With its rocky shorelines, historic lighthouses and windmills that still stand as a reminder of the small coastal towns and villages of New England’s past, Jamestown and Conanicut Island make for a beautifully picturesque course for the Jamestown Half Marathon, set for its 8th annual running this year.
The race is part of a series of races known as the Rhode Master Series, including races in Providence in May and Newport in mid-October. Runners can register for all five events or choose to run any one (or four!) of them, and those who choose to enter all five can compete for the series’ Rhode Master Trophy.
For the Jamestown Half Marathon in September, runners will follow a USA Track and Field certified out-and-back course that winds along the streets of this small island town that counts about 6,000 full-time residents, and whose population swells by many more than that in the summers, its peak tourist season.
Its farms, windmills and the remains of its old military forts and installations offer reminders of its agricultural past, while its quaint villages, shops and restaurants make the perfect stops to take a break while biking and walking the island’s roadways.