By STEVE MAZZONE
Sports Writer

CUMBERLAND — Back when he was a runner for Rhode Island College in 1971, Tom Kenwood was looking for a race in early July that would compliment his summer training.

The Arnold Mills Fourth of July Road Race — a relatively new 3.8-mile race in the rural Cumberland community — seemed to fit that bill.

“I was just looking for something to run and just jumped into the race,” Kenwood recalled. “I just heard about it. A teammate of mine in college, Jim Gallagher, and I were just looking around for something to run and we decided to enter.”

That race Kenwood ran on July 4 when he was in his early 20s will reach an impressive milestone this year. When an estimated 500-plus participants show up for the event this year on Independence Day, the Arnold Mills Road Race will be celebrating its 40th anniversary.

There have been some slight changes since Kenwood first step foot on the course 37 years ago. The race was increased to a four-miler in 1977. After years of volunteering his services, Kenwood has been the race director for more than a decade. And, as of three years ago, the course has changed to a faster, more spectator-friendly route.

The one thing that has not changed, however, is the race’s rich tradition. Since its inaugural year in 1969, one of the oldest and most popular footraces in the state has drawn a considerable amount of its participants from the Cumberland community.

“It’s a race I really don’t have to advertise,” said Kenwood, a physical education teacher at CHS and a longtime track and cross-country coach at the school. “People just show up. A lot of people in the community run it; a lot of people run it because it’s a tradition for them. It’s just become a big tradition.”
“To me,” he added. “The biggest thrill is to see people I coach run it. It’s just a special day.”

Throughout his involvement with the race, the Cumberland coach has seen a lot of his former runners grace the course, including past winners Jim Dandeneau (1996, ‘98) and Ron and Pat Gillooly, who claimed crowns in 1983 and 1986, respectively.

For a small-time, low-budget race, Arnold Mills has had its share of elite competition racing down Nate Whipple Highway. Among those runners are former Olympians and past winners Peter Pfitzinger, Matt Centrowitz and Andy Ronan as well as top talents such as Tom and Bob Ratcliffe, 1982 champ Charlie Breagy, world-class triathlete and six-time victor Karen Smyers, four-time titlist Tom Grundy (1973, ’74, ’78, ’79) and two-time winner Bobby Doyle (1972, ’76), the late great distance runner and former Woonsocket High track and cross-country coach, who died of a heart attack this past December.

The list doesn’t end there.

The current men’s course record is held by former schoolboy star Roland Lavallee, the ex-Mount St. Charles All-Stater who blitzed the “new” four-mile course in a record 18 minutes, 25.2 seconds in 2005. Perhaps a runner that most are familiar with when it comes to Arnold Mills nowadays is Chris Magill. The former St. Raphael and Iona College star has copped a record five crowns and four runner-up finishes.
Magill first ran the Cumberland race while still in high school at St. Ray’s in 1988. At the time, he was working at the old Doyle’s Sporting Goods, which was owned and operated by brothers Jimmy and Bobby Doyle.

“What really drove me to the race was the tradition,” said Magill, who won his last title in 2006. “When I was working at Doyle’s, Bobby used to always tell me about the race.

“It’s a great tradition. I’m just glad to be a small part of it.”

Kenwood credits Tom Ratcliffe, who is now an agent for some of the best Kenyan runners in the world, in attracting most of the top competition in the early years. A former Cumberland High All-Stater and standout collegian at Brown University, Ratcliffe often invited some of his “friendly” competition, including runners from neighboring Providence College.

“He was absolutely instrumental in getting the big names,” Kenwood said.

Just like it has in the past, the 2008 version of the Arnold Mills Road Race should turn out to be an exciting one, and add to the race’s lore. Some of the runners that have already given a verbal commitment to run on July 4 are Magill and Boston Athletic Association (BAA) teammate Steve Bishop, a former Tolman High All-Stater. Recent Brown grad and ex-Clipper standout Neil Hamel and former CHS teammates Bobby Hartnett and Andrew Coleman are also expected to lace up their racing shoes.

Harnett just completed a successful sophomore season at Columbia University in the 1,500-meter run.
“He’s coming off a pretty big year,” Kenwood said. “He ran a 3:55 (in the 1,500) at the (Heptagonal Championships) and then a 3:51 a week or two earlier.”

Magill, who was defeated last year by Blackstone Millville Regional graduate Jeff Hill, is looking forward to possibly retaining his crown. With a growing family of two young children and the demands of his job, training is not what it used to be in his younger years, but he still feels ready.

He enters the race with victories the last two months at the Cox Rhode Races’ New Balance 5K in Providence (May 4) and the Officer Thomas Giunta Memorial 5K in Fall River (April 6).

“It’s been a rollercoaster ride, but it’s a ride I’m happy to take,” Magill said. “My career’s going well. I’m busy with my family. Some days feel good and some days are not so good. I’m prepping myself for this race and doing workouts specifically for (the four-mile) distance. All I can do is do the best that I can.”

EXTRA MILE: The race starts and finishes near the North Cumberland Fire Station on Arnold Mills Road. The double-loop course is mostly flat with an occasional incline through the neighboring streets. The race begins at 9 a.m. Post registration can be done online at ArnoldMillsparade.com/roadrace. Participants can also register on race day until about 15 minutes before the gun is fired. Post-registration is $10 and race-day registration is $12. For an additional $8, participants can purchase a specially-designed anniversary T-shirt.Any questions, contact Kenwood at 658-0831 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .