By STEVE MAZZONE

Sports writer

NARRAGANSETT – For a first-time event, everything appeared to work out just fine for last year’s Bobby Doyle Summer Classic 5-Mile Road Race.
There was one minor problem, though.
In the inaugural year, a field of nearly 600 participants showed up for the race, held in memory of the onetime world-class marathoner and Woonsocket High track and cross-country coach who died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Dec. 14, 2007.
“It was definitely much more than we expected,” said Bobby’s oldest son, Patrick Doyle, who along with his brother Brendan and Bobby’s oldest brother Jim, served as co-chairmen of the event. “We wanted at least 300. When it almost doubled that was great, but we had to scramble to look for parking.”
When runners and walkers congregate at Narragansett Pier School at 5 p.m., next Saturday, Aug. 15, for the start of this year’s race, Patrick Doyle assures that parking will not be a “problem.” Based on the numbers of the 2008 event, he and the race committee have made sure that’s been taken care of.
The former Saint Raphael Academy all-state runner does admit, however, that he was a little taken back by the outpouring of support for his late father at last summer’s race.
During his prime, Bobby Doyle dominated the running scene in R.I. from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s.  He also produced several top-level harriers as a coach at Woonsocket. When the gun was fired for the initial five-miler, several of the high school runners that he coached and the competitors that he raced against during his successful career were among the field.
“The support was overwhelming and everyone had positive things to say about the race,” Patrick Doyle said. “It was like a family reunion. It was a running family reunion of runners from his heyday. It was not just a race honoring my dad, but what he was part of.” 
In last year’s event, Warwick’s Matt Pelletier (25 minutes, 11 seconds) and ex-Providence College All-American Marie Cullen (third overall, 26:14) snared the men’s and women’s titles, respectively. Doyle has not received confirmation on whether or not the two runners will return to defend their crowns, but he does anticipate another quality field.
Among the local runners, Nick Barao has indicated he’ll toe the line. The former East Providence High star has had a strong summer on the road racing circuit and recently finished third at the Blessing of the Fleet 10-Mile Road Race.
“He’s been running really well,” Doyle said.
Besides a sure-to-be plethora of competitors, the race also features a scenic, USATF-certified course that begins on South Pier Road, travels along Ocean Road and then makes its way back to Pier School. Choosing the location of the race last year was not a difficult decision, says Patrick Doyle.
The South County area was not only a favorite vacation spot for his family, but was where Bobby Doyle often liked to train.
“My father always used to get a beach house (there) and just loved running on Ocean Road for his long runs. That was one of his favorite training routes,” said Patrick Doyle, about his legendary father, a seven-time winner of the Ocean State Marathon and a two-time U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials competitor.
In addition to offering a quality race to its competitors, the Bobby Doyle Summer Classic is also a given event where 100 percent of its proceeds go to the local youth running community, including the Bobby Doyle Scholarships and the Bobby Doyle Youth Running Fund.
More than $10,000 was raised in the 2008 race with scholarships awarded to graduating seniors Steven Francis of Coventry and Smithfield’s Rose Kozar. Money was also distributed to the Narragansett High School Track Team, the Providence Cobras Track Club, the Seekonk Newman YMCA Track and the (Smithfield) Sentinel Striders.
“The main goal of the race is to help the running community,” Patrick Doyle said. “My dad always said that running helped the mind, body and soul.”
As well as helping to organize the event, Patrick Doyle also ran in last year’s race with his brother Brendan. Along the way, he hooked up with ex-rival Dan Townsend, the 1996 graduate of Woonsocket, who ran under the tutelage of his father.
It was an experience he cherished.
“It just felt really great,” Doyle recalled. “Words can’t express what I was feeling that day. I felt like I was running on air.”
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With a similar design as last year, Tech shirts will be given to the first 700 registered participants. On-line registration can be done at bobbydoylesummerclassic.org. The cost is $20 and $15 for high school students (2009 graduates are eligible). Participants can also register by mail, postmarked by Aug. 11, or on the day of the race ($25 entry fee), beginning at 3 p.m. at Pier School. “Right now, we have just over 100,” said Patrick Doyle. “It’s actually double what we were last year at this point. We are hoping to have at least 500 on-line registered.”…Cash prizes will be given to the top three overall male and female finishers and merchandise awards will be given to the top three individuals in several age categories. A post-race raffle will also take place, open to all registered participants. For additional information, check out the race’s website.