Marathon 22 - Ocean State/RI Story*Training*Injury*Schedule*Spectators*Statistics

 

 

This course, as run this year, is unsafe.

For the 11th running, there is no excuse for this.

Streets open to traffic and more than a few unmanned intersections. Insufficient medical. Course maps were inaccurate. Police left dangerous intersections before "legal" back-of-the-packers passed.

Yikes.

  

The course itself was ok: rolling hills and a nice tour of the city. A brief stretch along the ocean (the promo pictures were clearly taken at some other time) would have been nice, had it not been rainy, windy and cold.

The small crowds were enthusiastic, and the volunteers energetic, again, in spite of the yucky conditions.
Caught leaving Subway, where I had to wrestle Jarred for some carbos

 

With little or no traffic control in places -- cars everywhere -- and the frequent crossing of traffic to run down a "closed" lane, made this by far the most harrowing run I have been part of.

Runners commenting "They're gonna kill us," could be heard frequently.

 
 

Note the lack of traffic control.

I am surprised that no one was killed or injured.

 

Aside from that, I run sub-9s for the first half, and burst into flames once again at mile 18. Damn that mile 18!

Awesome support from Shannon and Wyatt made this run do-able, in spite of the constant cold drizzle and often biting wind. They met me throughout the course, with water, gateraid, gummy bears and lollypops.

 

Updated October 12th, 2003