A History of the Falmouth Road Race: Running Cape Cod by Paul Clerici: Perrier Water and other title sponsors

(On July 6, 2015, the first-ever book entirely about the Falmouth Road Race will be published. Entitled “History of the Falmouth Road Race, Running Cape Cod ,” it is written by Massachusetts runner and writer Paul C. Clerici, author of “Boston Marathon History by the Mile” and “History of the Greater Boston Track Club.” In a series for Recover Your Stride, he has provided some anecdotes, tales, and tidbits that will run here on a regular basis leading up to the 43rd edition of the Falmouth Road Race on August 16.)

Paul C. Clerici: The Falmouth Road Race was known by many names in the beginning - Falmouth Marathon; Woods Hole-to-Falmouth Heights race; that road race in Falmouth; the Falmouth road race; the latter two of which as descriptions in the local newspapers as opposed to being its title. Now called the New Balance Falmouth Road Race since 2011, other main and/or title sponsors over the years included Perrier from 1977-1983; PUMA and Energizer in 1984; PUMA in 1985 and 1986; John Hancock and PUMA in 1987 and 1988; Pilgrim Health Care from 1989-1995; Harvard Pilgrim from 1996-1999; Breakaway Solutions in 2000; SBLI from 2001 to 2008; and CIGNA in 2009 and 2010.

Perrier was the first title sponsor of the Falmouth Road Race starting in 1977 and made their official introduction to America at Falmouth. It was a big deal back then, not just having a title sponsor, but introducing bottled water as an upscale way of drinking water or as a drink for runners. People never drank bottled water in those days (although Perrier came in a glass bottle). Look at how much bottled water America consumes now!

I still have a Perrier luggage tag and a Perrier key chain that was given out at Falmouth.

My high school teammate Bill Hobbs and I drinking Perrier after
the 1977 Falmouth Road Race.

Here is a 1980 article from the Washington Post Run for the Bubbly detailing the history of the marketing of Perrier water to road racers in the last 1970s.

In 1978, Perrier also gave a super thin skin tight t-shirt to runners. I noticed that someone is trying to sell one on eBay this week for $85!

This unofficial shirt is not to be confused with the official road race shirt. Here is the 1980 official shirt as seen in a photograph I took after the race in 1980. It looks like Bill Rodgers and Fred Lebow were doing some wheeling and dealing!

Perrier officials handed out the awards (and more Perrier) in 1978. 

 I met Paul last year and was thrilled to find out that he was writing a book on the history of The Falmouth Road Race. This is the one of many tidbits from the race that he will be providing my blog in anticipation of its publication in July. If you are like me and enjoy reading background information and hearing the history of the great runners and races from the "running boom" years, you might want to do a few things in anticipation of reading Paul's upcoming book.

My blog has a lot of photos and information on the early days of the Falmouth Road Race. The first year that I ran was the historic 1975 race. You can read about it here. Kings of the Road: How Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, and Alberto Salazar Made Running Go Boom by Cameron Stracher tells about the runners and the races that made the "running boom" and the 1975 Falmouth Road Race plays a pivotal role. You can read my review here. Paul has written other books on running including Boston Marathon History by the Mile and History of the Greater Boston Track Club I am very much looking forward to reading Paul's new book on The Falmouth Road Race.

A History of the Falmouth Road Race: Running Cape Cod by Paul Clerici: Changing the course?

(On July 6, 2015, the first-ever book entirely about the Falmouth Road Race will be published. Entitled “History of the Falmouth Road Race, Running Cape Cod ,” it is written by Massachusetts runner and writer Paul C. Clerici, author of “Boston Marathon History by the Mile” and “History of the Greater Boston Track Club.” In a series for Recover Your Stride, he has provided some anecdotes, tales, and tidbits that will run here on a regular basis leading up to the 43rd edition of the Falmouth Road Race on August 16.)

Paul C. Clerici: The course of the Falmouth Road Race has remained relatively unchanged since its inception in 1973, save for a few adjustments at the start and the finish. It was Tommy Leonard who decided the course would take runners from the Captain Kidd in Woods Hole to where he bartended at the Brothers 4 in Falmouth Heights, a pub-to-pub run not uncommon in Boston where he also tended bar at the Eliot Lounge. While unheard of now, in the early years there were several suggestions (primarily by non-fans of the race) to move the course. Some of the ideas included having it finish at Guv Fuller Field, and one even provided detailed plans for it to start and finish in Falmouth Center!

Gov. Fuller Field is the ballfield behind the Falmouth Recreation Building on Main Street.
 Here are some photos from along the Falmouth Road Race course (mostly early '80s).

 I met Paul last year and was thrilled to find out that he was writing a book on the history of The Falmouth Road Race. This is the one of many tidbits from the race that he will be providing my blog in anticipation of its publication in July. If you are like me and enjoy reading background information and hearing the history of the great runners and races from the "running boom" years, you might want to do a few things in anticipation of reading Paul's upcoming book.

My blog has a lot of photos and information on the early days of the Falmouth Road Race. The first year that I ran was the historic 1975 race. You can read about it here. Kings of the Road: How Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, and Alberto Salazar Made Running Go Boom by Cameron Stracher tells about the runners and the races that made the "running boom" and the 1975 Falmouth Road Race plays a pivotal role. You can read my review here. Paul has written other books on running including Boston Marathon History by the Mile and History of the Greater Boston Track Club I am very much looking forward to reading Paul's new book on The Falmouth Road Race.

1976 Montreal Olympics 5000m Final lap

I saw that a video of the final lap of the 5000m race at the Montreal Olympics was recently uploaded onto Youtube here. I haven't seen this maybe since the Olympics itself and it is a wonderful final lap. We all should know that Finland's Lasse Viren won this race as part of his repeat double wins at the 5000/10000m distances. But what a race for the other medals!

You can see a longer version of the race here with non English commentary.



You can find commentary and reflectionsby New Zealand runners Rod Dixon and Dick Quax as they describe their experience in the race here. Lasse Viren also contributes his commentary. This was excellent to watch! Sorry, but two of these video cannot be embedded so follow the links.

A History of the Falmouth Road Race: Running Cape Cod by Paul Clerici: Bill Rodgers

 (On July 6, 2015, the first-ever book entirely about the Falmouth Road Race will be published. Entitled “History of the Falmouth Road Race, Running Cape Cod ,” it is written by Massachusetts runner and writer Paul C. Clerici, author of “Boston Marathon History by the Mile” and “History of the Greater Boston Track Club.” In a series for Recover Your Stride, he has provided some anecdotes, tales, and tidbits that will run here on a regular basis leading up to the 43rd edition of the Falmouth Road Race on August 16.)

Paul C. Clerici: Bill Rodgers - four-time winner of the Boston Marathon, four-time winner of the New York City Marathon, and a U.S. Olympian - first ran the Falmouth Road Race in 1974, its second year. “Boston Billy” was the first one to win the open men’s division three times (1974, 1977, 1978). Not only that, he is also the first athlete at the Falmouth Road Race to win an open, masters, seniors, and veterans title.

Bill Rodgers leading at the 6 mile mark of the 1978 Falmouth Road Race.

Bill Rodgers after winning the 1977 Falmouth Road Race.

I met Paul last year and was thrilled to find out that he was writing a book on the history of The Falmouth Road Race. This is one of many tidbits from the race that he will be providing my blog in anticipation of its publication in July. If you are like me and enjoy reading background information and hearing the history of the great runners and races from the "running boom" years, you might want to do a few things in anticipation of reading Paul's upcoming book.

My blog has a lot of photos and information on the early days of the Falmouth Road Race. The first year that I ran was the historic 1975 race. You can read about it here. Kings of the Road: How Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, and Alberto Salazar Made Running Go Boom by Cameron Stracher tells about the runners and the races that made the "running boom" and the 1975 Falmouth Road Race plays a pivotal role. You can read my review here. Paul has written other books on running including Boston Marathon History by the Mile and History of the Greater Boston Track Club I am very much looking forward to reading Paul's new book on The Falmouth Road Race.

A History of the Falmouth Road Race: Running Cape Cod by Paul Clerici part 2

 (On July 6, 2015, the first-ever book entirely about the Falmouth Road Race will be published. Entitled “History of the Falmouth Road Race, Running Cape Cod ,” it is written by Massachusetts runner and writer Paul C. Clerici, author of “Boston Marathon History by the Mile” and “History of the Greater Boston Track Club.” In a series for Recover Your Stride, he has provided some anecdotes, tales, and tidbits that will run here on a regular basis leading up to the 43rd edition of the Falmouth Road Race on August 16.)

Paul C. Clerici: In the center of Falmouth, at the Main Street end of Academy Lane, is Colleen Coyne Square. The honor is bestowed upon the East Falmouth native who was on the U.S. Olympic women’s ice hockey team which won the gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games. She recalls several times running the Falmouth Road Race, and particularly enjoys all the homey touches the international-caliber race features. As each corral of runners advanced to the start in the years when she ran the race, she always got a kick out of the start-line announcer who was often heard saying something along the lines of, “The good news is that you’re next to go. The bad news is that you’re not going to win.”

I met Paul last year and was thrilled to find out that he was writing a book on the history of The Falmouth Road Race. This is the second of many tidbits from the race that he will be providing my blog in anticipation of its publication in July. If you are like me and enjoy reading background information and hearing the history of the great runners and races from the "running boom" years, you might want to do a few things in anticipation of reading Paul's upcoming book.

My blog has a lot of photos and information on the early days of the Falmouth Road Race. The first year that I ran was the historic 1975 race. You can read about it here. Kings of the Road: How Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, and Alberto Salazar Made Running Go Boom by Cameron Stracher tells about the runners and the races that made the "running boom" and the 1975 Falmouth Road Race plays a pivotal role. You can read my review here. Paul has written other books on running including Boston Marathon History by the Mile and History of the Greater Boston Track Club I am very much looking forward to reading Paul's new book on The Falmouth Road Race.

A History of the Falmouth Road Race: Running Cape Cod by Paul Clerici

(On July 6, 2015, the first-ever book entirely about the Falmouth Road Race will be published. Entitled “History of the Falmouth Road Race, Running Cape Cod ,” it is written by Massachusetts runner and writer Paul C. Clerici, author of “Boston Marathon History by the Mile” and “History of the Greater Boston Track Club.” In a series for Recover Your Stride, he has provided some anecdotes, tales, and tidbits that will run here on a regular basis leading up to the 43rd edition of the Falmouth Road Race on August 16.)

Paul C. Clerici: It was an extreme pleasure writing this book. I interviewed nearly 100 people from all facets of the race, reaching back to its inception in 1973 and earlier. Tommy Leonard, who founded the race, regaled me with numerous stories and recollections. It’s always fun talking to this great man. One story in particular involved his telling of how prizes were obtained in the early years. Tommy recalls entering the old Malchamn’s store in Falmouth and soliciting the owner for any kind of item which he could use for the race. After listening to his impassioned pitch, she eventually decided on an expensive women’s handbag. So excited was Tommy at receiving the accessory that he recalls exiting the store and floating down Main Street with a whistle on his lips and a twinkle in his eye, which must have certainly been a sight! Tommy was also gracious enough to provide the foreword for the book, in which he thanked, among many others, longtime organizers John and Lucia Carroll and Rich and Kathy Sherman.

I met Paul last year and was thrilled to find out that he was writing a book on the history of The Falmouth Road Race. This is the first of many tidbits from the race that he will be providing my blog in anticipation of its publication in July. If you are like me and enjoy reading background information and hearing the history of the great runners and races from the "running boom" years, you might want to do a few things in anticipation of reading Paul's upcoming book.

My blog has a lot of photos and information on the early days of the Falmouth Road Race. The first year that I ran was the historic 1975 race. You can read about it here. Kings of the Road: How Frank Shorter, Bill Rodgers, and Alberto Salazar Made Running Go Boom by Cameron Stracher tells about the runners and the races that made the "running boom" and the 1975 Falmouth Road Race plays a pivotal role. You can read my review here. Paul has written other books on running including Boston Marathon History by the Mile and History of the Greater Boston Track Club I am very much looking forward to reading Paul's new book on The Falmouth Road Race.