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May 17, 2024

Providence Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Providence Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.6

Organization 3.4

Spectators 2.9

Number of comments: 169 [displaying comments 71 to 81]

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B. S. from Mebane, NC (5/2/2011) "Don't Miss This One!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 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!
H. C. from New York, NY (5/2/2011) "Nice small city road marathon" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 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.
S. T. from Brooklyn, NY (5/2/2011) "Not enough spectators, boring course" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 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.
G. H. from Boston, MA (5/2/2011) "Smaller Race" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Providence is a nice middle size town.. The Marathon is small to medium size, growing in participants Race Day pick-up of BIB and T-Shirt were a big positive.. but goody bag is not worse mentioning Half and Full Marathon start together and share the same course for the first 2 Miles, so the beginning is crowded.. The course is mostly flat, one Hill in 2 parts at mile 6 and one at mile 23 followed by a steep downhill.. the downhill might hurt your quads.. I didn't like the bridge crossing at Mile 24, Bridge was narrow and bicycles and pedestrians were coming in opposite direction, also tough to overpass there.. worse is running down the pathway after the bridge.. It's not a closed course.. roads and bike paths are shared.. which might cause risky situation, as not everybody is patient and/or understanding towards Runners. Sufficient aid and water stations, but spectator support can be thin or none at parts of the course.. After Race Pizza, Gatorade and Zico Coconut Water was available to take, also an EXPO with T-Shirt Sale and a Beer tent.. All in all good experience
J. G. from Maine (5/2/2011) "Great support. Beautiful course." (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, and having run the Providence Half last year, I knew it would be well run. But I didn't appreciate how very beautiful the course would be compared to their half! There is adequate parking (prepare to pay though) and enough porta-potties at the start. There was great support from police, and people directing runners at almost every corner and intersection, and at the many water stops. I decided to not carry my water belt and it was a good decision - many water/Gatorade/GU/banana stops. Very nice people. Three med stations on the way. Much of the run was on a bike path in the woods; the rest was through waterfront neighborhoods and golf courses. So many wonderful people. Loved it and looking forward to my next one at Prov!
D. S. from SC, USA (5/2/2011) "Well organized marathon" (about: 2011) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was one of the best organized road marathons I've participated in lately. It exceeded my expectations. The best thing was the focus on the marathon. They didn't have relays and split the half marathon at mile 2.5 so you knew after that point you could settle in with those who would be along with you for all 26.2 miles. It seems like most cities try to lump together a half marathon, relay, 10K, etc., and I was pleased to see this race didn't follow suit. City was very friendly toward runners. Hotel (Hilton) was accommodating despite being very busy, and various stores and restaurants were aware of the marathon, which always tells me a race communicates well with the city. For someone traveling to Providence, there were lots of great things to do for a weekend- art museums, shopping, and even a Little Italy to carbo load. Expo was just the right size for me, but I prefer smaller, well organized expos. Enough to walk around and get what you need, and get out and get ready to race. Also, at the start, I saw runners staying warm before the race by waiting in the convention center. Great idea to start a race by such location so runners can stay warm and stretch. Lastly, aid stations were plentiful! I can't imagine that they could have run out of anything - they had water, Gatorade, bananas, GU, and medical support amply distributed along the course. Great job, Providence! This marathon was very well organized and exceeded my expectations!
J. R. from Cambridge MA (9/29/2010) "Fun time but could be better" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This was my second marathon and I have to say while it was fun I wasn't thrilled. The course was dead flat (I blinked and missed the one hill) and fairly scenic at times along the water. But, then, other times you were running under highway overpasses and along industrial warehouses. The bike path was nice but was confusing at times as you double-backed along it. The spectators were pretty cool, but there was hardly anyone outside of the downtown start/finish area. My biggest gripe, though, was the total lack of gels and little Gatorade/water near the end. Granted, I ran on a really hot day and am a slower runner, but by the time I was hitting stations at 18+, they only had water, or were already closing up shop (only three hours in?!). I was saved at mile 19 by a lonely local kid giving me water on his front lawn (thank you!). The end of the race was pretty cool, though, and had lots to do. The host hotel was also super nice; they actually held my race bag for me while running, and let me check in early and out late - totally worth the money! So, at the end of the day, a fairly nice race, but I might continue to shop around.
P. K. from Essex County, NJ (9/19/2010) "Potential for greatness, but needs work" (about: 2010) 2 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 The Pros: -I BQ'd (3:10), so yes, this is a good BQ course. There are a few minor hills in the beginning, then flat, and 1 very short (but steep) hill at around mile 23, going onto the bridge. -The race is staged in a smart area. I walked about 400 meters from my hotel (The Biltmore) to the start. There were at least 2 other large hotels located the same distance away. -Long-sleeve tech shirt. Nice medal. -I liked the idea of the porta-johns in the race corrals. The Cons: -About a week before the race, reports starting saying it would be HOT that day, yet the course was extremely understocked for hydration/electrolytes. -The course may have been too long. I make certain to run the tangents, yet my Garmin measured me in at 26.46 miles. -Poor traffic control. At one point (in the very south) you were running around cars down a narrow street. My wife was driving to differnt spots to hand me water along the course and a cop directed her ON TO the course. She asked, "Are you sure?" and he politely, said, "Yeah, no problem!" -A lot of this race is run on a bike path, which is fine except that it was open to walkers/cyclist who seemed to be bothered to yield to the racers. I think if the race directors can fix these problems by next year, they will have a really great race to offer - one that I foresee will only grow in popularity. I would like to come back one day, but not until I hear that these problems have been fixed.
S. C. from Boston, MA (7/21/2010) "More spectators than expected but no gels" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 The course was okay, with a few nice views along the water, and there were more spectators then I expected, considering the size of the race. There was always someone cheering you along and the support was much needed at times because there were NO gels as advertised. I would have brought my own or planned ahead had I known, but nothing was said at the expo when I picked up my bib. I don't think they ran out because I was a 3:30 finisher, but if that was the problem, it was poor planning on their part.
a. p. from Portland, Maine (6/2/2010) "Very nice race, but where were the gels?" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Pros: Well organized race day. Nice starting area. Clear directions where to be for the start. Nice breeze off the water. Cons: Gels promised at 4 stops. There were never any, and no comment as to why. Would have brought my own if they had not advertised that they would be out there.

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