A view of the starting line at the ASICS Falmouth Road Race.
FALMOUTH, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Runners joined together on Cape Cod to raise money for charity during the 50th annual Falmouth Road Race on Sunday.
About 10,000 runners took part in the 7-mile race running from Woods Hole to Falmouth Heights. There were about 5,000 less runners this year than in the 2021 race because of low staffing at the police department and safety concerns.
In the elite men's race, Ben Flanagan won for the third year in a row, finishing in 32 minutes and 25 seconds. Keira D’Amato won the elite women's race finishing in 36:28.
While the runners were on the move, traffic hit a standstill with all roads along the race course shut down most of the morning.
"The town goes from 30 thousands into the hundred thousands, and then we bring in runners but they also bring three, four guests with them," Falmouth Police Chief Edward Dunne told WBZ's Tim Dunn.
Ferry service from the Woods Hole Terminal was limited in the early morning, with no service from 8 A.M. to 10 A.M, according to the Steamship Authority.
For those not sitting in traffic, it was a successful day of running for charity.
"Tens of thousands of people [are] raising their level of self confidence and that's what this does," FRR Director Dave McGillivray said in a pre-race press conference. "When people cross the finish line they go home feeling good about themselves."
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The event is presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund. Dana-Farber’s Falmouth Road Race team has raised more than $8.6 million since 2003. The money was donated to the institute’s physicians, scientists, and researchers working to find a cure for cancer.
“We’re thrilled to be the inaugural presenting sponsor of the ASICS Falmouth Road Race’s Numbers for Nonprofits charity program this year,” Jan Ross with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund said on the organization website. “Dana-Farber and the Falmouth Road Race have been loyal partners for 20 years and it is an honor to play a larger role in this wonderful event.”
Since 2000, the FRR organization has helped charity partners raise more than $50 million for their causes.
WBZ's Tim Dunn (ConsiderMeDunn) reports:
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