2009 Falmouth Road Race

Despite growing up in Falmouth, I had never run in the Falmouth Road Race. Puzzling. So I decided that this was the year and with a little bit of training under my soles I found myself standing in Woods Hole on a beautiful Sunday morning with 10,000 other runners. I teamed up with my friend Barry from N. Falmouth who was also running for the first time.

To say the streets were crowded is an understatement. We were shoulder to shoulder in both directions for as far as I could see. After a 2 hour wait and 2 porta potty trips, the national anthem was sung and the first runners were off. About 10 minutes later our group (last group) was given the green light and we were off. Only 7.3 miles to go.

The first few miles were slow and navigating around slower runners was a challenge. The first 2 miles took 20+ minutes to run due to the lack of space on the road. As we popped out of the woods onto Surf Drive the dense group of runners started to thin out and I able to settle in to my pace. Staying clear of the water stops was also another challenge as groups of runners suddenly come to a complete stop in front of you to grab a quick drink. We were often zig zagging across the road to avoid them! Along most of the route the crowds lined both sides of the road and the non-stop cheering definetely keeps you motivated.

Well, the slower start definitely helped as I found that I had good life in my legs well into the race. I wasn't paying any attention to the mile markers but the crowd was always letting you know how much further. At the 10K mark I was happy to see Ady, Brendan and my parents on the side of the road cheering me on. I was still feeling good and they provided a nice boost for the final stretch which includes a nice litte hill up & over Falmouth Heights and then down to the finish line.

I crossed the finish line in 1:03:58 in 3,528th place.

I am quite sure I will be back next year chasing a sub 60 minute time. But for now I hope to continue to run a few times a week to keep in shape and sign up for another race or two.

Ady and I at the finish line.