there was some variety, and it would have been nice if there were more spectators other than at the water stops. At times we were running alongside traffic, so that was not good, although there was excellent police and volunteer support at the intersections. The start/finish downtown was great, close to hotels, and not far from many excellent restuarants for pasta. The expo was small but that was OK. I liked the medal and shirt - very nice. I ran this for my 30th state and would recommend this for other 50 Staters.

Good:
1) Scenic course - what the course lacked in crowd numbers it more than made up for in a very scenic route. A very pretty course for a course run in a big city. Lots of green and water.
2) Mostly flat course - a few hills at the start, but nothing too serious. Flatter than the Portland Marathon and Portland isn't that hilly. Seemed like a fast course if not for the muggy, warm weather.
3) Lots of water stops - seemed like there were plenty of water stops and they were located about where they needed to be (even on a hot day). Maybe more Gatorade could be put out though.
4) Friendly volunteers and police officers along the course - all were yelling, and many had posters. Many thanks!
5) Four hours after the marathon started, there was plenty of food left. Boxes full of pizza stacked high. Hit the spot. I liked having the choice of a beer afterward too.
6) I liked the long sleeve shirt - unique.

Bad:
1) There are switchbacks around mile 23 or so to get up and down from a bridge. Hard to get any speed going downhill on a switchback.
2) I know it is a sign of the times, but the sponsor name is huge on the medal. Wish it just said, "Providence." But I do want to thank the sponsor for contributing.
3) It is a newer marathon and I know it will grow. The expo was a little on the small side, but I don't normally make a marathon choice on expo size.

Other:
1) If you have the time, visit Newport.
2) I disagree with the others regarding course safety. I never felt unsafe due to car traffic. The easy solution was to run on the correct side of the orange cones.
3) I also liked running on the bike path at times.

Positives and negatives from the beginning: Disappointing expo the night before, with a goody bag filled with throw-away advertisements. On race morning before the start, there was one small table with water in Dixie cups; there was no food, and no coffee, so I had to walk to a nearby Starbucks. disappointing. Porta-johns were all placed in the same location at the start staging area - disorganized.

Good start, but it would have been cleaner to separate the marathoners from the half marathoners and stagger them, as the staging area was too small for both groups. But they did a good job of separating the two a couple of miles into the race. The course was pretty boring - not as much attractive (vs. industrial) water front as I was expecting. Also, there was very little cityscape, so they didn't seem to focus on showing off Providence. I never found gel in the out miles, which I was counting on, and there seemed to be some missing mile markers (25 and 26), so it was difficult to gauge when to give that extra push at the end. You couldn't see the finish line until perhaps two-tenths-of-a-mile away, so there was not much time left.

Great, enthusiastic announcer; great post-run food (hundreds of pizzas); a great band; and we got one free beer each (a second would have been nice). You can see that a lot of effort was put out and I'd like to thank all for their hard work. I had fun - but they have some learning to do compared with other small-to-mid-sized marathons. Give this one a few years to get as good as they can be.

This is a great, small race. I gave 4 stars for spectators because you can't expect a big crowd at a small race, so for the size of the race, the places where there were spectators were great. The best spectator of all saved me - a country market was giving out bottles of water (at mile 21?) and I really needed that - it it got me through the rest of the race. The course is relatively flat; you get the hills out of the way in the beginning. There were some small, rolling hills towards the end, but nothing significant. I loved being able to stay at the hotel right near the start - that was key! This is a race to try to run with someone else if possible, or with an iPod, as there were only 2 or 3 spots where there was music. This is my 9th marathon and one of my favorites!

I was very disappointed in the lack of food at the so-called "aid stations." The course map showed 4 aid stations at which we'd be able to get bars, bananas and power gels. There was ONE aid station at which I was able to get a banana and a Luna Bar at mile 20!! Mile 20! Why bother at mile 20 when all I have left are 6 miles? If you're not going to offer food, then tell us so that we can be prepared and bring our own. It is shameful that you led your full marathoners to believe there would be food available at 4 places on the route and keep them guessing if there would ever be any throughout most of the race.

I ran the marathon, and the course was fair, although the environment was occasionally bizarre. Running down the zig-zag ramp off the bridge at mile 25 and change was odd, to say the least. Water stations could have been more plentiful, although they would have sufficed if it were a 45-degree day. Spectators were sparse, but were welcome (especially when they had water!). Overall, a nice course, although support could have been beefed up a bit.

The Cox Sports Providence Marathon has been steadily improving over the past three years. This was my first Providence Marathon, but, after reading the comments from 2008 and 2009, I can safely say that this year was the best of the three, organizationally speaking.

Still, there are some glitches that must be addressed:

1. Porta-potties lining the curb at the start corral. I realize this is a race start in a cramped city setting, but there were queues, inside the corral, for the toilets, all the way up until the final seconds before the gun.

2. Running on the beautiful bike paths for a large portion of the race was wonderful, but runners were sharing the path with kids on bikes and fast-moving cyclists. One runner had to nicely (but firmly) ask a kid on a bike to get out of the way. More than once.

3. From approximately mile 24.5 to 25, runners crossed a bridge back into the city, and we were relegated to a narrow, barricaded walkway for cyclists. There were cyclists on the walkway when runners were trying to crank it up for this final portion of the race, and some of the cyclists needed a loud heads up/"on your left!" so that they would get out of the way. The walkway was so narrow, two people abreast could not walk, run, or bike side by side. This was for a relatively short section, but still, at that stage in the marathon, you don't want to be dodging bikes.

4. Unless my Garmin GPS unit was way off, the race was about 400 meters too long.

5. I'm not the type of marathoner who needs a continuous cheering section, but if you like more spectator support, Providence may not be for you. There was strong spectator support at the start and finish, and some clots of people along the course - two families made their own much-needed homemade water station for us - but many portions of the race were quiet.

The pluses: The aforementioned start and finishing support; the aid station volunteers who were right there with water and Gatorade (temps were a little high... 70s, and maybe into the 80s, so well-stocked fluid stations were essential); a tough(ish) course in a beautiful New England city. Complementary sports massage at the party in the park after. This was a huge plus.

If the race directors iron out those glitches, this will be a really solid event in a friendly, funky city.