Ran this marathon as a relatively last minute decision and signed up the day of the Boston Marathon, after the bombings. Got family in SE Massachusetts and came up from Georgia wanting to reconnect with my blood family and my running family in New England with BQ hopes.

Well about the race, Race packet pickup was a breeze with plenty of parking in and around Providence Place both during the packet pickup and during the Marathon. I was able to get in or out without any problems. The Omni hotel was a great choice for the expo and pre-race gathering venue with ample restroom availability bewteen the hotel and porta-potties outside was fine.

The pre-race organization effort was terrific, no coral issues and a phenominal and very moving National Anthem. The tone was emotional with this being the first major Boston area Marathon since the bombings. Police presence was just right, enough to promote feeling safe but not too much like you're in a police state. The officers were also very friendly and genuinely supportive of the event and it's runners. Post race food and beverages were plentiful and well attended to. They roped off a pretty good size courtyard area where you got your massages( as I believe, I didnt get one) and your complimentary Naragansett Beer which was a treat as I can't get them in GA.

The course itself was a unique blend of suburban and metropolitan settings which made it cool. You started off in downtown Providence then made you way out to Barrington via Veterans Memorial Parkway. Right from the start, it appeared that the first few mile markers were wrong and I shrugged it off but then became concerned as others were off too. I ran with the runners hope that it will all work itself out in the end with the finsih line at 26.2x. Well the course in the first 10k took you over some decent hills that fresh legs could tackle easily and then out to Barrington where the course took you out to a point/penninsula with some nice ocean/bay views. The city felt far removed. Coming back out and away from the point, the course went for several miles along a relativley flat long section of wooded bike paths that I liked.

Soon after that, you were making your way back to the city as you were reminded with some super Providence Skyline views from about 7-8 miles out which I found surreal with the thought that we are actually running to the city way off in the horizion. Several miles of this were on the bike path right on the river which was cool. Had Water and City Skyline views, best of both worlds. Was brought back to earth soon after that as you hit those hills that were no problem in the beginning with fresh legs but menacing on the back 10k. Additionally there was a short, steep hill around mile 23 or so that forced me to walk for a few seconds but per my Nike+ sport watch was good to go pace wise for qualifying for Boston. Soon after this hill you were entering downtown and my watch was around 25.0 with no sight of the finish line. I continued to run with hopes that the next left would reveal the finish line but it didn't and my watch showed 26.22 before taking that left. After making that turn, sprinted like hell when the finsih line was visible.

When I finished the race, my watch said 26.45 and the official time was 3:25:05, I missed my Boston Qualifier by 5 seconds! This is my biggest complaint on the course, the Marathon needs to be at 26.2x or dont have one. The distance needs to be right and the mile marks also need to be right. I cut every possible corner and ran every possible tangent. The Course Distance Needs To Be Correct And The Mile Markers Need To Be Right!

I spoke with nearly a dozen runners after the race and they confirmed my assessment. Look, they also only fielded a fraction more 13% Boston Qualifiers, it was the long course distance that did many of us in, not the hills, its a net zero gain, and not the weather as it was cool, overcast and a bit drizzley at race start.

I think that the race organizers did have their act together and other than the markers and course distance, they got everything else right and sponsored a good race. There was were more GU and water stops there than any marathon I ever ran before. Spectators were great and so was law enforcement. Last thing I think needs fixing is the course distance and mile marker accuracy! Remember, Marathoners train for months for a particular race and its the race sponsors duty to them to get the course distance right! By the way, I BQd the following weekend, 5/19/13 at the Poconos Run for the Red Cross at 3:23:40 for a course 26.26 miles long per my watch and their official time.

I would run the Providence race again more as a casual training run, if I'm home in Mass at the time but would not activley seek it out as a BQ race until they fixed the mile markers and the course length problem.

This was my marathon #6 and I think it was a nice race. I read the comments from previous years, and I think there were improvements. I think it was a well organized event starting at the expo (even though my bib# vanished and I got a new number), and during the race. The water stations were fine and there were plenty of gels. Nice people all around! My only complaint is that I was ready to PR and could not (I was looking for a 3:30). I found the course quite hilly and I am person who runs on hills. I cramped up on mile 19 and I think it was because I went too fast on the downhills of the beginning of the course. I was not expecting to see more hills, but one more at mile 25 as I was told. Not the case!! So, take the advertisement literally...it is 'relatively' flat. Still, this is a marathon I would recommend.

I signed up three weeks before the race when I realized I'd be in Providence anyways.
Parking / finding expo. Easy, even on race morning.
Packet pick-up. Easy, breezed through on race morning. They only had large t-shirts left (I know I indicated small online). Very basic shirt anyways.
Pre-race. Easy gear check. Plenty of port-a-potties. I don't recall seeing water, but I wasn't looking for it. Race started about 15 minutes late.
Course. Mile markers sometimes off +/- .2 miles. After a couple, I began relying on my garmin more than the course markers. At the end of the race, my garmin said 26.36 miles (I heard some other people saying they also got a bit over 26.2). Overall scenic course, pleasant. Some spots a bit tight between shoulder and on-road traffic but plenty of room for most of course.
Aid stations. Oddly spaced and not enough of them. Plenty of water, gatorade, and gu at the stations they had. But stations should be longer, especially gu needs to be at least 150 feet before water. Not enough warning when a station was coming up. I bring my own honey stinger chomps for food (sugar in the gu messes up my GI tract), and like to eat them right before an aid station so I can drink water. Volunteers were very pleasant, but could have been better trained to hold water cups from bottom of cup, spread out a little more, shout at us what they're holding.
Overall - some organizational problems, not a race I would set out to repeat but not one I would necessarily avoid either. Decent small-city marathon, could be improved with more accurate mile markers and more consistent aid stations.

First off, I came up with friends and we stayed at the Biltmore, which I highly recommend. It was super cheap and they let us have a late checkout for free, so we could shower and chill after the race. The start is also right outside the front of the hotel.

Course is not easy, with some significant hills, especially towards the end. It is very pretty on the bike path and back in the neighborhoods. Water stations were well stocked and the spectators were pretty nice.

I stayed at the Omni (host hotel). Got almost zero sleep the night before the marathon, thanks to tons of drunk and drama filled high school students going crazy most of the night. Hotel security tried some, but...

The logistics of the race were very easy. The start/finish and expo are all within a couple block area. So it was an easy walk from the hotel.

The course was decent enough. There was lots of Gu on the course. Fluids were in large cups like most marathons and filled with the right amount of fluids. I thought there should be been another fluid station or two, but maybe that is just me.

I met a lot of nice runners on the course and volunteers. The shirt was nice, the medal was nice. It has a small town race feel to it.

Not sure what the past years were like, but based on some past comments on here, 2013 was better. I have no complaints, other than the hotel based on the drunk kids.

I'm a novice marathoner, having made this race my 5th overall and my 4th on the road. I've done a half dozen 70.3 triathlons, and quite a few half marathons. I know what a good venue looks like. Parking was easy and finding the event was easy. However, I didn't feel like the course was as advertised. I think there was a change in the 2013 course due to bridge construction placing a nice climb at mile 6. In fact, i thought the course was rather undulating, especially on the return from 23 to 26. I think the mile markers were off too. Some miles seemed very long, and I think I was duped into starting off too strong. I blew up later on in the race. But, I can only blame myself for that - more a nutritional error than mile markers being a bit off. But, there is that psychological piece you get from splits. I could have used some salt along the course. Maybe some sugar or flat coke?? Candy?? Sucks because I've begun to rely on the course for my nutrition instead of lugging it with me. The aid stations seemed oddly spaced. I'm so used to triathlons where the aid stations are at every mile, or at least, every other mile. Only large T-shirts were available.I was a bit bummed about that since most 5'11', in-shape guys swim in a large shirt. I'm pretty sure Active.com asked me my shirt size. I don't think this would be my 'go to' Boston qualifying race. Too bad too because I need a good spring race. I am still a big fan of the ING Hartford marathon. They seemed to have their act together - just saying my two cents.

Well the race organizers finally listened to the feedback and made some changes for the better. The course is much improved with elimination of the infamous bridge and switchback ramp! Water stops are still oddly spaced, especially on the bike path stretch from 18 - 21. Found aid stations were well stocked...multiples with Gu and almost all had Gatorade (at least for the front of the pack). Bottom line is the course is now much flatter, especially the 2nd half. Some rolling hills, but nothing too nasty. Just missed a PR. Still some issues in the last two miles where the half and full join up...faster marathoners are weaving through and dodging the half marathon pack. Medal nice...shirt OK. Plenty of food and drink post race. Much improved...and a much better BQ course than years past.

Take all the warnings of the race seriously. I ran this only because I did not do Boston because of the heat and did not want to waste the winter training base I established.

I finished in just over 3 hours and never saw any bananas or gu. Like others said the cups were smaller than shot glasses, lucky for me I carried my own water since I read previous race comments. The shirt stinks and it is more like cotton then the dry-tek fabric advertised. The medal was the best thing about the race.

Not one mile split was accurate and mile 25 was a half mile long. My gps has been pretty close to every race I race since I got it but at the end of the marathon it said 26.59 and I cut every tanget as possible. I was 3 minutes ahead of my previous marathon time at mile 26 but yet it took me over 4 minutes to run the last .2 of this course. Went from 7 min pace to 12 min pace over the last quarter is impossible for anyone unless they walk. Mile 25 of the marathon was after mile 12 of the Half. Shouldn't it be pretty close together?

The water stops were very spread out at times over 2.5-3 miles apart, and Port-a-Johns were not at every stop like adverised. 2-3 years now they have run out of water, cups or food on the course.

The course is not to hilly and the bridge at mile 25 would be an awful experience if you were in a pack, lucky for me I was with 1-2 others. There is no room to pass there, especially with walkers and bikers coming at you. The switchback kills any momentum that you have. There was a 360 degree turn around mile 9 too. Spectators were there at the water stops but not anywhere else. The police did a good job at managing traffic and the course was marked well.

If you need a RI race to get your 50 states in come back in the fall and run the one in Newport. It has to be better than this. This race is not for serious marathoners!

This was my 10th marathon and 4th Providence (I also did the half one year). Unfortunately, this race seems to consistenly suffer from some of the same issues at aid stations. The volunteers are great, but you can't run out of water or cups! This happened the first year, too, and that should have been 1 time too many for the organizers.

Additionally, the tee shirt is a perk. I understand they are expensiveand so is the race entry. Please, please upgrade your shirts. I haven't work it yet. The best shirt was the long sleeve black one from three years ago. Go back to that design (SS would be ok) and fabric. The white ones this year just didn't cut it.

The medal was awesome, but like other comments I read, I'd rather have a smaller medal and have liquids on the course.

There was a lot of Gu...if you could find it. volunteers probably weren't trained that they needed to be handed out. I was at one station and I saw boxes of them and I had to ask for one...they were on the ground behind water bottles.
I thank all of the organizers for doing this race along with all of the volunteers, police and spectators. I'm willing to pay $100 to run it, but please check out some of the comments.

And yes...mile markers were way off. I knew the course and heard the bike path was closed...I am suspicious how we started and finished at the same place as prior years, were re-routed around the bike path...and still supposed to have 26.2 miles. I really think the course was long this year. That also just can't happen again.

Had an fair run at the Providence Cox Sport Marathon in Rhode Island, 2012. I should not have been surprised at the large number Boston registrants (me included), who were in Providence this year.

The course is a pretty quiet, nearly out and back trek, with some scenic views of the bay, golf courses, and park lands. Rolling hills in miles 2-8 and 17-25 (which are across the same stretch of road).

My major complaint was that the mile markers were a mess. Some were off by 0.2-0.5 miles. So, I had mile splits ranging from 6:20 to 11:44 (yes, mile 20 came up 11:44 on my watch!). See details below (#). I missed going under 3:30 because I got lulled into thinking my pace between 15 and 20 miles was under 8 min/mile when it was probably a bit too slow. I ran the last miles in 7:45-ish, but could not make up the time. I just hope the overall distance was correct.... It looks like they lengthened a section of the course relative to past years, and hope they shortened it elsewhere.

Other things they could easily fix are at the water stops& for example:

- be consistent about whether water or GatorAid is at the first tables,
- when there is Gu, give it out at least 100 meters before the water table to give people time to consume the Gu before drinking the water,
- use larger cups & may seem like a waste, but I and others often had to grab two or three cups to get the liquids needed.

# Here are my rough, rounded splits (mile, then pace) at the markers:
1 7:29
2 8:04
3 9:38* (co-runner said this was 0.2 miles late)
4 6:11*
5 8:12 (39:33 for 1st 5 miles)
6 7:32
7 9:01*
8 7:48
9 8:02
10 8:01 (roughly 40:25ish for 2nd 5 miles)
11 7:50
12 7:50
13 8:20 (1:43:28 for 1/2 marathon)
14 9:29*
15 6:31* (40:00ish for 3rd 5 miles)
16 8:20
17 8:05
18 7:35
19 7:04*
20 11:45* (42:45ish for 4th 5 miles)*
21 8:45*
22 7:48
23 8:10
24 7:46
25 7:55 (40:30ish for 5th 5 miles)
26 7:40

* splits and presumably mile markers that are way off
The 20 mile marker and time was the shocker.