Mighty Squirrel Returns As Official Beer Partner

Mighty Squirrel Returns as the Official Beer Partner of Race the State! PLUS FitVine Wine Joins as Official Wine Partner for 2017 Race We’re excited to have Mighty Squirrel back as the official beer partner for the 2017 Race the State. We know competitors loved sampling their beer at the finish party this past summer and we’re pleased to say that competitors can again celebrate their #MightyMoments at the finish line! Mighty Squirrel Brewing Co. was launched in Boston in 2015 by two friends, Naveen Pawar and Henry Manice. The two of them always loved playing tennis and enjoying celebratory craft beers afterwards, so they decided one day back in 2011 to set out and create what they call the Mighty Squirrel SportTM beers. Their SportTM beers are all super refreshing, low carb, and have 4 grams of protein. The Sport line includes a Kiwi White, a Grapefruit IPA, and a Pilsner. They also have traditional beers including a Tropical IPA, Mocha Stout, India Pale Lager, and Belgian White.   Announcing the Mighty Squirrel Race the State Rhode Island Restaurant & Beer Challenge! Mighty Squirrel is launching its products across the state of Rhode Island in 2017 and to celebrate this ‘Mighty Moment’ they and race organizers created the Mighty Squirrel Race the State Rhode Island Restaurant & Bar Challenge. The Challenge is open to any restaurant or bar in the state of Rhode Island and teams can register HERE and entering code mightychallenge. The fastest four-person team in the Challenge will win the inaugural trophy and bragging rights amongst Rhode Island restaurants and bars.     But Wait, There’s More! Let’s face it, carboloading before a big race feel a bit bland without a nice glass of Chardonnay to wash it down, but we know you can’t risk the adverse effects of drinking the night before a big race. The solution is finally here: FitVine Wine!FitVine Wine was born when three friends discovered that they could make amazing wines that also fit their healthy lifestyle. They set about combining their love for wine and fitness with an ethic for sustainability. Their proprietary process delivers high-quality wine rich in antioxidants with no residual sugar, lower carbohydrates and fewer sulfites. Grown at high altitude in the Sierra Foothills of California, FitVine grapes naturally yield higher concentrations of beneficial compounds such as resveratrol, polyphenols and proanthocyanidins- resulting in a cleaner wine. The FitVine team is always active, whether it’s CrossFit, cycling, running, skiing, paddle boarding or just enjoying the outdoors, and  will be adding Race the State 2017 to their roster of events! FitVine will be serving samples of their wine at the post-race party in Westerly for Race the State competitors to enjoy! Register Now for Race the State 2017! Entry fees go up Jan 1. Give the Gift of Fitness this Holiday Season! The holiday season is upon us! If you’re in search of the perfect gift for your fitness-minded friends and family, look no further! Entry for Race the State make the perfect present for someone looking for a challenging competition next summer. Sign someone up to compete individually or sign your whole family up as a team! Training can begin when you’re all together for the holiday season!Registration fees will increase in the new year so hop on the lowest prices now! Click HERE to register for the race!

2016 Results

5-Person team takes top overall time in 2^nd edition of Race the State Presented by BankNewport and OceanPoint Insurance Agency 

1^st and 2^nd place in the women’s division separated by 47 seconds and brothers, Tyler & Josh Mason, take 1^st and 2^nd in the men’s division

August 8, 2015 – Rhode Island – Yesterday, 75 competitors competed in the second edition of Race The State sponsored by BankNewport and Ocean Point Insurance. The multi-sport event created and run by Manuka Sports Event Management, a Newport, Rhode Island based business, had individuals and teams run 3.8 miles through Tiverton, paddle 1 mile across the Sakonnet River, run 12.3 miles from Portsmouth to Newport, kayak 5.6 miles to Narragansett via a portage in Jamestown and cycle 28.5 miles from Narragansett through South Kingstown, Richmond, Hopkinton, Charlestown and finishing in Westerly.

The 5-person, all-male team, Island Idiots, finished the 53-mile course in 4 hours 37 minutes and 26 seconds an overall average pace of 5:25/mile. Team members included: Shawn Westoven (Portsmouth, RI), Dan Dytch (Newport, RI), Dirk Johnson (Middletown, RI), Mike Giles (Cape Town, South Africa) and Terry Halpin (Middletown, RI). The second team across the line was the 4-person team, Hot Club Harbor Seals out of Providence, RI with a total elapsed time of 5 hours 20 minutes and 47 seconds. The winners in the 3-person team were the Three Dirty Rats out of Reading, PA and in the 2-person division, the husband-wife duo, No Excuses, from Dedham, MA took top honors.

On the individual side, brothers Tyler and Josh Mason took first and second respectively in the men’s division with Bethesda, MD native Scott Madden taking third overall. Tyler of Charlestown, RI finished with an elapsed time of 5 hours 44 minutes and 20 seconds. In the women’s division, Mill Valley, California resident Shawn Connell-Clark had the top overall time at 5:56:45, with Ashaway, RI’s Caroline Duksta a mere 47 seconds behind. In third place was Portsmouth, RI native Sarah Ethier.

Complete results with splits can be viewed HERE.

Race the State was designed to take advantage of the unique geography of the state of Rhode Island was made possible through the support of BankNewport and Ocean Point Insurance. The logistically challenging race spanned 10 communities and two bodies of water. All competitors were required to have a support team assisting with logistics throughout the race and race organizers had over 65 volunteers both on water and off stationed throughout the course. A portion of all entries benefitted Special Olympics Rhode Island.

2015 Race Recap

The gun went off shortly after 6am and field of 40 were on their first 5-mile leg en route to Little Compton harbor. The first to arrive at the harbor was Adrian Masse of Newport, Rhode Island who ran the 5 miles in 33 minutes and 48 seconds. Just one minute and 23 seconds behind him was Dave FitzGerald of Middletown and 15 seconds behind him was Antoine Lavigueur of Newport.

As competitors entered into the harbor the wind unfortunately started to pick up which would make the paddle extremely challenging. In a weird twist, the few who had selected to use a prone paddle board were in a much more advantageous position than the majority who had the more traditional stand up boards. As the wind conditions deteriorated far more rapidly than forecast, the safety boats on the water had their work cut out for them. Of the field of 40, only 17 made it the full 3 mile course across the Sakonnet River. The first paddler to finish the course was Dave FitzGerald who raced the 3 miles on his prone board in 49 minutes and 46 seconds. This put him in first place. However, the first stand up paddler to finish Connor Wallace of the 4-person team Kettlebottom. He paddled in 1 hour 4 minutes and 55 seconds.

  

Third Beach in Middletown was the first hand-off for relay teams and for the individuals they kept on moving through for the 3rd 7.5 mile leg taking them along the beaches to Fort Adams in Newport. The 4-person team of Rhode Racers owned leg 3, completing the 7.5 mile course in 52 minutes and 26 seconds. In the Mens division it was a battle for first between Dave FitzGerald and Adrian Masse who were separated by a mere 2 minutes and 11 seconds, with Masse holding the slight edge heading into the kayak leg. In the women’s division, it was only the run legs determining the leader as none of the women completed the second leg. Kelly Murphy of Douglas, MA was holding a 2 minute 21 second lead over Dawnie Amado-Desmarais of Litchfield, NH. In the team divisions, 1 if by land, 2 if by see held a slight edge in the 2-person division, 33 Donahue had a sizable lead in the 3-person division and it was anyone’s game in the 4-person division between Kettlebottom, MidTown Oyster Bar and Portsmouth Dads.

   

The 4th leg of Race the State was a 5.6 mile kayak across Narragansett Bay with a portage in Jamestown through Mackerel Cove. The wind conditions were in the teens from the north which would make the kayak also extremely challenging for the competitors. However, Timothy Dwyer of Team Kettlebottom would make extremely quick work of the kayak course completing it in 1 hour 1 minute and 25 seconds! The next closest competitor was 19 minutes and 32 seconds behind and that was Adam Donahue of the 3-person Team, 33 Donahue. In the men’s division Dave FitzGerald had the fastest kayak time clocking in at 1:23:38, but Antoine Lavigueur was a close second with a time of 1:29:57. 

    

As competitors approached the kayak finish, they had to run uphill to the transition zone to hop on their bike to head out on the 28.5 mile course of which 27.3 miles were timed (two untimed areas existed to safely get competitors across Rt 1A and Rt 1). One of the first challenges on the bike course was a sneaky and sizable hill heading up Torrey Road. That hill would lead to a number of competitors pulling the plug on their race. For those who conquered the hill, the race was on to the finish and the stand out in the mens division on the bike course was, Antoine Lavigueur, who after running, paddling, running and kayaking he managed to cover the 27.3 mile bike in 1:15:20 which is an average speed of 21.7mph! Unfortunately it wouldn’t be enough for him to take first as Dave FitzGerald had earned enough extra time in the prior legs to secure first place.

  

In the women’s division, Kristen Ralphs secured first on the bike with the fastest time for the women coming in at 1:37:03 at an average speed of 16.9mph. With that speed she secured first place overall!

In the 4-person team division, it was Terry Halpin of Team Kettlebottom though who owned the bike course, he completed the course in 1:10:33, at an average speed of 23.2mph! NWC Warriors would go on to win first in the 2-person team as would 33 Donahue in the 3-person team division.

The inaugural Race the State was one to remember and the course challenged the teams and competitors straight through the entire day. Congratulations again to everyone who came out and we look forward to seeing you next year!