By STEVE MAZZONE

Sports writer

NARRAGANSETT – The last eight months haven’t been easy for Jim Doyle.
While he’s keeping busy with his job as a sales rep for Grogan Marciano Sporting Goods and as a track and cross-country coach at Bishop Hendricken, there’s not a day that has gone by when he doesn’t think about his younger brother, Bobby.
The onetime world-class marathoner was not only an inspiration to his older sibling through his running, but a lifelong friend. He was that type of brother that he could always count on no matter what arose.
That all changed back in December when Bobby Doyle’s life was cut short at the “young” age of 58. The seven-time winner of the Ocean State Marathon and R.I. running icon, who later lent his expertise as a successful track and cross-country coach at Woonsocket High, died suddenly of an apparent heart attack.
Jim Doyle misses his brother greatly, but the healing process these past months has certainly been easier with the help of some mutual friends he and Bobby once shared.
Along with several of his family members, those friends are doing their part in keeping the late runner’s spirit alive with the inaugural Bobby Doyle 5-Mile Summer Classic, to he held this Saturday at 5 p.m., at Narragansett Pier School.

“It’s hard to believe eight months have gone by,” Jim Doyle said. “But the nice thing about this race is it’s allowed us to reunite with some of Bobby’s good friends.”
In addition to Jim Doyle and Bobby’s two oldest sons, Patrick and Brendan, also serving on the race committee are former Johnson & Wales Club teammates (and beyond) of the legendary distance runner, including Holly Walton, Mark Skinkle, Roland Davide, Tom Grundy, Joe Sullivan and Ray Nelson. All six runners were elite marathoners back in the late 1970s and early ’80s, during a period when Bobby Doyle made his mark, dominating the road racing scene in R.I., and garnering success at a national level, including at the famed Boston Marathon.
 “Bobby actually coached most of these guys,” Jim Doyle said. “These guys, at one time or another, used Bobby’s training methods. They all believed in his hard work ethic.”
Walton, who befriended Bobby when the two starred at Hope High together in the ’60s, came up with the idea of the race a short time after his good friend’s passing. His idea became a reality a couple of months later, and since then the committee has been working diligently – meeting at least two or three times per month at Johnson & Wales College - with hopes of making the first-time race a success.
“Every time I meet with the committee, it’s emotionally tough for me,” Jim Doyle said. “But it’s good to think of Bobby in that light. It’s tough, but it’s so nice. It’s nice to get everyone together again. That’s what it’s done. It’s brought us all together. It’s good in that sense. We’ve accomplished so much already…It’s been a lot of work, but everything is falling into place.”
Doyle says more than 200 runners and walkers have already entered the race, which they’ve done, primarily, online (needtorace.com). He expects an equal turnout on race day. Registration starts at 3 p.m., on Saturday, at Narragansett Pier School, which is located on South Pier Road.
“We had a first-year goal of 500 (participants),” Jim Doyle said. “Meredith Nelson (of Organization Plus, which will manage the race) said usually you get at least double the number of runners (from pre-registration on race day). For the first year, our expectations are high. We are about where we expected.”
Original plans were to have that race take place in Newport, where Bobby Doyle attained his legendary status with his multiple victories at the Ocean State Marathon. When plans fell through for Newport, Narragansett became a suitable alternative with its scenic, oceanside beauty. It was also a place where Doyle often enjoyed running and competing. He was a frequent winner of the popular Blessing of the Fleet 10-mile road race.
“Everything worked out well,” Jim Doyle said. “It’s a beautiful area here. We wanted to have an area that Bobby enjoyed running. We felt going down here would be a nice place.”
The USATF-certified five-mile course will follow an out-and-back route that begins and ends at Narragansett Pier School. Participants will follow a route that goes down South Pier Road and then along Ocean Drive before making its way back to the finish via Windemere Road, Old Point Judith Road, Kinney Avenue, Gibson Avenue and South Pier Road.  Doyle assures participants that the course is mostly flat and fast.
Among some of the top runners that have already made commitments to the race are former area high school standouts Chris Magill (St. Raphael Academy) and Steve Bishop (Tolman) as well as Matt Pelletier. Pelletier, the ex-Warwick Vets star, recently captured the Blessing of the Fleet race and also competed in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials this past November, where he ran a best of 2:17.
Bobby Doyle’s son, Brian, who runs for his uncle at Hendricken, will also be at the starting line. In the early summer, he was the top sophomore runner in the 5,000-meter run at the Nike Outdoor National Championship on June 19, running an outstanding time of 15:33.
The women’s field will include former Providence College greats Marie Davenport and Mary Cullen. Davenport, a 10-time All American for the Friars, was the 2006 NCAA indoor 5,000-meter titlist, while Cullen, a six-time All American, earned the outdoor 5,000 crown the same year.
Also scheduled to compete is Bill Rodgers, one of the all-time greatest distance runners and a four-time winner of both the Boston and New York City marathons. In a special tribute, some members of Doyle’s collegiate squad at the University of Texas El-Paso, which copped a national championship in 1969, will also lace up their shoes, including former Cumberland High All-Stater Rick McLaughlin.
One thing that Jim Doyle is especially proud about is the race’s beneficiaries. The proceeds will go to a number of causes, such as the Bobby Doyle Memorial Scholarship, which will be awarded to a male and female R.I. high school runner, who demonstrates dedication in the classroom and the sport of running. A Bobby Doyle Youth Running Fund will also be created to support high school track and cross-country programs in the state.
Additionally, the race will also start a Bobby Doyle Cardiac Awareness Fund, with the hopes of bringing awareness to heart disease and to promote healthy living.
The race’s primary sponsors are Sovereign Bank and MedTech ambulance. But, according to Jim Doyle, countless people have come to bat during the last few months.
“We have over $18,000 in sponsor’s money. Our cost has been minimal,” he said. “We are going to make a big impact.”
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Pre-registration can still be done online for the Bobby Doyle 5-Mile Summer Classic at needtorace.com. The cost is $18 and $15 for runners or walkers age 18 and under. Registration on race day is $20. The overall male and female winners will receive a 14K gold ring donated by James Gerrard Jewelers. Merchandise awards will be given in eight different categories and a raffle will also take place, beginning at 6:30 p.m.