Jamestown Half Marathon

Jamestown is my favorite “Rhode Race.” We often refer to it as the red-headed stepchild of the 4 races – it doesn’t get as much notoriety as the bigger races but the course is just stunning. The majestic beauty of the downtown harbor as it overlooks the Pell Bridge with its peaceful sailboats bobbing in the harbor, the historic Watson Farm and the silent windmill, the peaceful ponds and fields, and the rolling hills – to me, Jamestown is quintessential Rhode Island in its quiet charm.

But it is a challenging course. And you can see none of the above with pea soup fog like we had race morning. 🙂

For the third race in a row – we had weather-related issues. The fog was a new one. It precluded our participants, spectators, and volunteers from truly seeing the beauty of the course (as well as some other key locations – like the start!). We hadn’t prepared for it so it did present some challenges on race day – but it was still a great day.

We had a new start and finish location at Fort Getty but this location was going to be much better – it allowed us to avoid off-island parking and provided a stunning first and last half mile with Mackeral Cove now being incorporated into the course. Finally – the Pavilion at Fort Getty was a natural shelter for our participants with amazing views of Narragansett Bay. But with all new things – it is hard to predict what can happen and how best to problem-solve in advance. We do sit down before each race, go over our wrap-up notes from last year, and brainstorm what can happen this year – and what we can do to prevent or prepare for it.

With the new finish location and for the course to be truly 13.1, the start had to be a ways from the finish. We didn’t anticipate this being a problem as you had to go right past it to get into Fort Getty. However – with the fog, our runners were unable to see much past their windshields. We also did have some shuttle issues – one bad driver and it affects a NUMBER of people – but next year, we should be able to avoid shuttles altogether.

But in the end – the race is still my favorite and was a success. The new start and finish is much more conducive to the post-race atmosphere. The medals were bling-worthy, and our food was plentiful and appropriate for such an early morning start. And the course is still gorgeous and challenging – after completing it, participants have such an overwhelming sense of accomplishment – they are truly beaming. It is so incredible to help people achieve these goals.

Jamestown is just a hidden gem and we are always so excited to show it off in the best way we know how – a Rhode Race.