So, after the Boston mess this week, I think it’s time to move onto finding our new Marathoner’s Olympics until they figure it all out, right???

You might remember an article in 2010 May’s RW magazine about the Exeter Marathon… It’s now called the Gansett Marathon. And it’s looking interesting… So much, that it might be my new goal, as I don’t qualify right now!

If you check out their site, this what you’ll see:

Welcome to the Gansett Marathon, the only marathon in the USA, outside of the Olympic marathon Trials, where qualification is the ONLY means of entry.

For all of you who are not happy about the amount of charity runners with bibs in Boston, for all of you got shot down at the inscription at Boston, or feel that it’s not what it’s used to be, for the ones who like a smaller/more competitive race, or the ones who need a new challenge: Voila!

Qualifying standards are a bit tougher than Boston:

The website says:
Organized by the Narragansett Running Association, the hallmark of this event is careful attention to the details that are important to runners. The race is set in the beautiful resort town of Narragansett, Rhode Island, and the flat and fast course winds past ocean, beaches, lighthouse, and harbor. The course is a relatively flat and fast, and very scenic course. It will be measured and USATF-certified before January 2011. It consists of a 16-mile loop followed by a 10-mile loop. Registration fee is $60. All runners get a Gansett Marathon t-shirt. There are no finisher’s medals. All finishers get an embroidered finisher’s patch at the finish line.

I checked the reviews on Marathon Guide, and they are excellent. It’s a small race, a completely different atmosphere. According to the results, they had 54 runners in 2010.

Next year it’ll happen on 4/16. Hmmmm. Anyone interested??? I have Rome in March and Eugene in May… so this fits right in, assuming I can break 3:40:59 in the New York City Marathon! (I’ll be hoping to GQ!?)