38th Annual Blessing of the Fleet 10M Road Race 07/25/2008 Friday Narragansett, RI [run/walk]
EVENT(s): 10 Mile Walk [5:00 pm] 10 mile Run
RACE LOCATION: Narragansett Pier School School Narragansett, RI 02882
RACE DESCRIPTION: The Blessing of the Fleet has been a South County tradition for thirty-five consecutive years. What began as a ceremony to ask for "Divine Protection" of those who risk their lives harvesting the sea has blossomed into one of Rhode Island’s most popular weekend-long events.
The Weekend events include:
§ A ten-mile road race involving almost 3,000 runners
§ A seafood festival attended by almost 30,000 people
§ The Blessing of the Fleet that is the original reason for the event
RACE INFO: Approximately 3,000 runners, walkers and wheelchair entrants compete on a scenic and certified 10-mile course through historic Narragansett, ending at "The Towers" on the ocean (immediately adjacent to Seafood Festival -see below). Runners receive official Blessing of the Fleet T-Shirts as well as prizes.
Generally held on the last weekend in July each year, the event is "kicked off" with a scenic, 10-mile road race on Friday evening. The course, which winds its way through historic Narragansett, is officially sanctioned and listed as one of the top three races of its distance in New England. More than 3,000 runners competed in 2006, hailing from all over New England, across the country and around the world. The race's finish line is by "The Towers" in Narragansett, next to the Atlantic Ocean and Veterans Memorial Park, site of the Blessing of the Fleet Seafood Festival.
