A HISTORY OF THE CAPE COD MARATHON

This history of thirty years of the Cape Cod Marathon is based on newspaper and magazine accounts from The Falmouth Enterprise, the Cape Cod Times, the Boston Globe and Boston Herald, New England Runner, and the Hockomock Swamp Rat and the personal recollections of many of the participants and Falmouth Track Club members. The hope is that some of those who read it will have stories to tell or memorabilia and pictures to share which can be incorporated into future editions of this history.

The Cape Cod Marathon was the brainchild of Falmouth Road Race Co-Director, Richard Sherman. After running the 1977 New York Marathon, he captured the imaginations and enthusiasm of fellow Falmouth Track Club members Jack Oser and Jeff Burton with the concept of a point-to-point Cape Cod Marathon that would begin by crossing the Bourne Bridge, following the back roads along the Buzzards Bay shore to Woods Hole, including the Sippewissett Hills, and then along the Falmouth Road Race course to a finish in Falmouth Heights. While it was an exciting idea, the logistics were too much for race directors Oser and Burton, who saw the event a primarily as a Boston qualifier for Cape runners.

The directors opted instead to put on the race on Otis Air Force Base on a four-loop course that passed abandoned World War II barracks each time and that Falmouth Road Race Co-Director and race official John Carroll described as "manageable" The date was was set for December 10, 1978. The field was limited to 300. A low $3.00 entry fee and the promise of a flat course lead led the race to close out with a field of 320 some three weeks before. The amenities were few and the budget low. Etonic Shoes was the main sponsor with a contribution of 10 pairs of shoes. A Yogurt company supplied t-shirts. The Falmouth Radio Amateurs tracked the runners, Falmouth Track Club volunteers manned the water stations, volunteer school bus drivers parked busses at the finish line with motors and heaters going for the benefit of the finishers; and a construction trailer was the command headquarters. The food director of the Falmouth Road Race, Bill Dougherty, had vats of hot soup ready for the runners.

The temperature at the start was 21 degrees, winds steady at 16 knots, gusting to 25 and a below zero wind chill. The runner attrition started even before the race began. Only 250 started. Once the race began, the cold took its toll. At the water stops, the water froze in the cups, and 25% of the starters failed to finish. No medical staff was on hand for emergencies, and when it was discovered that many of the drop-outs were suffering from the cold, the National Guard loaned the organizers 120 army blankets in which to wrap the finishers. While race director, Jack Oser pleaded with the runners to return the blankets, none were. The Guard was not too happy.

Pre-race favorite Larry Olsen quickly moved out to the lead and was never seriously challenged. He finished in 2:33:34, followed by Bill Hine (2:36:37) and Bruce Jilson (2:38:16). The women's race was won by Andrea Hatch of Middleboro in 3:16:29 - the first of three consecutive times she would capture the title. Of the 188 finishers, 70-80 met the more stringent qualifying standards of Boston. Despite the frigid weather, the race organizers pronounced the race a success and began planning for the second edition, which would be held on December 2, 1979.

1979 - Joyce Sets Course Record, Hatch Repeats

Two major changes were made. The four-loop course was changed to three loops. The start and finish was put at the Lyle Jr. High School on the base. The school had shower and changing facilities, and the cafeteria became the site of the post-race meal, which included clam chowder, corn bread, spaghetti, juices, and soda. In the meantime, those looking to qualify for Boston found the standards tougher. The three hour standard for men was now 2:50, and for women, the standard was 3:20. Master men had to run under 3:10. So with a "last chance" mentality and a flat course, 582 registered for the race.

The day before, the race organizers staged a clinic at the Sea Crest Resort. Dave McGillvery presented a talk on his Jimmy fund run across the US to inspire the runners. Also featured was the inimitable Charlie Ratti who spoke about marathon training. When asked how he trained for his first marathon, his answer was that he was so embarrassed to be seen practicing his running that he ran around his basement daily dodging the bras of his rather amply endowed wife, Gloria! On race day, the Ivory Soap Company handed soap to all competitors and filmed the race for a possible advertisement.

December 2 was clear and cold - temperatures in the upper 30's. Some 400 runners started and last finisher (278) came in at 4:54:00. But in between, the course record was set by Thomas Joyce of Somerville in a very respectable time of 2:24:20. Andrea Hatch, now of Concord, MA returned to successfully defend her title by running a 3:11:19, more than five minutes faster than her previous year's time. Co-director, Jack Oser expressed satisfaction with the race, but told the press that the 1980 edition of the marathon would be held the week before Thanksgiving so "I can watch the Falmouth Christmas Parade." The date was set for November 23, 1980.

1980 - Murphy Wins, Hatch Triples

Phyllis Evenden, a superb organizer, was made sole director in 1980. Every base was covered in a meticulously organized race. Amateur radio operators, Coast Guardsmen, National Guardsmen, the Red Cross, the Otis AFB emergency squadron all were in place, to say nothing of the scores of Falmouth Track Club volunteers. Gloria Ratti and Bev Whitney were in charge of the finish line. But the numbers were down. The Foxboro Marathon was scheduled for the day before, and the potential field was split. Yet when the gun went off on a cloudy cool day, which many runners called ideal for a marathon, the field of registered runners totalled 459. After running neck and neck with Bourne's David Ezersky, James Murphy of Worcester, runner-up the previous year, broke away on the second loop and finished in 2:27:00 followed by Ezersky (2:30:45). Andrea Hatch, now of Hingham, shaved two minutes off her previous year's time and won the race for the third time in a row with a 3:09:22. In all there were 311 finishers of which 56 qualified for the Boston Marathon's stringent qualifying standards including 37 finishers under 2:50.

The Cape Cod Marathon was developing a reputation as being a nuts and bolts race with with a fast course and superb organization that had as its primary mission to qualify local runners for Boston. The Falmouth Track Club set the date for the 1981 edition for November 22 at 11:00 AM.

1981 - Dexter and Smith-Rohrberg Capture Honors

Doug Poole, FTC President, took over directorship of the race from Phyllis Evenden who had been involved since its inception. He continued the attention to detail that had characterized the previous three years. Etonic Shoes continued its support of the event and was joined by Prince Spaghetti and Ocean Spray Cranberries -- two companies that would become major sponsors in later years.

November 22 was another typical late November day on the Cape - cold, overcast, and raw with an uncomfortable wind out of the northwest. More than 300 had signed up for the race, 212 would finish. The uncomfortable conditions did not seem to bother Orono, Maine's Steve Dexter, took the lead from the start and cruised in to win in 2:32:46, beating Bob Chasen of South Weymouth whose first marathon time of 2:35:08 was 2« minutes behind. The women's race generated the excitement. A Boston University student, Mary Ann Gedritis, who had won the Falmouth in the Fall Road Race the week before, took off fast and developed a commanding lead over the next woman, West Falmouth's Karen Smith-Rohrberg. At 20 miles, Gedritis was three minutes ahead. But Smith-Rohrberg kept to her game plan - run the race in an even 6:58 pace. A burned out Gedritis slowed, and at 25 miles, Smith-Rohrberg passed her and ran in easily to finish in a course record of 3:02:38. Gedritis managed second in 3:04:34. "Evil", "a killer" were the descriptive phrases used by the runners to describe conditions on the course, but they were soothed by the now traditional post-race feast of clam chowder, spaghetti, and of all things, baked beans.