Packet pickup was simple, smooth and low key! The jacket is great! It was easy to move around the downtown and several hotels close to start/finish in front of State … MORE
Packet pickup was simple, smooth and low key! The jacket is great!
It was easy to move around the downtown and several hotels close to start/finish in front of State House.
The course VERY well marked with plenty of aid stations of water & nuun with great volunteers. I saw evidence that they may have had bananas at some point but as a back of the pack finisher I did not get any. What I did get was a lot of beer and the tequila drink they had at the end so my late marathon time finally worked to my benefit. I did not get much recovery food tho…. I am not sure what they really even offered because the only thing I got was a water and some graham crackers🤷🏼♀️
The course was mostly flat with some steady hills sprinkled throughout. The sun was in full force this day in 2022.
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Small, well supported race
Packet pickup was simple, smooth and low key! The jacket is great! It was easy to move around the downtown and several hotels close to start/finish in front of State … MORE
Packet pickup was simple, smooth and low key! The jacket is great!
It was easy to move around the downtown and several hotels close to start/finish in front of State House.
The course VERY well marked with plenty of aid stations of water & nuun with great volunteers. I saw evidence that they may have had bananas at some point but as a back of the pack finisher I did not get any. What I did get was a lot of beer and the tequila drink they had at the end so my late marathon time finally worked to my benefit. I did not get much recovery food tho…. I am not sure what they really even offered because the only thing I got was a water and some graham crackers🤷🏼♀️
The course was mostly flat with some steady hills sprinkled throughout. The sun was in full force this day in 2022.
Great Marathon
Low key very well organized marathon. Well marked. Beautiful course great scenery. Great aid stations Great jacket as swag instead of teeshirt (So great!) Very nice medals. Fast course which … MORE
Low key very well organized marathon. Well marked. Beautiful course great scenery. Great aid stations Great jacket as swag instead of teeshirt (So great!) Very nice medals.
Fast course which includes some small rollers (just under 700 feet elevation gain) Great after race party
An overall great marathon -We also had perfect weather which helps!
First Marathon
Overall flat paved race, you'll get a nice steep of 0.2 miles towards the end of the race (~mile 22?) which can be touph. Organization was prestige, although they should … MORE
Overall flat paved race, you’ll get a nice steep of 0.2 miles towards the end of the race (~mile 22?) which can be touph. Organization was prestige, although they should improve the overall quality of T-shirts, lots of water/food stations throughout the course, with water, gatorade, banana, energy bars and gels.
This year was somewhat cold with rain at the end.
Rainy Sunday!
Aid stations were awesome, great food and supply. People were always helpful and bathrooms were conveniently located. Participant number was low, which made you think you were running out of … MORE
Aid stations were awesome, great food and supply. People were always helpful and bathrooms were conveniently located.
Participant number was low, which made you think you were running out of course at times.
Nicely done, Providence!
Providence is a cool city to visit for the weekend. Start/Finish is in the heart of the city, near the beautiful Capital building. I did a Airbnb in town cause … MORE
Providence is a cool city to visit for the weekend. Start/Finish is in the heart of the city, near the beautiful Capital building. I did a Airbnb in town cause I hate paying $200/night at the Host Hotels. Ample parking near the start. Reasonably fast course. One nice long climb from mile 5.5 to 6, and a shorter steeper climb around mile 23, but the rest is very manageable. Scenic running along the Providence River and Bay. Packet pickup is easy, not much of an expo, which certainly doesn’t bother me. Very impressed with the local crowd support in the RAIN. Ample water stops and friendly volunteers. Local Police/fire police/crossing guards well established at all important intersections.
Support was so disappointing!
They started walkers in large groups hours before our start. At all of the most critical miles (around 15-24) I couldn't get to the few Aid Stations that were actually … MORE
They started walkers in large groups hours before our start. At all of the most critical miles (around 15-24) I couldn’t get to the few Aid Stations that were actually available because these walkers crowded around them socializing and relaxing. On the course I ran almost an additional 3/4mls running around these groups blocking us at every turn. It was maddening to see all my hard training wasted as I slowly became more and more dehydrated. Of course, the addition of an almost 1 mile steep uphill around mile 6 wasn’t ideal, nor was the grueling uphills nearing the end, but they certainly would have been more tolerable with decent organization (and some common sense planning).
my fastest marathon!!
not easy, but not hard ugh. i dont want to write an entire review, i just wanted to correct y time that i misentered. they gave mugs to those who … MORE
not easy, but not hard
ugh. i dont want to write an entire review, i just wanted to correct y time that i misentered.
they gave mugs to those who BQ’d that said i qualified for boston at providence. that was a nice perk.
Beautiful course, great spectators.
Beautiful scenery in a mostly flat course. There is short but very steep hill located around mile 21. Also, there is a small patch of cobblestone you run on which … MORE
Beautiful scenery in a mostly flat course. There is short but very steep hill located around mile 21. Also, there is a small patch of cobblestone you run on which is awful for 100 meters or so. The shirt was a good quality performance shirt, but white. Medal was nice but a little small of a marathon. Course was well marked and support station were frequent.
Well run and perfect time of year
If you are looking for a good late spring half, this is a great choice. The weather is usually in the low 60's for the highs, which means 50's or … MORE
If you are looking for a good late spring half, this is a great choice. The weather is usually in the low 60’s for the highs, which means 50’s or sometimes a bit chillier when the race kicks off. The course is pretty well marked and there are police officers at all intersections directing you through turns. The course is rolling hills pretty much the whole way and the last 2 miles are very flat. The food after the race (in 2016) wasn’t ideal (pizza, bananas, clementines) but other than that the race production was very good.
Pleased in Providence
I had a good experience in Providence. The course is relatively flat, though there are a few noticeable hills, one in particular late in the race that felt like Everest … MORE
I had a good experience in Providence. The course is relatively flat, though there are a few noticeable hills, one in particular late in the race that felt like Everest on my tired legs. The scenery had some nice stretches to it, running through a great New England neighborhood, running briefly along the ocean, running on running trails away from traffic etc. There were also some not-so-great scenery too, but definitely more good than bad. I like the nautical medal and the tech-T is solid. I usually donate them, but I kept this one; it’s stylish and high quality. The location is awesome, right in downtown Providence. I took the train from Boston, stayed in a nice hotel right by the start/finish line and made a nice weekend out of it. It also has a half and kids run so my whole family got to participate. It’s a smaller race in a smaller town. We enjoyed our weekend getaway, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re traveling from far away. Overall I was pleased with my experience.
Largest Half in State
The Providence Half Marathon is the largest half marathon in Rhode Island, and it showcases the downtown area. Parking is easy in either the convention center parking lot or in … MORE
The Providence Half Marathon is the largest half marathon in Rhode Island, and it showcases the downtown area. Parking is easy in either the convention center parking lot or in the Providence Place Mall lot (just walk downhill). The race is very spectator friendly. Train for hills, as there are long stretches of up and down hill, and a couple of steep quick hills. With all the hills, the course is actually a very fast one, and many people come here for their half or full PR. The full marathon is also a popular local BQ race. The race organizers are a class act organization. If people are coming here for their 50 state quest, I would definitely recommend this event.
Perfect Day, Perfect Training, Perfect R
Keep in mind that my review is based solely on the company that ran it at the time (Eident sports). First, the course does not get credit for the difficulty … MORE
Keep in mind that my review is based solely on the company that ran it at the time (Eident sports).
First, the course does not get credit for the difficulty it provides. Early hills on the first and last quarter will kill you if you do not study the course. The Scenery through Barrington and parts of East Providence are great. But, the closer you get to Providence and the finish, the worse it is as you see trash plants, windmills (not the cool rustic), dirty water, and well… Providence.
The swag for this race in 2014 was the absolute worst. You got a t-shirt and that was it. When I finished third in my age, they gave a snack box with all the snacks that should have been in the race pickup bag. Absolute fail.
Crowd Support in Downtown Providence and Barrington was amazing. The people were great.
Nice springtime marathon in Rhode Island
If you're looking for a nice springtime marathon to run in New England that's a good Boston qualifier option, definitely give Providence a try. The course is relatively flat, organization … MORE
If you’re looking for a nice springtime marathon to run in New England that’s a good Boston qualifier option, definitely give Providence a try. The course is relatively flat, organization is very good, and it’s quite easy to get to and from the start/finish area with ample parking at the nearby Providence Place Mall. There were a few minor rain showers the year I ran it, but the temps were comfortable for a marathon. The start and finish area is at a small park in the center of the city, and from there you will meander south and east through various neighborhoods along the Providence River. Crowd support is spotty at times, but the spectators who are out there were very enthusiastic… and there were ample water stops along the way. Overall, definitely a race I would consider doing again!
My first New England marathon
I had high hopes for Providence, but I never found my pace. It was hillier than I thought and slightly warm. My family came to support me. The hill 7 … MORE
I had high hopes for Providence, but I never found my pace. It was hillier than I thought and slightly warm. My family came to support me. The hill 7 miles in where I knew it wasn’t my day, seeing my folks at various water stops, I came back into the city with heavy legs but I finished.