Courtesy of The Brown Daily Herald
By Emma Meija
Contributing Writer
May 4, 2025 | 1:21am EDT
After a two-year hiatus, an official marathon will return to Providence on May 4 this year.
The marathon, organized by Rhode Races and Events as part of the Providence Rhode Races, will serve as a qualifier for the Boston Marathon. A half marathon and 5K race will accompany the marathon, as well as a post-race festival featuring music, food and race vendors.
The new marathon route avoids the Washington Bridge, which shut down in December 2023 — a factor contributing to the cancellation of the Providence race last year. This year’s route will start and finish at Bold Point Park in East Providence.
Providence issues one marathon permit per year, according to Josh Estrella, the city’s director of communications. The city received permit applications for this year’s race from Rhode Races and Ventures Endurance — a national event management company that has hosted the city’s marathon and accompanying half marathon in recent years.
This year, the permit was awarded to Rhode Races because the organization found a route that worked for both the city and the community, according to Susan Rancourt, co-founder and chief running officer of Rhode Races.
“As local runners and Race Directors, we are on these roads all the time, running, biking and driving,” Rancourt explained. “We know what will work and what won’t.”
The new route moves runners off the road for a large portion of the race by using the Gano Park Bike path and various pedestrian-only pathways — modifications that Rancourt hopes will reduce the impact of road closures on residents.
“Our goal is to really make sure that the new course works for the residents and the runners,” Rancourt said.
Estrella wrote that “the mayor is happy to see this event return to the city in a safe way that takes into consideration current traffic patterns.”
Besides the new route changes, Rancourt also highlighted the event’s charitable impact.
This year’s race has partnered with Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island, through which the organization will send a team of 10 runners to participate in the race, according to Michael Vieira, the vice president of advancement of Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island and the former R.I. regional director.
The marathon represents a “really wonderful opportunity to see the community come together around our wish children,” Viera said, adding that not everyone realizes “how much it means to our wish children and their families to see wishes granted by members of their community.” He expects the team to raise a total of $30,000 for the organization.
For Rancourt, the chance for marathoners to run again is especially exciting because “as the race director, I get to hear all these amazing stories of why people are running it, and what it means to them,” she said
“Being able to have that event in Providence, especially after last year, when it was canceled, is so important because it is a connector for our community,” said Steven Blais, co-leader of Narragansett Run Club.
Blais recalled hearing disappointment from run club members after the marathon’s cancellation in 2024, which was announced less than 40 days before the marathon was set to take place.
“A lot of people at that point had put in like 18 weeks of training,” Blais said. He noted that the short time frame left many runners scrambling to find other marathon options.
Ron Koller, owner of the Providence location of The Malted Barley bar, expressed enthusiasm about the return of the marathon. In an email to the Herald, Koller noted that the event has typically increased the amount of customers the restaurant receives during the weekend of the race.
“A lot of runners come in after the race and hang out,” Koller explained. “It gives people who do not live in Providence a reason to come downtown.”
Now that the race is back on, Blais is “most excited to see the people who are out there doing it for the first time,” he said.
Julia Fagundes, a member of the Narragansett Run Club, said she plans to run in this year’s marathon.
“I’m really excited for it to be back in Providence because I’m from here, and it’s definitely an important part of the community,” Fagundes said. “It’s like my home turf.”
“You have that crowd support, that loved one who is, you know, out there ringing a cowbell for three hours, waiting to see you for four seconds,” Blais said.
Fagundes also emphasized the community building aspect of running, explaining that she has met and trained with many runners in the Providence area and marathons present an opportunity for runners to come together. “It’s just a fun thing to do with people, knowing that there’s going to be other people there on the course, it’s really exciting.”
“I think the marathon is like the best celebration that you can have.” Blais said. “I love that we get to that in our hometown.
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