undertaken workouts in which the runner is afoot for six, eight or twelve hours. In addition, the runner must learn how to combine walking with running and discover which drinks suit him best on the run.

For these reasons I strongly recommend that runners “go the distance” in training before they try it in racing. In doing so, the runner will learn that by rationing energy properly, almost any distance can be achieved. The old timers often remarked that distance does not kill, but speed does.

These long training efforts should be easy trials. The athlete should never experience real discomfort; if real fatigue surfaces, the long run must be terminated so that the runner’s reserves are not depleted. After all, the race can’t be left on the training road.

The specifics of walking, drinking and “psyching” will now be considered. A description of how these elements are combined in a successful training run will be given in the next chapter.

Walking

The art of mixing walking with running is one of the ultramarathoner’s most important skills. A runner who can race the marathon in 3:15 would have great difficulty running more than thirty-five miles at a continuous jog, regardless of how slow the pace was. However, the same runner could run for fifteen minutes, then walk for five; run fifteen, walk five, etc., and complete sixty miles in good form. The athlete who can run the marathon in 2:35 can probably run fifty miles at a steady, seven minute per mile pace. But even runners of this class can profit from walking. They find that a blend of walking and running allows them to cover great distances in training without generating fatigue. Finally, even the greatest runners in the world cannot run continuously for periods approaching forty-eight hours. Races lasting two days and more are beginning to appear on road racing schedules, and they present yet another running challenge. Here even the most gifted athletes must employ walking for optimum results.

What do I mean by walking? I don’t mean race walking of the heel and toe variety; I mean ordinary brisk walking. Most marathoners will find that they can walk for extended periods at a speed of about 3.5 miles per hour. With practice, walking speeds close to 4.5 miles per hour are possible without employing race walking technique. The great Edward Payson Weston, America’s greatest walker ever, did not use race walking form. He often poked fun at race walkers and said in an article in the Saturday Evening Post, “Heel and toe walking isn’t really walking at all, but is straight-legged running. And there is nothing natural about it.”

Dr. George Sheehan has suggested that the most efficient walking for runners might be that of a race walker who cheats. He suggests that utilizing the race walker’s style, but in addition, bending the knee slightly on impact (a

violation of race walking rules termed creeping), is the most economical walking style. Iam a trained runner, not a walker, and I don’t have the final answers to these questions. The reader should experiment to uncover the walking form which works best.

The exact division of an ultramarathon into pre-set walking and running segments will depend upon the circumstances of the race. In a track effort, it is best to measure these segments in laps. When I first covered one hundred miles I used a quarter mile cinder track and ran seven laps, then walked one; ran seven, walked one, etc. When on the road, it is more convenient to gauge these segments by time rather than by distance. When a group of us ran from Philadelphia to Atlantic City in the summer of 1977 (sixty-two miles in 10.5 hours) we ran slowly for fifteen minutes, then walked for 5; ran fifteen, walked five, etc.

Few runners have tried walking in races. Walking is viewed by runners as something you do when you can no longer run. Sometimes, the poorly paced marathoner will “hit the wall” in the last few miles of the race. Such a runner may find that stopping to walk causes the legs to knot up, preventing further running. They have lost the rhythm of continuous running, and once this rhythm is lost, itis not easily regained. For this reason, the marathoner will be skeptical about the usefulness of walking.

The marathoner knows only this one rhythm of continuous running; there are other rhythms of which he has no knowledge. The body becomes used to the rhythmic pattern that is established while the runner is fresh. For this reason it is essential to begin the walking segments of an ultra in the very beginning of the run while the runner is still feeling very good. Let us assume that a mixture of ten minutes running to five minutes walking is selected before the run starts. After the first ten minutes of running the runner MUST STOP AND WALK FOR FIVE MINUTES, EVEN THOUGH THIS FEELS MOST UNNATURAL . Itis very hard to stop because the runner is fresh and just beginning to get warmed up. Nevertheless he must establish the rhythm at the start. After an hour, stopping will no longer seem unusual and the rhythm of running and walking will have been established.

After several hours of “mixing” in this fashion, fatigue of a mild nature will slowly settle in. At this point runners find that when they begin a running segment, the body feels reluctant to resume. This sensation leaves after about thirty seconds. As the runner approaches the end of his running segment he will again find his body growing reluctant to run. This is a sign that the runner’s inner clock has grasped the appropriate rhythm and is preparing the body for the walking phase.

How fast can you cover fifty miles while walking and running? Let us suppose you are on a quarter mile track and choose to run seven laps and walk

one. Also, assume that you walk comfortably at four minutes per lap (3.75 mph). If you run at a speed of 7:30 per mile for the seven lap segment you will cover fifty miles in seven hours and eight minutes, a very good time. If yourun at a speed of eight minutes to the mile then the fifty miles will be complete in seven hours and thirty minutes. If you run at nine minutes to the mile, you will do the fifty miles in eight hours and thirteen minutes.

Suppose now that you need more walking. You select a ratio of three laps running to one lap walking. Again, you walk at four minutes per lap, but you jog the three laps at a comfortable nine minutes to the mile. You will complete fifty miles in eight hours fifty-eight minutes. One hundred miles would pass in seventeen hours and fifty-six minutes, a time bettered by only afew Americans.

Should the runner take long, continuous walks as part of training? I doubt that these would be necessary for races shorter than twenty-four hours. I recently underwent a three day trial in which I covered 200 miles. So much walking was necessary here that I now feel that I need long walks as specific training for events lasting two days or more.

Finally, I should mention that walking is useful not only as a means of greatly extending the distance that arunner can go on foot; it is also. a marvelous restorative exercise by itself. After a hard day of training, a brisk walk of thirty minutes to an hour in the evening will accelerate the recovery process by stimulating the circulation. Walking places only one third the pressure on tendons of the foot compared with running. Edward Payson Weston described walking as a gentle massage and claimed that many ailments could be cured through its employment.

Drinks for the Long Run

While learning to mix walking with running during the long workouts, the athlete must also discover which drinks can be ingested on the run. Even on the hottest days, I rarely drank much fluid in marathon races. I usually elected to pour available water over my head and neck in an effort to keep cool. Because the ultramarathoner is working at a much easier pace than the marathoner, he is able to drink fluids more easily. In particular, the walking phases of the effort provide an ideal time to drink. In addition, the ultramarathoner is much more likely to dehydrate than the marathoner due to the long period of time over which he will work. Even on the coolest days, considerable quantities of fluid must be taken. At all costs, serious dehydration must be prevented.

The most important component of the runner’s drink is the plain water that it contains. It he takes nothing else, he will have at least avoided dehydration. How can you tell if you are drinking enough? You cannot wait until you feel thirsty. On hot days, twelve ounces every quarter hour should be enough. On very cold days, sixteen ounces per hour might be enough. If you feel the need

to urinate frequently, then you can be sure that you are drinking a bit too much. I feel that it is better to drink a little too much than to risk dehydration.

Many runners put sugar, sometimes in large quantities, in their drinks; other runners find it difficult to handle heavily sugared fluids. The runner can experiment with these in training. I first learned the significance of sugared drinks in 1967 when I was preparing for my first fifty mile race. It was summer, and I was taking a long run each week, adding three miles each week to the previous distance. All went well until I reached thirty-five miles. For two weeks in arow I found that I felt great at thirty-two miles, but at thirty-five, I felt like a car with a suddenly empty gas tank. I recalled the words of my old mentor, Jack Barry, himself a champion marathoner in the mid-1950s. Barry ate dates during his longest training runs and races. He claimed that the sugar in the dates went directly into the runners fuel tank. At the five mile mark of my next long run, I decided to mix a little sugar in the iced tea that I had been using as a fluid replacement. When I mixed in two teaspoons I was surprised to find that I did not taste the sugar. I tried a few more teaspoons and still could not taste it. I immediately suspected that my body was urging me to use more and more. I dumped a large quantity in . . . now I could taste it, and deliciously inviting it seemed! When I began running again I was amazed to find that I felt stronger immediately. I had discovered an important trick! The next week I ran fortyeight miles and the following week fifty-five. I did no more long training, for I now knew that I could go the distance.

The quantity of sugar that should be included in the drink is a matter of personal preference. I have placed as much as a two pound box of sugar in a gallon of iced tea and consumed the entire gallon during a fifty mile track race on a hot and humid summer evening. Not every runner can tolerate that much sugar. I always have a gallon of plain water available and should the sugar begin to bother my stomach, I take plain water until I feel relieved.

I have used the following drinks with success: apple juice, grape juice, orange juice, various sodas, powdered milk and plain water. All the above contain extra sugar at a concentration that the runner prefers. My favorite drink is tea with sugar. I use iced tea in the summer and hot tea in the winter.

If the long training run takes place on a track, or relatively small loop, then the runner can have a variety of drinks available with which to experiment. If the workout will take place on the road, then he must carry sufficient change with him so that he can buy available drinks at vending machines and grocery stores.

Mental Preparation

Learning to mix walking with running, and the preparation of appropriate drinks, are technical problems that are relatively easy to master. Altering the

psychological outlook of the marathoner to ultramarathoning is a more difficult task. The marathon is a race of great intensity when compared with races of fifty or one hundred miles. A much more casual approach is required for ultras. The marathoner is on the move every instant, unwilling to relinquish a precious second. The athlete in a two-day trial, by contrast, takes brief naps, pauses to rest, has nearly complete meals, and so on. The longest events are more like taking a trip than running a race.

Competitors in marathons and shorter races think of their event in terms of miles or kilometers. They can comprehend the entire race in terms of distance, since they have probably run that far many times in training. On the other hand, races of fifty or one hundred miles are too long to comprehend in terms of length in miles. It is easier for the runner to view these in terms of the hours to be spent afoot rather than in terms of miles to be covered. For example, a seven hour fifty-miler stands at the starting line of a race that begins at 9 a.m. Although he finds fifty miles difficult to comprehend, he can easily imagine the time from 9 a.m. to the finish of his seven hour run at 4 p.m. He must stay in easy motion, walking and running gently. In order not to go out too fast, he thinks of the 4 p.m. finish. Can he remain in motion that long? If not, he must either reduce the pace or do more easy walking. The ultramarathoner constantly reminds himself of the finish time and the number of hours during which he must remain in motion. With his mind’s eye thus fixed on the finish, he can monitor the intensity of his efforts. Ultramarathoners often remark that the distance covered in training is not important, but the number of hours spent on foot is.

Arace of fifty miles, 100 miles or more would be remarkably frightening— and physically destructive—if it were approached with the intensity that I use in the marathon. In fact I approach these events in a playful, joyous manner. They are to be days of great fun—a celebration of life and an exuberant display of my body’s energy. I promise myself that I will not tolerate pain or heavy fatigue. Should these unexpectedly occur, then I, like the great Edward Payson Weston before me, will walk off the track. Quitting in such cases is no loss of honor, but a sign of common sense and mature self-control.

Of all athletes, the ultramarathoner is among the most fortunate. His events bring him out into the fresh air for hours or even days. His body flows with easy rhythms. He becomes one with nature, and his spirit rejoices for every cell in his body is being flushed with energy.

Tom Osler’s book will continue in our November/December 2001 issue.

“BROOKS 2001

Ocean State Marathon

Point-to-Point course from Warwick to Providence, Rhode Island

New Date – Montay, October 8, 2001 Columbus Day Weekend ¢ 7:55am

$112,000 Plus Prize Purse

¢ $112,000 Plus Prize Purse In Overall & Age Group Divisions

© USATF Certified & Sanctioned

¢ A Boston Qualifier

® ChampionChip® Timing

© 5 Medical Aid Stations

ve, © 15 Water / Ultima Replenisher

Stations

® Program Book & Long Sleeved F-Shirt To All Entrants

© Markers At Each Mile And Clocks Every 5 Miles

® Medallion To All Finisher’s © 1st Timers Encouraged

RACE REGISTRATION

$50 Until September 24th $60 After September 24th

ATi ATHLETES AND AGENTS CONTACT GERRY BEAGAN, RACE DIRECTOR. RACE INFORMATION: (401) 885-4499 © FAX (401) 885-3188 E-MAIL OSM26@IDS.net ¢ WEB www.OSM26.com, or fo receive an entry form with

oltre cic en information, send a business size selt addressed stamped envelope to: Ocean State Marathon, 5 Division Street, East Greenwich, RI 02818

Brooks Pharmacy Ocean State Marathon

New England’s Renaissance City has a Renaissance Marathon to Match.

& BROOKS Pyarmacy

Ocean State

OW FITTING that Providence, Rhode Island, hailed as “America’s

Renaissance City,” hosts a marathon that has done its own bit of rebirthing. Voted in 2000 by Money magazine as the “Best Place to Live in the Eastern U.S.,” Providence is nearing the end of a spirited, decade-long revitalization, resulting in its current distinction as a top U.S. destination city. And in the nineyear-old Brooks Pharmacy Ocean State Marathon, run each fall from Warwick to Providence, the state has an emerging destination marathon to match. This jewel of a marathon is the perfect product of a proud state: as the first colony to prohibit importing slaves, the first to declare independence from Britain, and

September/October 2001 OCEAN STATE MARATHON 149

© PHOTO RUN 2000

Brooks Pharmacy Ocean State Marathon 5 Division Street

East Greenwich, Ri 02818 PHONE: 401/885-4499

FAX: 401/885-3188

WEB SITE: www.0SM26.com E-MAIL: OSM26@IDS.net

RACE DIRECTOR: Gerry Beagan YEAR RACE ESTABLISHED: 1993 USATF SANCTION: Yes

USATF CERTIFIED: Yes CHAMPIONCHIP TIMED: ‘Yes

START TIME: 7:55 AM (When the race was in November, it started at 9 o’clock). Runners must maintain a 12-minute per mile pace to receive services on the course.

RACE RECORD HOLDERS: Open men: Igor Osmak, Ukraine, 2000, 2:14:24 Open women: Tetyana Pozdnyakova, Ukraine, 1999, 2:31:52 Masters men: Andrey Kuznetsov, Russia, 2000, 2:16:49

Masters women: _Tetyana Pozdnyakova, Ukraine, 1999, 2:31:52

PRIZE MONEY/AWARDS: $112,000 total purse. Seven deep for open men/women, starting at $10,000 to the top male/female finisher. Cash award also to top male/female age-group winners (5-year age groups) plus course record and age-group record cash bonuses. Top male and female Rhode Island finishers receive a round-trip plane ticket to any destination in Florida.

TIE-IN EVENTS: None

NUMBER OF VOLUNTEERS: 1,000

MARATHON FINISHERS IN 2000: 1,565

PROPORTION MALE/FEMALE FINISHERS: 75% male; 25% female COURSE MARKINGS: Every mile, with digital clocks at 5-mile intervals MEDICAL AID STATIONS: Four on the course and one at the finish line NUMBER OF WATER STATIONS: 15—Crystal Spring Water/Ultima FUTURE RACE DATES: O8O0CTO1, 140CTO2, 130CTO3

ENTRY COST FOR 2001: $40 before O5JULYO1; $50 until 24SEPTO1;

$60 after 24SEPTO1

AREA HOTELS: The race starts in Warwick, Rhode Island, and finishes 26.2 miles north in Capital City Providence. When making your hotel reservations, decide whether you want to roll out of bed for the start at the Community College of Rhode Island in Warwick and then find your way back there after the race or stay in Providence and take advantage of free bus transportation to the start. Either way, there are many hotels to choose from, although they are on the pricey side. To receive preferred rates on airline tickets, hotels, and car rentals, you MUST make arrangements with Carlson Wagonlit/Donovan Travel: 401/885-3500 or 800/252-2660. A $10 service fee will be applied to your reservation.

PROVIDENCE/WARWICK INFORMATION: — Rhodelslandin general and Providence in particular are enjoying robust and spirited growth, and the proud CVBs do a great job of promoting the smallest state in the Union. For more information, contact the Providence/Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, 401/274-1636, www.providencecvb.com; the Warwick Economic Development Department of Tourism, 800/4-Warwick; or the Cranston Chamber of Commerce, 401/785-3780.

GETTING THERE: —Rhodelslandis very accessible by plane, train, or auto, making this one of the easiest marathons to get to. Interstate 95 and 195 bisect Providence, which is 185 miles from New York and only 45 miles from Boston. Save time and money by flying right to the new T. F. Green Airport, only 12 minutes from downtown Providence. It is one of the most pleasant and hassle-free urban airports around, and the airfares should beat anything you could get to Logan Airport in Boston. The Amtrak station is five minutes from all the downtown hotels.

the last to ratify the Constitution (holding out until the Bill of Rights was added), Rhode Island has always been a little bit feisty. And its lone marathon appears to be cut from the same cloth.

THIRD TIME’S A CHARM

At 48 miles long and 37 miles wide (“before lunch” runs for some of our

September/October 2001

readers!), Rhode Island is the smallest state in the Union and has a rich and colorful past. Capital City Providence was established by clergyman Roger Williams, who took refuge there in 1636 after Massachusetts banished him for being too liberal. Once a powerful shipping and shipbuilding town, today Providence is the medical, cultural, educational, and artistic hub of the state and one of the

Must See/Must Avoid

iny Rhode Island, nicknamed the Ocean State, lays claim to over 400 stline, over 100 beaches, and 2,300 park acres on six ispressive is that more than 20 percent of the nation’s al landmarks reside in the state. Capital City Providence editors of Money magazine as the “Best Place to Live in ’ for the year 2000. Given the state’s size, nothing is very far from anyt ng else, so your real dilemma will be deciding what to see while you’re there. Here’s our take on some sites to visit while you’re in the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. What, you didn’t know that was the state’s official name? It has the longest official name of any state.

GO SEE IT Newport mansions. Home to many yacht clubs and the America’s Cup Race from 1930 to 1983, by the late 1800s, Newport was where ultrarich : it their summer “cottages.” The two main drags, Bellevue and vide views of the mansions, the most ornate of which ‘e-popping 70-room estate built in 1895 for Cornelius iotape tour of Newport is available through the Conors Bureau. Mansion visits are not free but worth the money. urchasing combination tickets, which allow you to visit more than one. 401/847-1000. The perfect postmarathon leg stretch would be the gorgeous 3-mile Cliff Walk, which hugs the bluffs around Rhode Island Sound between Easton’s Beach and Bailey’s Beach on Newport’s east side. Block Island, once called the “Bermuda Triangle of the East” because of its dense fog and ship-ensnaring shoals, is accessible by ferry year-round from PointJudith (ferries also run from Providence and Newport, mid-June through Labor Day). 401/783-4613. A popular summer vacation resort due south of the state’s mainland, the island should be peaceful in October. You’ll find hiking and biking trails as well as wildlife sanctuaries. Be sure to head to Mohegan Bluffs, on the island’s southeastern shore. Scale the 200-foot-high cliffs and you’ll have a spectacular view of the restored Victorian-style lighthouse, Southeast Light, built in 1875. Boats 35 miles out to sea can see the beacon cast by the lighthouse lantern, perched 240 feet above sea level.

Benefit Street-College Hill. The arts thrive in Providence, and nowhere is that celebration more evident than along Benefit Street-C ollege Hill in Providence. Dotting what locals call the “Mile of History” are more than 200 restored buildings from the 18″ and 19% century—houses, taverns, schools,

and shops, originally built by sea captains and shipbuilders durin prominence as a shipping and shipbuilding center.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsSsssSssssSsssSsseeee

Museums. If you dig museums, check out these two located in Providence: Museum of Art—Rhode Island School of Design, 224 Benefit Street. The museum features a diverse collection of over 80,000 works, from Greek and Roman art to contemporary pieces and American furniture. 401/4546500. Culinary Achives & Museum, 315 Harborside Boulevard at the Harborside campus of Johnson & Wales University, one of the top cooking schools in the United States. 401/598-2805. The museum houses over 400,000 cooking and food-related artifacts dating back to ancient times. Admission charged at both museums.

Fine dining. If you just gotta go to the race’s pasta feed, fine, but do save at least one meal for one of the impressive restaurants in Providence. Al Forno on South Main Street earned a “Best Casual Restaurant in the World” distinction several years ago. The Federal Hill area, with its concentration of Italian restaurants, isa good bet for a pre- or postrace meal and is within easy walking distance of downtown. The locals are proud that their city is such a hot food destination, and they are happy to recommend their favorite

places to eat, so do ask.

AVOID IT

As with any urban environment, it is best to stay in populated, high-activity

areas of the city.

few places in the United States where artists can live and work without paying income taxes.

Although Rhode Island has just one marathon, that one race carries on a tradition dating back 25 years to 1976, when the first 26-miler debuted in the state. “Little Rhody’s” current marathon is actually the state’s third attempt at a marathon—but it looks like the race has the staying power this time. Mansion-lined Newport, Rhode Island, was the site of the original Ocean State Marathon held from 1976 to 1986 and featuring a threeloop course. The race was successful, with 2,500 runners at its height in 1979, but was canceled in 1987 when

September/October 2001

it lost its primary sponsor. Next up was the Rhode Island Marathon (RIM), reincarnated in 1988. During its six-year run, the race was held on several courses in and around Newport, with portions in Middleton and abit of Portsmouth, before moving to a point-to-point, Warwick-to-Providence route in 1992.

About this time, a group of local long-distance runners grew discontent with the direction RIM was heading and began plans to resurrect the Ocean State Marathon. Rallying around three key organizers, the Ocean State Marathon was reborn in 1993 with a pointto-point course along Rhode Island’s coast from Narragansett to Warwick.

OCEAN STATE MARATHON ® 153

In 1997, the affable and hardworking Gerry Beagan, amember of the Tuesday Night Turtles, one of several running clubs supporting the event, emerged from the three original directors to become the sole director.

In its inaugural year, the revived OSM held its race one week before RIMand very close to the RIM course. Under head-to-head competition, RIM folded the next year. By 1994, OSM entries had more than doubled to 1,100. In 1999, with entries nearing 2,000, Beagan unveiled the current Warwick-to-Providence course. The new route does not feature all that’s beautiful about Rhode Island nor take in many of the state’s 400 coastal miles, but it is flat, fast—definitely a Boston qualifier—and includes an exciting downtown finish, right in front of the new Convention Center, where the postrace festivities take place.

From the start, Beagan’s vision was to develop a first-rate, nationalclass marathon for the state and people of Rhode Island to take pride in. Beagan and his race committee are steadfastly determined to give every runner, from first to last, a prime-time marathon experience. By and large, they are succeeding. One of the few U.S. marathons to offer age-group prize money and course record bonuses, this is by no means a regional marathon. The 2000 race included participants from 42 states and 17 nations.

The total purse continues to climb, resting currently at a guaranteed

$112,000 plus bonuses and time incentives. Each year Beagan brings in a good crop of elite male and female marathoners to duke it out at the front of the pack. The winning times are fast—Igor Osmak of the Ukraine broke the course record with his strong 2:14:24 in the 2000 event; masters runner Tetyana Pozdnyakova, also of the Ukraine, holds the women’s record of 2:31:52. As the race pours time, money, and energy into its elite program, its challenge will be to make sure the rest of their field gets firstclass treatment, too.

Beagan and his race committee tweak the event each year, always eager to add new wrinkles. Take their race medals, for instance: gold medallions to the top 500 finishers, silver for finishers 501-1,000, and bronze to finishers 1,001 and above. Although a challenge to administer, the main concept is to give the entrants one more incentive to compete against themselves and other runners in the race. Most runners we spoke to liked the idea of the colored medals.

DOUBLE CHANGE

Inone of the gutsier moves we’ ve seen onthe marathon scene in recent years, Beagan has changed both the month and day of his event. The already short list of November marathons just got shorter. And the list of great October marathons— including several in New England alone—just got longer. Starting this year, the Brooks Pharmacy Ocean State Marathon will

September/October 2001

move from its mid-November date to Columbus Day—not Columbus Day weekend, mind you, but Columbus Day, asin Monday. This year that falls on October 8, the day after the Chicago and Twin Cities marathons. According to Beagan, the main reason for the change was significant conflicts with churches along the course. “The congregations were severely inconvenienced, or so they petitioned,” notes Beagan, “and we knew race growth would only worsen the condition.” The new date also minimizes the chance of horrendous weather. Says Beagan, “Obviously, any date move impacts our race as well as other races in the time frame. We will see how the decision shakes out. We hope for growth, but we are guaranteed nothing.”

COURSE HIGHLIGHTS

The old course for the new Ocean State Marathon, running from Narragansett to Warwick, was moderately difficult, subject either to nasty headwinds ora pleasant tailwind, and not particularly fast. The new Warwick-to-Providence route, first run in 1999, is PR worthy. The first 14+ miles are in Warwick, followed by 2 quick miles in Cranston, anda final 10 miles in the city of Providence. The course has a net drop of 150 feet, only one noteworthy hill in the first 19.5 miles, a few hills in the last 6 miles, and an extremely fast final 3 miles, including a two-tenths of a mile downhill right after mile 25. Runners share the road with traffic

September/October 2001

much of the time, sometimes funneling down to a very narrow lane along busy streets. Police escorts abound, however, so traffic is always under control. Parts of the course are residential and scenic, while other miles are drearily urban and industrial. The section along Point Street in Providence is especially raw, but East Providence is stately and inspiring.

COURSE IN DETAIL

Anice, wide starting berth welcomes you outside the CCRI fieldhouse in Warwick. The start is smooth and efficient. Your chip time and watch time won’ t differ much. After a loop around the campus, you’ll move onto Commonwealth Avenue and then East Avenue (known locally as Route 113). The roads are narrow, residential, very “New England,” and clear of traffic. Spectator visibility is ideal, especially as the route passes the main entrance to CCRI, opposite the Rhode Island Mall. A right onto Greenwich Avenue takes you into the Apponaug section of Warwick. After a left on Veterans Memorial Drive, you’ll turn right on West Shore Road (aka Route 117) at mile 4.1.

These opening miles are gentle, allowing you to get into a rhythm, which should help you run strong for 7 pancake-flat miles along West Shore Road. While on West Shore Road, you’ll pass through the Warwick communities of Buttonwoods, Oakland Beach, Conimicut, and Hoxsie 4-Corners at the 11-mile

OCEAN STATE MARATHON @ = 155

mark. This section is a mix of light commercial and residential. If you get hungry for a burger along the route, youcould certainly finda place to buy one. As the course hits mile 10, you’ll have only a narrow lane to stay in, as traffic runs both ways there. The corner of West Shore Road and Warwick Avenue is a good spectator spot—and one of the few places on the course where you’ll actually see some. Turning right at Hoxsie 4Corners onto Warwick Avenue, you’ll run about a mile before turning right onto the beautiful residential Narragansett Parkway. With just 2.4 miles leftin Warwick, you’renow in the Gaspee section. The 20K split coincides with the start of the annual Gaspee Days Parade. You’ Ilalso have your first look (off to your right) at Narragansett Bay, the large finger of water that runs between the east and west portions of the state. There is a

modest, 250-yard climb by the Narragansett Village Condos. Look for bagpipers at the halfway point. After a short downhill and a straight shot to the Pawtuxet Bridge at mile 14.2, you begin to log your only miles in Cranston before crossing the Providence line at mile 16.2.

The Providence skyline in distant view, you’ve got exactly 10 miles to go. The first 3 miles of Providence are exceptionally fast, especially Allens Avenue, which, along with Point Street, are the scenic low points of the course. When you reach Gano Street at 19.4 miles, you’ve reached stately but challenging East Side. Over the next mile, you’ll have an equal uphill/downhill combination. At mile 21.1 along Irving Avenue, you’! have another hill—this time a quarter-mile climb, Ocean State’s version of Heartbreak Hill—before moving onto the prettiest section of the course. You’ Il

September/October 2001

Runner’s High/Runner’s Low

HIGHS

Easy race to get to via plane, train, or car

Impressive prerace program booklet

Indoor prerace staging area at Community College of Rhode Island

Flat, fast, Boston-qualifying type course

Age-group cash awards and course record bonuses

hardly know you’re in the city: the area is wooded with large, magnificent houses and bagpipers providing the soundtrack. Wide Blackstone Boulevard with its grassy, tree-lined median strip will feel like Commonwealth Avenue on the Boston Marathon course. (Hey, these Boston similarities are starting to add up, especially with the Monday start!). Enjoy this rolling to flat 1.6-mile stretch. Only 3 miles to go and one final hill at mile 24.4 on Hillside Avenue. The only course change in 2001 involves the finish, which has moved one block from Kennedy Plaza, which is undergoing construction changes and cannot support a finish. The new finish at the Convention Center will be more convenient for the participants, some of whom complained in past years about—get this—the blocklong walk from the old finish line to the CC for the postrace festivities! So, the final mile will continue to offer you the swooping downhill drop to

September/October 2001

Combines elite field at the front with small-race charm

Only chance to notch Rhode Island in your quest for all 50 states

Small expo

Much of the course shares the road with traffic

Hotels a bit pricey in Providence

Spotty crowd support

Canal Street at mile 25, but then you’ll make a left, three rights, and another left before a straight away finish on Exchange Terrace.

As one veteran entrant put it, “Ocean State is a great race for marathoners who just want to go out and have a good, fast run. They don’t want to be elbowing their way through the crowds, tripping over anyone. And they don’t wantto party along the way or have to register six months in advance.”

TOP-NOTCH VENUES

This marathon has terrific venues, starting with the new, state-of-the-art Rhode Island Convention Center in downtown Providence. This bright, airy facility hosts the small but cozy six-hour expo, the elite runner panel, as well as the prerace pasta feed and the postrace party and awards ceremony, held in a beautiful rotunda with a gorgeous view of the ProviOCEAN STATE MARATHON M157

dence skyline. Cheerful and plentiful Brooks Pharmacy staff, dressed in signature red jackets, dot every corner of the building, directing lost or tired runners to where they need to go. About the only complaint we heard about the facility, and Providence in general, is that you’ve got to pay to park—all weekend. A generous gesture on the part of the city, which hangs bright red “Welcome Ocean State Marathoner” banners all over the city, would be to waive parking fees in designated garages. Other marathon host cities do this, and it’s a big hit with participants. Count on Beagan to work on this.

If you do fly to the race, don’teven bother renting a car. Take a taxi from the airport and stay in downtown Providence. Everything’s within walking distance, and you can take the free shuttle to the start in Warwick.

Equally terrific is the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI), the race-morning staging venue. The race provides transportation from the Convention Center to CCRI (a 20-minute ride), where you can sprawl out inside the school’s enormous fieldhouse, which comfortably holds 2,000-plus runners spread out all over the gym floor and bleachers. There are tons of porta-johns, and the excellent sound system they’ ve got set up allows you to hear all the announcements whether you’re inside or outside of the building. You’ ll feel like you’re at a race in any small-town USA. You can even wait until race morning to pick up your race bag and

chip, if you’d like, another way the race tries to accommodate the entrants (although exhibitors would rather everyone have to come to the six-hour expo). And, even though the stated policy is “no raceday registration,” we did, ah-hem, see a good handful of local folks registering that morning (but don’t tell anyone).

ELITE RUNNER PANEL

Ocean State highlights the presence of their elite runners by presenting an “Elite Runner Panel,” featuring three or four of the top male and female competitors. Bill Rodgers is also a guest. Having the panel after the expo allows even intrigued exhibitors to attend. While the concept is novel and has great potential, the format is disorganized and lacks structure. In addition, few of the runners on the panel speak English, so much gets lost in translation. Even the first-timers in the audience hunger for some lastminute advice and can learn from the elite runners present, but the panel doesn’t take advantage of this opportunity. Much to the disappointment of the panel attendees, the most popular guy in the room, Billy Rodgers, got barely five minutes of airtime. Look for Beagan and his committee to overhaul this aspect of the race. Atlastthere’s a marathon in Rhode Island that will survive the test of time. Expect this event to keep getting better and better each year. From the chock-full of goodies goodie bags to the organized and efficient finish line,

September/October 2001