There is NO parking at the start/finish as Thames St will be closed to traffic for the start of the race. Parking is available at Guiteras School on Washington St., metered spots on Hope St., and many of the side streets from Hope. There is also public parking near the Post Office on Thames St. There is a map of available parking here.
You may pick-up your bibs and shirts at the following times and places:
Thursday - 5pm- 7pm, Rhode Runner, 657 N. Main St, Providence, RI;
Friday - 3pm - 7pm, TBD
Saturday - 5am - 6:15 am, Independence Park, Bristol, RI
Every runner needs to show a license when picking up their race packet. When picking up a packet for a friend, you need a signed note from the runner and a photocopy of their license.
Yes, there is a 3.5 hour time limit to finish the half marathon. We offer an early start option for those needing more time.
Yes. All races are chip timed and will have starting mats. Both gun time and chip time will be provided. We have partnered with RaceJoy to provide a comprehensive race communication experience. One feature of this robust app is live athlete tracking using your smartphone. Click here to learn more. You can also sign up for text alerts for when you pass by timing mats. Please click on RESULTS NOTIFICATIONS from your registration.
Yes. Medals will be awarded to all finishers. Shirt sizes are only guaranteed before February 1st.
With the registration fee, you will receive an entry in the race, an official race shirt (sizes limited after February 1st, on-course support, free race photos, RaceJoy Athlete Tracking, and finishers will receive a medal, one free beer at the post-race party, post-race massages courtesy of Pappas Physical Therapy, finish line food and beverage.
Yes, we will distribute awards once most of our age group categories have filled in. We will award the Top 3 Overall Open and Female as well as:
-
Top 3 Place Open/Women (age 19 and under)
-
Top 3 Place Open/Women (age 20-29)
-
Top 3 Place Open/Women (age 30-39)
-
Top 3 Place Open/Women (age 40-49)
-
Top 3 Place Open/Women (age 50-59)
-
Top 3 Place Open/Women (age 60-69)
-
Top 3 Place Open/Women (age 70-79)
-
Top Aged 80+ Open
Top Male 2 Person Relay Team, Top Female 2 Person Relay Team, Top Open 2 Person Relay Team (Co-Ed, Non-Binary)
*Must be present for awards.
Aid stations are located throughout the half and full marathon course at approximate 2-mile intervals. Please reference the course map for exact locations. Aid stations will have water and an electrolyte drink. Some additional aid stations will have energy gels and bananas.
Yes, the half marathon course is USATF measured and certified.
There will be a gear bag check at the start of the Half Marathon. All gear must be placed in bags (not provided by the race, please provide your own) and any unattended bags will be discarded. Please do not leave anything valuable in our gear check, as Rhode Races & Events are not responsible for lost or damaged items. Any clothing discarded at the start of the race or on course will be discarded.
The course does have some rolling inclines along the course as you weave across Bristol’s peninsula and navigate this coastal town. You can go to our website to check out the elevation map under the tab “Course Details.”
There will be finish line medical and roving on course support. Please let an Aid Station volunteer know if you need, or see someone in need, medical assistance and a sag vehicle or ambulance will be called.
Yes, we will have pacers running at half-marathon paces of: 1:40, 1:45, 1:50, 2:00, 2:15, 2:30, 2:45 and 3 hrs.
No. This area is a popular destination and our permit does not allow us to close roads. We do create coned running lanes. For your safety and the consideration of the community in which we run, we do require that you stay within these coned running lanes.
To find the race hotels, click on the “Travel” tab on the Independence Rhode Race homepage - www.RhodeRaces.com/events/Bristol
Registration will stay open until 15 mins before the start of the race, or we sell out. Our registration page will count down the number of bibs left once we are under 100.
Pre-registration closes at 6 pm on the Wednesday before the race, this is also the last day for shirt selection and to defer or transfer.
While earphones are not banned, we discourage their use in the race for the safest experience for you and your fellow participants. Any earphone should allow you to hear your surroundings and be aware of any directions given.
As part of our sustainable initiatives, we encourage a bring-your-own hydration option as this means fewer cups and bottles as part of our event.
No. Dogs and strollers are not permitted in the race due to insurance and safety precautions for our participants. As much as we love babies and pets, you will be removed from the race if you are running with either a stroller or a dog. Please make other arrangements.
No. Dogs and strollers are not permitted in the race due to insurance and safety precautions for our participants. As much as we love babies and pets, you will be removed from the race if you are running with either a stroller or a dog. Please make other arrangements.
Yes. Select the “Courses” tab on the race website home page. www.RhodeRaces.com/events/Bristol
No. If you cross the finish line twice the slower time will be recorded.
No, bicycles are not permitted on the course. It impedes runners and our safety and security personnel. Additionally, it is unsafe with the course open to traffic.
Due to the size of this race, it is not allowed. We would like to give all our participants ample room to finish safely.
You are welcome to defer your entry to next year or transfer to any race in our portfolio, within one year of your original event. The deferral or transfer process must be completed before online registration closes and there is a small fee to complete this transfer.
To defer to the same race next year, please follow these steps:
1. Sign In to RunSignUp
2. Go to your Profile
3. Click My Registered Races
4. Click Manage next to the registration that you would like to transfer your event for
5. Click the Defer menu item
To transfer to another race within one calendar year of the original race or transfer the bib to another runner -
1. Sign In to RunSignUp
2. Go to your Profile
3. Click My Registered Races
4. Click View/Edit next to the registration that you would like to transfer
5. Click the Transfer to Another Race or Transfer My Bib menu item
6. Find the race that you would like to transfer into and click the Start Transfer button
7. Register for the new race, and your Race Transfer Credit will be applied at checkout
The results will be posted at RhodeRaces.com within 24 hours after the event date.
Yes. There will be port-a-johns at the start and located at every aid station on the course, generally every 2 miles. Please see the course map.
Please click here for our full policy.
The race will occur on all occasions except in the cases of extreme weather. These extreme cases include thunderstorms, hurricanes, and high heat and humidity. We communicate regularly with local EMS teams to determine when to call a race. If the need to call the race happens once the start has occurred, we will use the Event Alert System, or EAS, a color-coded method of quickly communicating to participants the potential for adverse weather conditions that can affect the race event. A series of color codes is used to indicate the increasing severity of adverse conditions as outlined below. Flags will be hung at aid stations to match the alert needed. The system could also be used to warn of other potentially dangerous situations, such as cold, storms, tornadoes, or even non-weather situations like auto accidents, fires, or civil unrest on or near the course. On-course personnel, course marshals, and aid stations will be informed of the course shutdown so that they can then communicate the information to participants on course.
r race officially has a time limit of 3.5 hours. However - we do have an early starters option for those that need extra time, the start time for the early starters is 5:30am. While the course is not yet supported and secure, it does allow you an extra hour to finish, we feel it is better to have more support at the end, rather than in the beginning.
A couple notes about this - the course is not yet supported but is still getting set up. We just ask you stay on the sidewalks until we officially start at 6:30a. The route is marked but it will be important to be familiar with the first few miles. Aid station supplies will be in place but the volunteers may not arrive until a bit later. Finally, you would be ineligible for Age Group Awards and if you finish in under 2.5 hours, you risk disqualification. Just some FYIs.
Because of our strict timelines with the municipality, everyone with an estimated finish of <3.15 hours will automatically be assigned to the Early Start corral.
Individuals can refer 3 friends using their unique referral code and receive $15 back - or - for larger groups of 10 or more, each member of the group will receive $5 to $15 in refunds, depending on the size of the group! Sign up on the same team for the refund to be automatically applied when thresholds are reached.
Please visit RunSignup.com/profile to verify your race entry and make any changes - profile updates, upgrades/downgrades, transfers, deferrals, etc.
Athlete tracking is provided by RaceJoy. Please visit https://www.racejoy.net/how-to-track-someone to learn more.
Your ID is required to pick up your registration materials. Runners should be at least 14 years old to complete the half marathon.
Virtual full and half participants receive the official race shirt and finisher medal. Virtual 5k participants receive the official race shirt.
Littering along the course is strictly prohibited, especially gel packets and their tops. We provide trash cans at aid stations as well as smaller buckets at every mile marker. Please dispose of your trash in these receptacles and not on the roads, beaches or private property. We are lucky enough to be allowed to run in these beautiful locations, but we must respect our neighbors and our environment. Any runner caught littering will be disqualified.
Bandits are those who run the race without a bib, ie they did not pay an entry fee. Bandits are effectively stealing from the race organizers and other runners in the race. A race is a carefully orchestrated event with allocated resources such as medals, shirts, water, nutrition, etc planned down to the participant level. If a number of unplanned participants join the race, they take away these valuable resources from those that did pay. Water, nutrition, hydration are in particular huge concerns when unplanned runners take from those entered. Additionally, many of our events are capped as the course can only hold a certain number of runners for the safety of the participants and the residents. When someone runs a marathon, every extra step counts and having unregistered runners on the course takes away from those that are legally entered into the race. Finally, if something were to happen to an unregistered participant, we do not have their emergency contact information, or any method to determine who this participant is and how to contact their next of kin. As a result, anyone found running without a bib will be removed from the race course immediately and banned from all future Rhode Races.
Yes - you can transfer your bib, transfer your race entry to select other races in our portfolio within one year, or defer your entry to next year's race. Transfer and deferral requests must be received before online registration closes, typically 2 days before race day. Please visit this link for steps to complete this procedure.
We will be offering a 2 person relay for the half marathon. The first runner on the team will run 7.5 miles with the 2nd person completing the half marathon distance with 5.6 miles. Each team will be given a race bib belt to act as the "baton" with the chipped bib attached. The exchange zone will be at the Aid Station near Roger Williams University where the 1st runner will hand off the race belt with the bib attached for finish results. Individual splits will not be recorded - only the total team time. Team captain registers themselves, sets up their team and pays the full entry fee. The 2nd member of the team will register for that same team, with their entry fee discounted to $0. Awards will be given for Top All Male team, Top All Female team and Top "Open" team for co-ed and non-binary teams. Participants must transport themselves to and from the exchange zone, but there is plenty of parking available at RWU. RaceJoy will be available for live athlete tracking of your teammate. Please leave yourself plenty of time to access the parking lot at RWU as it will be an active location on the course with runners in the road. The 2-person relay is not eligible for the Rhode Master Series.
