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May 17, 2024

Providence Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 3.6

Organization 3.4

Spectators 2.9

Number of comments: 169 [displaying comments 81 to 91]

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C. T. from New Jersey (5/28/2010) "Quality mid-sized race" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I ran this race three weeks ago, and as a whole, I would have to give it a large stamp of approval for a mid-sized race. Pros: - The course is great: Scenic, with a nice urban/rural mix, and I loved the run back into Providence along the water - While there weren't as many fans as at the big-city races, i wasn't expecting that, and the fans that were along the course and at the finish line were phenomenal! - Long-sleeve tech shirt - Post-race food and beverage - Registration was hassle-free - Safe course Cons: - The expo has room for improvement - Start and porta-potties could be arranged better Overall, so long as you aren't expecting a Boston or New York, big-city atmosphere, this is a great race.
Eddie Hahn from Crestline, CA, USA (5/10/2010) "Needs Improvement - Has Excellent Potential" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 First, as a "50 States" marathoner, I say we should give this race support so that our athletes have a couple of options for RI rather than one or none. The marathon in Exeter is a qualifier, so that eliminates it as an option for many of us. Needs Improvement: -There was no electrolyte replacement or aid station support (outside of water between about miles 5 and 20). Admittedly, I was on a 5:30-6:00 marathon pace, but had I known in advance that water would only be available for marathoners ahead of a certain pace, I could have used a Camelbak or hydration belt. (Thanks much in part to two very nice lady volunteers who met some of us back-of-the-packers on the course, with a bag of M&Ms, etc. at about mile 18.) -Some confusion about the so called "free race shirt to the first 4,000 registered." The default shirt (cotton) was the one "everyone" was to get and the tech shirt to the first 4K (all race distances). I had to "ask" about the extra shirt - which has a big "5KM" on the back. (It's still a nice perk, and I was happy to receive it, but my guess is that most entrants didn't bother to ask for it." -I agree that the expo was small and limited. -A little challenging at times with the foot traffic on the paths around 23-26 - composed of people who were indifferent to the marathon. -The "Cox" Providence Rhode Race logo is understandable and interesting, but I would prefer that "Rhode Island" is spelled out! Pros: -Loved the course - a nice, rural/urban mix - not what I expected in RI. Neat park paths, golf courses, views of the bay, and so on. -Beer and pizza at the finish -Nice long-sleeve tech shirt and medal.
k. p. from boston (5/10/2010) "Positive" (about: 2010) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 My first and probably only marathon, and overall I thought it was very well organized. My only beef was the lack of food and beer - and the fact that there was no one to tell me where it was after running for five and a half hours.
J. S. from Worcester, MA (5/9/2010) "So-so first marathon; wouldn't run again" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 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.
L. E. from Phoenix, Arizona (5/7/2010) "Not bad, but could be better" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 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.
R. D. from RI (5/6/2010) "Decent, small city race" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 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.
T. S. from Superior, WI (5/5/2010) "Decent race" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 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.
d. p. from dallas, texas (5/4/2010) "Would run this one again" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 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.
David Eggermann from Chatham, NJ (5/3/2010) "A young race; great effort; will get better" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 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.
J. R. from Connecticut (5/3/2010) "Loved This Small Race" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Providence Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 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!

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