Falmouth Road Race 2024: What To Know For Sunday

FALMOUTH, MA — The 2024 Falmouth Road Race is scheduled for Sunday, meaning road closures and other impacts to the local community will join the swarm of amateur and professional runners for what is usually a fun day on Cape Cod.

he weekend of events surrounding the road race starts on Friday with the annual Track Festival prior to Sunday's running.

Here's everything to know, from who's running to road closures and more:

Start Times

• Wheelchair Start – 8:40 a.m.
• Wheelchair Duos – 8:42 a.m.
• Elite Women – 8:50 a.m.
• Elite Men – 9:00 a.m.
• Sub-elite – 9:02 a.m.
• General Field – 9:05 a.m.

The Field

Information courtesy of Falmouth Road Race

Three-time Falmouth Road Race champion and now-Bourne resident Ben Flanagan highlights Sunday’s men’s open division.

Flanagan, who won in 2018, 2021 and 2022, comes back to Falmouth from Paris where he represented Canada in the 5,000m at the Olympic Games.

"The Falmouth Road Race for me – anytime I can be there, I’m going to be there," said Flanagan, who holds Canadian records in the road 5K and 10K. "It’s a tighter turnaround than ideal, but my goal is to win."

Flanagan will be chased from Woods Hole to Falmouth by 2023 Falmouth runner-up John Korir. Korir has had a successful spring and summer. The Kenyan finished fourth in the Boston Marathon and won last month’s Boilermaker Road Race 15K in Utica, NY.

Other top contenders in the men’s field include Eritrean Olympian Yemane Haileselasse and U.S. Olympian Jake Riley.

In the women’s open division, 2024 marks the return of Emma Bates. Bates, who last raced in Falmouth in 2021, has since become one of America’s top marathon runners. She was the top American female finisher at Boston and Chicago, and finished seventh in the marathon at the 2022 World Championships.

Also returning this year is Falmouth veteran Edna Kiplagat. Kiplagat, a two-time Boston Marathon Champion, 2021 ASICS Falmouth Road Race champion and 2022 ASICS Falmouth Road Race runner-up, shattered her own masters record at this year’s Boston Marathon where she placed fourth and recently finished second at the TD Beach to Beacon 10K in Maine.

This year’s strong women’s field also includes 2023 NCAA 10,000m champion Everlyn Kemboi and 2015 Falmouth champion Diane Nukuri who will retire from competitive running this fall.

The women’s wheelchair division is led by Falmouth veteran Yen Hoang of the United States. Hoang, the 2016 Falmouth winner, was third in her most recent Falmouth appearance two years ago.

“Falmouth brings back early memories of my athletic career,” said Hoang, a 2020 U.S. Paralympian. “I am especially looking forward to racing this year because I had to pull out last year due to injury.”

Joining Hoang on the start line is fellow American Hannah Babalola, who was third in last year’s race.

In the men’s wheelchair division, last year’s runner-up, Miguel Jimenez Vergara of the United States will return in hopes of claiming his first Falmouth victory and five-time Falmouth champion Krige Schabort, also of the U.S., will be on the start line again this year.

Falmouth Track Festival

The weekend kicks off on Friday night with the Falmouth Track Festival at Falmouth High School.

The event includes the Tommy Cochary High School Mile. The elite women’s field stars two-time NCAA champion and last year’s runner-up Dani Jones and the 2024 Sir Walter Miler champion Dorcas Ewoi.

The men’s field is led by previous champion Paul Ryan and Josh Hoey, who placed fourth in the 800m at the 2024 US Olympic Trials. Both Huang and Jimenez-Vergara will both open their weekends on the track.

Road Closures

The Falmouth Police Department published the list of closed streets this week. They include:

• Grand Avenue, 4 a.m.
• Woods Hole 5 a.m.
• Falmouth Heights, 5 a.m.
• Race Route, 8 a.m.

More parking and road closure information is available here.

Runner's Roast

Cape Cod Coffee has released this year's version of Runner's Roast, the annual Road Race roast that this year is described as a mild roast with caramel, toffee and chocolate notes.

As is tradition, a percentage of every purchase will go toward the Coffee for a Cause program, which is supporting Tommy's Place this year.

Tommy’s Place is a Massachusetts-based nonprofit that owns and operates year-round "magical vacation homes" for kids fighting cancer in Falmouth and Centerville on Cape Cod.

Runner’s Roast will be available to purchase at Cape Cod Coffee in their Mashpee Commons, Wareham and Route 130 locations, as well as at the FRR Health & Fitness Expo and online.