Members & Coaches

Our Members

The RMHP Running Club welcomes runners of all ages and abilities. Members range from preteens to octogenarians, and from casual runners looking for a fun fitness group to elite sprinters, distance runners, and triathletes. A few are nationally competitive within their age groups; most compete only with themselves.

Over the years we have grown from a small, dedicated group to more than 300 runners. Members work together both to reach their full potential and to help the community by raising awareness and funds for the Ronald McDonald House of Providence.

Our Coaches

Bob and Anne Rothenberg

Bob and Anne Rothenberg helped to initiate the RMHP Running Club in 2007 while volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House of Providence. The duo began coaching together in 1971 while teaching in Maryland. Their high school teams amassed 18 state championship titles in cross country and track & field.

Bob became the director of cross country/track & field at Brown University in 1983, and Anne was named the men’s and women’s jumps coach. Over their 20 years at Brown, their squads won 11 league championships and 4 New England titles, and Bob was named the NCAA Regional Coach of the Year five times. Both Anne and Bob are members of the Brown University Athletic Hall of Fame. After retiring from Brown, they directed a major high school cross-country invitational and officiated at high school and collegiate meets in RI and NY. They continue to support the local track community when called upon for advice or assistance.

Jon Barnes

Jon has been a coach with the RMHP Running Club since 2013. A runner since age 14, Jon competed both in high school at Branford High School in Connecticut and in college at Lafayette College. He is a member of the Hall of Fame at both Branford and Lafayette, and he was a college All-American in the indoor 1000.

A former self-coached marathoner, Jon ran a personal best at the Boston Marathon with a sub-2:29 time. Over the past 40 years, he has mentored many marathoners of all abilities. Jon retired from a banking career specializing in business lending in early 2009 and since that time has been a cross country and distance coach for female athletes at Barrington High School.

Peter Sedgwick

Peter Sedgwick started running in high school and returned to the sport at age 46 after a long hiatus. He joined the club a year later, running in everything from 5K races to a full marathon. He started to help with coaching in 2016 after an injury and two surgeries, which gave him insight into the importance of cross-training and downtime for maintaining running health. With this knowledge, he helps club members avoid the mistakes of over-running or running through injuries.

Peter also serves on the club’s executive committee. His broad experience with the club—as a runner, committee member, and coach—lets him say with confidence that it is the best running club in the area, hands down. He is proud to serve with the committed people who volunteer their time and talent to making it special.

Tommy McLaughlin

Tommy began running in high school in Rhode Island, earning all-state honors in track and cross country. He continued running at Saint Vincent College (PA) for the next four years. After graduation, he lived in Philadelphia then Maryland for the next 10 years before returning home to Rhode Island in 2022.

Upon his return, he reconnected with two of his mentors, Bob and Anne, and joined the RMHP Running Club. No stranger to injuries and the challenges that accompany them, he was grateful for the opportunities, camaraderie, and abundance of goodwill that the club has to offer. He looks forward to growing as a coach and helping the club thrive.