$5,000 donation checks presented to Falmouth Service Center & Cape Kid Meals by Falmouth Stop & Shop store manager, Joe Martignetti. (Pictured L-R: Jennifer Edwards, FRR, Mary Casey, FSC, Joe Martignetti, S&S and Tammy Leone, CKM)
Final Entry Total is 9,712; Over $1.7M Raised So Far by Numbers for Nonprofits
Falmouth, MA (September 2, 2020) – With 9,712 entrants, $1.7 million raised to date by Numbers for Nonprofits Program participants, the 2020 New Balance Falmouth Road Race At-Home Edition reached the finish line on Saturday, August 29, two weeks after kicking off on August 15.
“Whether it was by purchasing $35,000 in gift cards from local businesses to randomly surprise and delight participants, or donating $5,000 to Cape Kid Meals, or mailing out thousands of race mugs and medals, we appreciate the chance to serve both the community of Falmouth and our larger community of runners in this year of unexpected challenges,” said Scott Ghelfi, president of the Falmouth Road Race, Inc. board of directors. “And that’s not even counting the funds raised through our Numbers for Nonprofits Program. We’re happy, for everyone, that the At-Home Edition was such a success.”
The 99 teams in the event’s Numbers for Nonprofits Program, presented by Cape Cod Healthcare, have already raised more than $1.7 million for Massachusetts-based charities. The charity teams will continue to raise funds until October 31.
Further benefitting from the At-Home Edition, thanks to a donation by Stop & Shop of $7 for every participant result submitted up to $10,000, will be Cape Kid Meals and the Falmouth Service Center, which will each receive $5,000 from the race’s Official Supermarket.
Among the runners and walkers taking part in the At-Home Edition from 45 states plus the District of Columbia and 16 countries were Ben Flanagan, the 2018 New Balance Falmouth Road Race champion (43:40 in Charlottesville, VA); Abdi Abdirahman, a five-time Olympian and longtime Falmouth competitor (48:37 in Flagstaff, AZ); Diane Nukuri, the 2015 Falmouth champion and a fan favorite here (48:37 in Flagstaff, AZ); and Molly Seidel, who recently made the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Team (38:17 in Boston, MA). The four also squared off in a fast-paced Zoom scavenger hunt, available on here on NBCBoston.com. Also participating was Neely Gracey, the fourth-place finisher in the 2015 race, who ran 44:22.
The 16 countries, including the U.S., for which participants entered were Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Spain, France, England, Grenada, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and Singapore.
Six members of the NBC Boston news team – Eli Rosenberg, Alysha Palumbo, Shannon Mulaire, Brian Shactman, Monica Madeja and Melody Mendez – also toed the starting lines in their neighborhoods.
Among the entrants were 49 in the wheelchair division, almost all of whom took part in the At-Home Wheelchair Event sponsored by Spaulding Rehab of Cape Cod on Facebook Live. Headlined by New Balance Falmouth Road Race course record-holders Daniel Romanchuk and Tatyana McFadden, the event on August 23 featured a non-competitive “roll” of the course and insights into the sport of wheelchair racing and its deep history at Falmouth. The Zoom event is available for replay on the race’s YouTube channel.
Children were part of the action, too, with 914 entrants in the SBLI Kids At-Home Challenge.
Looking ahead to next year, application for Massachusetts-based organizations to become part of the Numbers for Nonprofits Program for the 2021 Falmouth Road Race is open now through October 31 at falmouthroadrace.com/numbers-for-nonprofits.
About Falmouth Road Race, Inc. The New Balance Falmouth Road Race was established in 1973 and has become one of the premier running events of the summer season. Each year the race draws an international field of Olympians, elite and recreational runners out to enjoy the iconic 7-mile seaside course. The non-profit Falmouth Road Race organization is committed to promoting health and fitness through community programs and philanthropic giving.