Narragansett Summer Running Festival 10K Recap

Last Saturday I ran my second race of the summer – the Narragansett Summer Running Festival 10K!

Narragansett Summer Running Festival

The Narragansett Summer Running Festival is a two-day event held on the Stonehill College campus. The 5K and 10K were held on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday. Runners also had the option of running the “Beat the Heat” challenge – combining either the 5 or 10K  with the half.

Knowing that the access road into the campus could get a little congested, J and I had planned to meet my brother by 6:45. I love that this race was just a 25 min drive from my house and we breezed in and parked with no issue. We took a short walk down the hill to pick up our bibs & t-shirts and then went back to the cars to hang in the shade & stretch.

No medal but a cute shirt design

About a half-hour before the 5K start, we made our way down to the start area. Despite having about 15 porta-potties there were just two really long lines. With the clock ticking, one of the race staff finally got the lines reorganized into multiple lines and things moved a lot better.

The Race

The 5K was set to go off at 8, with the 10K starting at 8:30. Final announcements were made, a recording of the national anthem played, and the 5K started right on time. The sun was already intense and we did what we could to hide in the shade of the buildings for as long as possible. The 10Kers were called to line up by 8:20, took a group photo (I kid you not), and we were off promptly at 8:30.

The course was a winding loop through the campus – a mix of paved road, gravel, grass, and even a couple of wooden bridges. Without any form of self-seeding, the start was a bit jumbled. To get out in the open, I knew I had definitely started out way too fast, and would probably pay for it later. J’s hamstring was giving him trouble so he dropped back to take a walk break while my brother and I continued on. As we circled back to the start area, we reached the course’s only hill which led to the finish line and the start of the 2nd 5K loop. We powered past runners on the hill and could hear the music coming from the race’s after-party.

I will admit it was tough to see many of the 5kers already done, enjoying the after-party, and knowing we had another loop to run. By now it was getting really hot, and the second loop became a game of “run for the shade”. At about the 4.5-mile point, we were once again out on an open field and I was ready to be done. We both took a short walk break before making another push. We fell into conversation with a woman named Katie who we had been leapfrogging along the course. My brother was feeling pretty good and when I took another short walk break I encouraged him to keep going. I had hoped to catch up with him but didn’t see him again until the finish line.

Katie was still with me as we approached the hill and one of the race staff told us we only had 600 yards to go. I made one more strong push up the hill and passed a couple of runners as I made the final turn towards the finishing chute. I was happy to finish 3 minutes faster than last month’s 10K. We waited for J to finish and then it was time to hit the beer tent!

All smiles post-race!

Each runner got two beer tickets and there was a choice of 5 beers. I opted for the watermelon shandy which was so refreshing! There was live music and a small collection of vendors, including a massage therapist offering free rubdowns. With plenty of shaded areas to sit and hang out, no one seemed in a rush to leave. Katie and a friend of hers who had also run found us and the five of us hung out for a while enjoying the beers and trading running stories.

Final Thoughts

Race organizers did a great job with pre-race communications. Parking and bib pick up was super easy. And, despite the winding course, it was well marked and there were enough volunteers at all the key points to avoid confusion. The volunteers were also super friendly and encouraging.

While I wasn’t a fan of running over the gravel, the course is fairly flat, with just the one hill at the end of each loop and the Stonehill campus is really pretty which made for a nice backdrop.

My only criticisms are that it would have been helpful to have one volunteer stationed at the porta-potties earlier to avoid the long lines, and I would have preferred some form of self-seeding at the start. Post-race it would have been great to have more food options other than granola bars.

Overall, this race had a fun atmosphere and was really well organized, and I definitely look forward to running it again!

I’m linking up with Kim and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics.

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Comments

  1. Summer racing is tough, isn’t it? I have another race this weekend, which was supposed to be a 10k. With temperatures predicted in the 100s, I dropped down to the 5k. We’ll see how it goes!

    Congrats!
    Wendy recently posted…Christmas in July Race RecapMy Profile

  2. Great job, Michelle (and company)! Not only the hubby joins you, but also your brother! I wish I could get my sis to get her butt off the couch and out the door LOL I have not seen that watermelon shanty…now that might be a beer I’d actually like 😉
    Kimberly Hatting recently posted…Midnight Madness 2019 15K RecapMy Profile

  3. That sounds fun, if super-hot. And how nice that you made a new friend, too! Well done!
    Liz Dexter recently posted…Race Report – Race to the Stones 2019 2nd Day 31 mile / 50 km ultramarathonMy Profile

  4. Summer racing is really tough! Way to get out there and you look very accomplished. Nice job! I am all for the group photo 🙂
    Deborah Brooks recently posted…Favorite Summer Cross Training ActivitiesMy Profile

  5. Summer races so so hard! I always find myself trying to find any area of shade, lol. So cool that you finished this 10K 3 minutes faster than last month’s 10K I also love that you did the race with your husband and brother!
    Kim G recently posted…Tuesday Topics: What New Running Products Have You Tried This Year?My Profile

  6. “Beat the heat” is a scary name! That says as tough was the race.
    Congrats on the 3 minutes less than your last 10k.
    About beer, I confess….. I am teetotal……
    Black Knight recently posted…Running in summer / Loving the nature: birdsMy Profile

  7. Great job pushing through on a hot race! I love that shirt design and the watermelon shandy sounds delicious 🙂 But yeah, I find it dispiriting when races have you run past the finish festival and you still have a lot left to run.
    Chaitali recently posted…Weekly ReviewMy Profile

  8. Those double loop races are hard! Summer weather just adds to it. Way to get it done!

  9. Good on you for completing the race! I probably would’ve chickened out! These summer races sound brutal.

  10. Nice work finishing 3 minutes faster than your 10K last month. It is definitely hard racing when you can see the finish area and you still have a ways to go!
    Sandra D Laflamme recently posted…Staying Fit For Summer: Best Tips for Summer Trail Running and Cool Summer Running Gear.My Profile

  11. Congrats on your 2nd summer race. Sounds like you had a great time!
    Marc Pelerin recently posted…Increasing Stride RateMy Profile

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