Cape Cod Half Marathon

 

Falmouth, MA

Saturday, October 11, 2025

I hemmed and hawed and procrastinated on deciding on a fall half-marathon tune-up.  Last year I ran Block Island Half, which I liked but had the downside of not being very competitive (upshot:  I got on the podium with a 3rd place OA, downside:  running as an island much of the race).  I've never run the Hartford Half nor the Cape Cod Half, and ultimately decided on the latter.

Because I procrastinated until September to sign up, I lost out on a guaranteed shirt (more later), name on bib (free to all signed up by August 1, not like NYC full that wants to charge me to add this), entry price had gone up $30, and much of the lodging accommodations were already gone or exorbitantly expensive, obviously especially those in close proximity.

I ended up staying at the Best Western Cape Cod half a half hour drive away in Hyannis.  Not ideal, but not terrible either, and pretty much a straight shot on Route 28 on race morning.  The drive Friday afternoon was lengthy and had bumper-to-bumper traffic in both Providence (rush hour on a 3-day weekend) and Bourne.  Once I finally got to bib pickup (Friday 3-6pm), check-in was so quick and easy, and also featured a small expo.  Gave me a change to get a feel for the start and finish, which is always nice.

Race day parking SNAFU:  Since I already had my bib, I planned to arrive my standard 1 hour before.  Ran into slow traffic, including pedestrians and runners in road, as I got close to the start, and ended up arriving 45 minutes before.  No problem I thought; park and then plenty of time for a short warm-up.  The problem was there was no single parking lot; there were 12 of them spread out and you had no way of knowing which were full and which were not until you got there.  I had a Plan A parking lot 0.1 miles from start, and in case that was full (it was), I had a Plan B parking lot 0.3 miles from the start.  What I did not plan on was the amount of time to navigate from one lot to another on race day with bumper-to-bumper traffic.  What I also did not plan on was my Plan B parking lot being completely full.  I was turned away with a map of all 12 lots again, and the volunteer could not tell me where the next closest lot was.  I panicked as I did not have a Plan C and I had to keep moving.  I figured I could not afford to go to yet another full parking lot, so I picked one of the farthest ones at 0.85 miles from the start, and reconfigured my GPS yet again.  The good news was there was plenty of parking at the Falmouth Municipal Court; the bad news is it's now 20 minutes, not 45, until race start.

Race start panic:  Between the longer distance to the start and the short remaining time, my warm-up will now be getting to the start itself, and it will be in race shoes, but I'm still feeling upbeat.  I arrive at the race start ten minutes pre-race and I figure it's an easy walk to the start.  Well, it is, kind of.  The problem is there are race corrals all fenced off, they are very narrow and winding around in a circle, and the only way to enter the corrals is from the very rear.  I can't get near the start line because there are two levels of barriers, with volunteers directing me to the back of the line.  After panicking and standing there for a moment, I get started pushing and weaving my way from the back of the crowd.  It's quickly clear that I just don't have time to make it given the slow rate of progress.  With about two minutes to race start, I am "all the way" up to the 10:30 pace marker.  Ugh.  I see two race officials blocking a roped off barrier that's cutting off the long winding corral from a shortcut to the 8:00 minute pace barrier.

I approach the two and plead my case that I am a sub 6:30 half marathon runner, I'm attempting to win my age group outright, and I "need" to be up with the 6:30 pace corral.  The older guy says I still need to wait in the line and points me to get back with the others.  The younger guy explains that age group awards are based on chip time.  OK, that's a little bit of relief and shows he at least understands my dilemma, and I thank him for that, but explain that would still be a lot of weaving for a sub-6:30 runner stuck in a 10:30 pace start.  Nothing.  I said, seriously, as a 60-year old I ran a 2:53 marathon and a 1:23 half last year.  Nothing.  I was desperate and then asked him if any chance when the race starts, you two look the other way?  He looked me up and down and I guess decided I looked like a fast runner (or maybe he was sick of listening to me?) and he said, "You've got 45 seconds to race start!  Go!".  I didn't ask twice, ducked under the rope they were holding, ran to the 8:00 pace sign (the closest I could get), crawled through the barrier to startled (or maybe disgusted?) runners there just to hear one ask another "What time are you shooting for?", the response of "1:55", and the response to that of "Good, I'm in the right place.".  Oh, no.  I pushed forward several more rows and the gun went off.

It turns out there were 10 separate wave starts, each 60 seconds apart.  I completely missed all of this, although it was a on a Facebook post.  So I guess that's on me, but my worries dissipate as I made it into Wave 1.

Race start:  It only took me 11 seconds to get across the start line, and I was only weaving/meandering through slower runners for about 1/4 mile before I found an open line on the far side of the road.  Crisis averted; now calm down and get your head into the race and run the race you planned for.

I'm crowded in at the start (about 8 o'clock in above pic)

Trying to sight a line where I can run and pass some of these
runners.  (I'm in blue Block Island singlet and hat)

And what is my plan?  Pretty simple:  run 6:15 splits for as long as I can.  Assuming the actual distance I run is about 13.25 miles (based on not running tangents/straight lines/etc), that would get me just under a 1:23.  Do I expect I can hold a 6:15 for the entire race?  No, but depending on how long I can hold it, a 1:24 or 1:25 should be possible and after my 1:27:06 NYC Half in March, I tell myself I'll be happy with a sub-1:25.

Here you can see the separation between waves, with the next wave waiting behind a rope at
start/finish line.  That would've been awful if I had been stuck in a later wave.

Great first name and all, and congrats for being out there, but I wouldn't have wanted
to have been stuck in whatever late wave with Grandpa Jeff.  That would've been rough.

The first mile is a slight downhill (the biggest downhill on the course!) down to the water, and that plus the adrenaline overcomes my initial weaving and I hit my goal with a Mile 1 split of 6:13.  Ok, good, but a long way to go!  I run past a lawn with ghosts peering out of dunes, and it's pretty cool!

Slight downhill in Mile 1.  I'm partially blurred out in far right of this photo,
running on the double yellow median strip trying to find an open lane to pass runners.

Mile 2 split is 6:16, and Mile 3 6:18 on a bike path.  At the end of the bike path, we have the only awkward turn on the course.  It's not a cone turnaround, but at about 135°, it's not great either.

Course map.  Mile 3 turn in lower left.

Much of the remaining ten miles of the course is right along the ocean, and the water views are great.  We go past the house with the ghosts in the dunes for a second time at Mile 4, and this time the owners are out cheering, so I yell out, "I love your ghosts!".  (I really do!)  They cheer me on as I go past.

Mile 4 split goes by in a 6:13.  I take my first GU.  After the Mile 4 mile marker (all mile markers are highly visible teardrop flags), I notice that I see no one ahead of me, even on straightaways.  I start to worry that I'll be running as an island for the rest of the race, and it'll be like last weekend's Ocean Road 10K all over again.  I tell myself I'm going to have to work harder to push myself to hit my target splits now, all while wondering how long will I actually be able to keep up 6:15 splits.

I really like how this photo came out.  Early miles with plenty of room for me to run now.

Mile 5 is a surprising 6:09.  Mile 6 brings two favorable changes for me:  1) I start to see people in front of me again (that I will continue to for the rest of the race!), so that gives me people to keep up with and even chase down, and 2) we get to an area where many cheering spectators are concentrated, and I hear my name called (no, my name is not on my bib).  I look over to my left and see Brian Coyne cheering me on!  We go past the ferry terminal for the Falmouth-Oak Bluffs ferry, and I know we're approaching the only "hill" on the course.  It's only 35' elevation gain!  If it weren't for the truck towing a long boat trailer that pulled out in front of me, it would be no issue but I worried that the trailer wouldn't be out of my way in time (it did clear in time, but barely).  

Mile 7 is a nice, but short, downhill bringing me into Falmouth Heights, where The Who's "Baba O'Riley" is playing loudly!  I see the road ahead of me painted, as I read the words and realize this is the finish line of the Falmouth Road Race!  Somewhere around here I see a police car with lights coming towards me and the lead runner just behind it.  This is pretty cool as I watch oncoming lead runners for the next mile.

At Mile 8, we start a 1/2 mile loop before reversing direction.  I'll take a small loop over a cone turnaround any day!  Mile 6/7/8 splits:  6:11, 6:14, 6:17.

The return:  It is lightly raining now, as I approach an aid station and take my 2nd and final GU.  I normally only take 1 GU in a half marathon, but with reason to believe I've been underfueling on my longer races, 2 GUs it is this time.  Now it's fun to be running on my way back, with runners approaching me, and many cheering me on.  This is helpful and motivating.  Mile 9 split is a 6:12.  I am really happy I've made it this far successfully hitting my target splits; half of me thinks it's OK to slow a bit now but fortunately the other half of me insists to push on and try one mile at a time to keep up the 6:15 target.

Mile 10 takes us for a 3/4 mile diversion off the main coastal street.  It's up and back on Worcester Court, but not a cone turnaround as the street has a grass island down the middle.  The turnaround is a little awkward as you go up over the curb, left turn onto the grass, and then conversely, left turn off the grass, over a curb, and back onto the street.  Not ideal, but there are plenty of cones and plenty of volunteers letting you know this is coming up.  I imagine I lost a few seconds here, but that's probably about it.  At the end of Mile 10, just about the end of Worcester Court, Brian Coyne calls out to me again with some positive encouragement.  A totally different place than when I last saw him, so obviously he's following someone as they race the course.  Mile 10 split 6:16.

OK, just 5K to go, I tell myself.  Focus on each mile one at a time, I remind myself.  Mile 11 takes us back across the Falmouth Road Race finish line in the opposite direction.  This time AC/DC's Thunderstruck is being belted out as I run through the area!  Awesome!  There is a reason Thunderstruck is played at so many road races:  it's inspiring and motivational.  I go back up and over that 35' hill, pass a couple runners in the process, and am feeling really good!  Mile 11 is in the books with a 6:12.  Happy with that!

Mile 12:  I run down through the spectators gathered at the ferry terminal, as we go up and around the Falmouth Inner Harbor.  I hear "Jeff Walker" called out, followed by some encouragement.  The female voice sounds familiar but it's behind me now and I'm sure not going to  look back at this point.  Then I hear, "My daughter Mary is in the race as well".  Oh, it's Carol Ann Larson!  I look down the stretch and am catching another runner as we approach the end of the mile.  6:18 mile split.

Mile 13 to finish:  I tell myself it's "go time".  I'm feeling good and pick it up for the remainder of the race.  I pass that runner, and will catch and pass one more before the finish line is in sight.  A lot of people are cheering now.  I hear my name called on the PA system as I approach the finish line.  6:01 final mile split, and a 5:46 pace for the final 0.2! (I ended up running 13.21 miles on this certified course)

Final strides, with the finish line mat just ahead of me.

And finished!  Great to finish strong.

Final result:  Gun time 1:22:10, chip time 1:21:59, 20th overall out of 1,955, 1st in age group out of 54.  Full results here.

Free photo at finish, inside a 1970s VW bus!
Courtesy Cape Cod Photobus

What went well:

• Ecstatic with my time!  And the RD just confirmed a $100 check will soon be in the mail to me!  
• I paced this race really well, if I may say so.  A very rare negative split for me.
• Really enjoyed the course.  Flat and very scenic.  Most of the miles had water views.
• Very efficient check-in process.
• Highly visible teardrop markers at every mile.
• Loved the race shirt!  (I signed up too late to be guaranteed one, but ran fast enough to secure one of the unclaimed shirts at the finish.)
• Even loved the race medal!  (And I'm not a big fan of race medals.)
• Free photos!
• Nice to have chowder at the finish.  And the chowder was pretty good too!
  
  
  
  

  

  Race medal and shirt are both pretty cool!

  
  

What could have gone better:

• Parking is just not easy here.  There is no single central parking lot, but rather 12 separate and unrelated lots, all pretty small.  I don't know how the organizers could fix this issue, as it's really out of their control.  If I ran this again (which I wouldn't hesitate to), I think 1) I would get there at least 1.5 hours early, and 2) I wouldn't waste time going to the very closest lot, as it is small and fills quickly and the streets are clogged with traffic and pedestrians on race morning.
• Very narrow corrals with no easy access to faster pace points.  I do think they could be designed much better, and much of my woes in getting stuck back so far initially were tied into the parking issue.  Here as well, arriving 1.5 hours early should solve that for me, although I probably would need to start to get in line at least 20 minutes pre-race, as they were jammed full 10 minutes before race start.
• Bib sizes:  I've mentioned this before, and really it's so minor, but I don't get why bibs are getting bigger and bigger (same beef I have with cell phones, but I digress).  

  

  Bib shown compared to size of Run for the Pumpkins bib.
  Does it need to be so large?

  
  

Overall, really happy with this race and my result.  My fastest half marathon in 3.5 years, and a confidence builder that I needed going into NYC marathon.

Of course, this prize money was a confidence booster
as well!