The Cape Cod Marathon Weekend is produced by the Falmouth Running Club, a non-profit running club. Race weekend includes a Marathon, a Marathon Relay, a Half Marathon, as well as a 5k! The Clam Chowdah Challenge is for those who would like to tackle both the Marathon and the Half …
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The Cape Cod Marathon Weekend is produced by the Falmouth Running Club, a non-profit running club. Race weekend includes a Marathon, a Marathon Relay, a Half Marathon, as well as a 5k!
The Clam Chowdah Challenge is for those who would like to tackle both the Marathon and the Half Marathon in the same weekend for a total of 39.3 miles. The NEW Lobstah Challenge is a fun event for those that want to run the Half Marathon and the 5K in the same weekend! Staged in early October at the start of fall foliage, these gorgeous courses run along Vineyard Sound and along beautiful coastal roads on the Cape.
The Cape Cod Marathon race course is a BQ-friendly flat and fast course with many scenic views of the ocean.
The Cape Cod Marathon Half race course is a fast and scenic route that hugs the Falmouth coastline of Nantucket Sound. Designed to maximize runners’ view of Martha’s Vineyard and the beautiful waters of Nantucket Sound this out and back course is limited to one hill, the famous final hill for the Falmouth Road Race located in the Heights of Falmouth Heights. But don’t be alarmed – this one hill occurs at miles 6.6 and 10.5 and is over before you know it.
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Gorgeous Coastal Course!
Marathon State #40 (MA) is done!✅. Thanks to mother Nature, we got to battle 26.2 miles in New England’s first “nor’easter “ of the season! This was one of the … MORE
Marathon State #40 (MA) is done!✅. Thanks to mother Nature, we got to battle 26.2 miles in New England’s first “nor’easter “ of the season! This was one of the toughest marathons for me so far, because of the rain and high winds that met us around mile 18. We had cool temps and gorgeous coastal views this entire marathon and on a sunny day I think it may have been one of my favs. There was no escaping the rain and winds, and we were 100% soaked and super grumpy (especially me) and uncomfortable at the end but also so happy we got it done!! Again, the scenery on this one is top notch!!
Race to remember and repeat!!
Loved everything about this race. Drove to Falmouth the day before and stayed at hotel 10-15 minute walk to race. communication leading up to race was good, swag/medal were nice … MORE
Loved everything about this race. Drove to Falmouth the day before and stayed at hotel 10-15 minute walk to race. communication leading up to race was good, swag/medal were nice (one of my favorites so far), expo decent, and the course was fantastic. one big hill around mile 9?, but otherwise fairly flat. Scenery was outstanding. I’m working on 50 states, but this is one race I would gladly repeat. Only complaint is the usual: not enough porta-potties.
Fun Fun Fun!!
This was a wonderful race. Great weather, crowd support and post-race celebration. There were so many people out cheering for us. I really enjoyed the clam chowder and donuts after … MORE
This was a wonderful race. Great weather, crowd support and post-race celebration. There were so many people out cheering for us. I really enjoyed the clam chowder and donuts after the race. Top notch race experience.
Great Race
What an awesome race! You could tell the people who put on the race were serious runners. Everything that you would want, they had. One way I will sign up … MORE
What an awesome race! You could tell the people who put on the race were serious runners. Everything that you would want, they had. One way I will sign up is for free race pictures. I loved the medals. I ran the half and the 5k the following day for the Lobstah Challenge and loved the Lobster bottle opener. It was almost an out and back that I thought we were never going to turn around. Enjoyed the clam chowder and apple doughnuts at the finish line. This is a solid race for an awesome vacation! We flew into Boston, explored there, Plymouth, Martha’s Vineyard, and most of the Cape! I would come back to run this race!
Not Back of the Pack Friendly
I wanted to do another double as part of my marathon training but didn't want to travel to far so decided to do this double with the Newport Half. I … MORE
I wanted to do another double as part of my marathon training but didn’t want to travel to far so decided to do this double with the Newport Half. I am going to start with a caveat that this is not a back of the pack friendly race. For starters there is a stated 3 hour time limit. They at least did not seem strict about stopping the timing mat so slower participants did get finishing times but they are very strict with reopening roads, cleaning up etc and even though I finished under 3 hours, I still encountered a number of issues being near the back. My personal opinion is everyone who finishes the race within the time limit should have as close to the same experience as possible. That was not the case with this race. For the weekend I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in Fall River, MA. Fall River is about 55 minutes from Falmouth, MA and about 30 minutes from Newport, RI and much, much cheaper than staying in either location. If you are doing this double, I would highly recommend staying in Fall River if you want to save money and/or don’t want to change hotels. There were a few things I really loved about this race. The first thing is they gave extremely clear parking locations with list of locations and miles from start. I left pretty early to park right by the start and it was so easy. Another thing I loved is there is race day packet pick-up without an additional fee and the expo is open the morning of the race so you don’t miss out of the expo if you do race day packet pick-up. It’s not a huge expo but has some vendors and some cute race swag. I was going to go back and buy some if I loved the race. As you can tell from my rating I did not end up going back. Packet pick-up was easy and included bib and the race shirt. The race shirt is something. It is long sleeved and nice quality tech shirt but it is this black and red coloring that I was not a huge fan of. However it is a nice shirt just not a nice color scheme for me at least. The race had you line up by paces. I stayed with the last pace group knowing I would be near the end of the time limit. I felt pretty confident I could finish in 3 hours as the weather was beautiful and the course was flat but given I had Newport the next day didn’t want to push for 2:45 or anything as I needed to save some energy. The race started on time. There were waves set off pretty quickly so it took 5-10 minutes to get every though. The race course is really nice. It’s a bit hard to explain but it has the same start/finish. After the start you run down a street and turn right and run a triangle and then you run back on the same street but go left and do a mostly out and back with a little loop at the end and a few extra out and backs to make the miles work. You can look at the map but the summary is it’s a mix of loops and out and back portions. The course is mostly wonderful. There are some absolutely stunning ocean views and also views of beautiful mansions and neighborhoods. There was one section in the beginning on a public trail that was a bit tight but otherwise it was a great course. It is very flat with a few inclines and declines and like one small hill but no significant elevation change. It’s a very fast course. Would be a good PR or BQ option. The race was well marked, had mile markers and plenty of aid stations with water and gatorade. There are no gels for the half marathon but the website says there is for the marathon and I assume this is correct but I didn’t run the marathon so can’t confirm. There are a ton of spectators…well at least for the beginning of the race. I was so happy and I was loving this race ready to give it 5 sneakers, buy a ton of stuff at the expo and finally have a MA race to tell every to run but everything started coming apart around mile 8. Around mile 8 I came to an intersection and the course marshal directing traffic didn’t see me so he told a car to go and then when he saw me told me to stop which bothered me quite a bit as I was in a groove but like I get it he already told the car to go. The car however did notice me and stopped and signaled for me to go so I went but the course marshal then was really rude and yelled at me for going and told me that “I better stop the next time he says stop.” I like totally get that it was a weird situation of people reacting quickly and not seeing each other and I maybe could have handled it better but like don’t be rude, I paid to run here and maybe pay attention so you don’t tell a car to go when I am coming. This totally ruined my happy mood and things just got worse. Around mile 9-10 one of the aid stations ran out of everything. Even though the weather was very nice, it was getting a bit hot by the end and I could have used some extra water and gatorade. At least the next stations had water. The out and back section that was full of spectators on the way out was empty. They also reopened traffic so the last 2-3 miles I was running on either a narrow shoulder or the side walks. At least the sidewalks were in better condition than Salem, MA. Honestly this really upset me. I worked so hard to be able to finish a half marathon under 3 hours so I could do these races I’ve heard great things about in MA and yet I was still getting a subpar experience despite finishing about 5 minutes under the time limit and I even finished under 3 hours gun time. If I was over the time limit this is all fair but to have a strict time limit and not even give runners who finish in the time limit the same experience if they are near the end of it is just not right. There were also a lot of runners at my pace so it wasn’t like it was just me. Anyways I make it to the finish line and am very happy with my finishing time. The finish line was still exciting and the medal is amazing. It is big and has a fish and is one of my better medals. I also really liked the post race food options. There was clam chowder (plus a couple other soup options) and apple cider donuts along with typical post race food. I liked that they chose food that represents New England. My opinion of this race is that if you are a fast runner I’m sure you will have an excellent time and you should choose this for MA but I don’t recommend it to people who are over 2:45 maybe not even over 2:30. I did get a finishing time and so did people behind me so if you are a back of the packer and for convenience really want to do this with Newport I would say do it but just expect a subpar experience. As I am not really looking to get much faster than I already am (my goal was just to be able to comfortably run an under 3 hour half which I can now do), I don’t think I would do this race again unless I had plans where I could only do a semi-local half the day of this race. I would really advise this race and other New England races to think about how they treat back of the packers. I run races every weekend and if I have a good experience I will come back year after year and spread good word of mouth but I’ve not had a great experience with a lot of races this fall.
Great race along the beaches of the Cape
This is a great race, especially if you plan to make a long weekend out of it. First, travel notes, as these seem more important to this race than other … MORE
This is a great race, especially if you plan to make a long weekend out of it.
First, travel notes, as these seem more important to this race than other races I have travelled for:
-Columbus Day weekend marks two major events in Mass: The beginning of leaf peeping season and the end of the season for Cape Cod/Martha’s Vineyard.
We were supposed to pick up our car rental on Thursday. (We were planning on spending Thursday-Tuesday in the Cape. Flew in and out of Boston). Our basic rental cost was $428 (not including fees, taxes, insurance, etc). If we had picked the car up on Friday, it would have been over $1600. We were told by the Hertz receptionist that the weekend was the start of leaf peeping where people come to New England to look at all of the red, yellow, and orange trees of the fall. So be mindful of your car rental if needed.
The second part (that we didn’t know) is that just about everything closes down after Columbus Day. Most of the people that live in the Cape go back to their “real” homes and a lot of businesses close for the winter. They are all in full swing for the weekend, but if you plan to stay past Monday, you may have to rethink your schedule.
Now, to race weekend. Awesome event! Saturday is the half and half only. Sunday is the marathon, marathon relay, 5K, and kids run. There are two challenges- run the half and the 5K or run the half and the full. You MUST sign up for the challenge and not the two separate races to participate. I ran the half on Saturday, and my wife and I ran the 5K on Sunday (Lobstah Challenge).
Packet pickup on Friday is ONLY for those running Saturday. I did get both shirts (half and 5K) and two of the same bibs. But we had to come back after I got done with the half to pickup my wife’s shirt and bib. No biggie as the packet pickup is about 100 feet from the start/finish line. There is a small expo with some cool additional swag. I got a medal sign for my “trophy” room in my garage as a cool keepsake. Everything was smooth and easy.
Saturday morning was easy. There is lots of sporadic parking around the start line. We arrived about an hour before the start and parked a block from the start. Those who arrived 30 minutes before the start had to walk farther….
The corral is a little tight if you go in late. I walked into the back about 10 minutes before the start and had to wiggle through a thousand people to get to about where my pace was. The start was easy enough, with the folks being released in waves. As an 8 minute per mile runner, I was near the back of the first wave. I think each wave was about a minute apart.
The course is great. The first 6.5 miles or so are just as flat as can be. And except for a mile on a nice wide bike path, you are running either next to gorgeous Cape Code homes, the beach, or both. There are even some nice harbors mixed in. Once you are about halfway, you come to the only real hill. You will run it twice as miles 5-12 are pretty much and out and back. The first time up the hill is shorter and steep. The way back is stretched out. Neither really bothered me. There is a yellow house on top of the hill that gives you a good visual on what you have left. The last half mile goes back down the road you started on. You can see the flags at the end. Its pretty and flat so you can pick it up to finish strong.
The race had plenty of water and gatorade along the course. I think they were every 1.5 miles or so. I saw some portapotties but didn’t pay attention to those. Crowd support was great in some areas and small in others. There was more than enough for sure.
*One thing to know about the course (and they say this on the website)- it is an open course as in the roads aren’t closed. Now, most of the road is completely engulfed by runners in the front. Back of packers that are more spread out- not so much. I didn’t experience any issues with cars being crazy or dangerous. Some cars were on the course, but just about every time, we were running faster than the cars. The back of the pack runners may have a different experience.
The finish line was fine. No water bottles or gatorade though. Mass has deposits for bottles so that may have played a role. They have a large water fountain with multiple spickets and cups for water. They also have hot New England Clam Chowdah and apple cider donuts (as well as some fruit and chips). No beer if you care about that sort of thing.
Swag: The medals are awesome! The 5K medals we got on Sunday were impressive for a 5K. My wife was very happy with her medal. 🙂 Additionally, I got a large Lobstah bottle opener medal for completing the Lobstah Challenge. The shirts are designed well, and the long sleeve tech shirts. I prefer soft cotton style tshirts but these are better than most.
I would definitely run again if I were in the area. This was state #27 for me and I really enjoyed it. They put on a great event.
Would do it again
Just being on the Cape was reason enough for me to love this race. Falmouth is a nice town and they really welcome everyone. Stayed in a hotel close to … MORE
Just being on the Cape was reason enough for me to love this race. Falmouth is a nice town and they really welcome everyone. Stayed in a hotel close to the start/finish/expo. Everything within walking distance. The race itself was a mix of road and bike trail with wonderful views of the ocean. Some hills – not horrible. Expo was fun. Town was fun. Great crowd support. Volunteers were out in full force and much appreciated. One of my favs so far!
Ran the half & full - both beautiful!
I ran the "Chowdah Challenge" which is the half Saturday and the full Sunday. The courses varied slightly so that kept it exciting. There's a bit of rail trail, a … MORE
I ran the “Chowdah Challenge” which is the half Saturday and the full Sunday. The courses varied slightly so that kept it exciting. There’s a bit of rail trail, a few neighborhoods, and lots of coastal beauty! There are some hills, but I didn’t find them to be terribly difficult since I trained with hills. The crowds, volunteers, and race announcer were unbelievable! The energy even on Sunday ended with a nor’easter full of rain and wind was top tier. I stayed at a hotel basically across the street so I can’t comment on parking. The expo was fun too, it made packet pickup a breeze. The communication was on another level. Emails alone were perfect and informative, giving you plenty of time to plan your day. If you follow the CCM social media, what a treat! They get you hyped up and answer literally all the questions- even post-race! I 100 out of 10 would recommend either race to someone considering this!
LOVED this race, wonderful choice for MA
COMMUNICATION was fantastic. Lots of great info from the race team. EXPO was small but they had some vendors so you could pick up anything you needed. They had really … MORE
COMMUNICATION was fantastic. Lots of great info from the race team.
EXPO was small but they had some vendors so you could pick up anything you needed. They had really great options for extra race merch and the prices were fair. I appreciated very much that I could get some extra things and not pay an arm and a leg for them.
COURSE wasn’t anything exceptional. You got a little neighborhood and a little ocean. It was nice. Relatively flat. VOLUNTEERS and COURSE SUPPORT were fantastic. Lots of people out on the course holding signs and cheering which really helps. The weather was great, and I even got a little sunburn.
AFTER PARTY was nice with an announcer calling out names and great choices for food. I tried Clam Chowder for the first time, and I really liked it. The town that the race was in, Falmouth, was amazing. It was like a story book. All little shops and restaurants to explore. And all streets were decorated for Halloween which gave it a real community feeling. Only real negative was the crazy traffic. Recommend staying in town and exploring if you have the time. Overall, highly recommend this race for the overall experience and vibes!
Lovely course, set a PR, great event!
I am working on 50 states and combined this with the Newport half marathon to do two in a weekend. Overall I think the race was great, and very well … MORE
I am working on 50 states and combined this with the Newport half marathon to do two in a weekend. Overall I think the race was great, and very well organized and supported. Running along the coast was great. There were a few hills here and there but overall the course wasn’t a huge challenge and I was happy to set a PR on this course after about 35 half marathons! 🙂
The wind was not great… and a good tailwind is never as helpful as a bad headwind is… but overall the weather was tolerable and pleasant.
Beautiful Course
This is my third time running the Cape Cod Half Marathon. It is a great loop course and beautiful scenery. When I first ran the race in 2022, it was … MORE
This is my third time running the Cape Cod Half Marathon. It is a great loop course and beautiful scenery. When I first ran the race in 2022, it was a different course. This time around, part of the race is through a bike path. I appreciated the app that could help me track my friends!
Amazing views and race staff
As a first-timer to the Cape Cod Marathon I was absolutely Blown Away by the production, course management as well as the beautiful scenery. The medal is a beautiful addition … MORE
As a first-timer to the Cape Cod Marathon I was absolutely Blown Away by the production, course management as well as the beautiful scenery. The medal is a beautiful addition and I feel confident that I will run the race again
Perfect race for a first timer!
Thought the whole weekend was tremendous! Well-organized, full of patrons & supporters, and we were blessed with perfect weather. The course was very clear & manageable for a first-timer, and … MORE
Thought the whole weekend was tremendous! Well-organized, full of patrons & supporters, and we were blessed with perfect weather. The course was very clear & manageable for a first-timer, and it allowed me to beat my goal of under 2 hours! Only downside was the wind – it was howling on the back of the course! Will definitely be running again, and hopefully many other races in the future!
Great marathon
This was a great race! There were a lot of spectators to help cheer you on with the exception of Great Harbors where there weren't too many. Course was fairly … MORE
This was a great race! There were a lot of spectators to help cheer you on with the exception of Great Harbors where there weren’t too many. Course was fairly flat with the exception of a few rolling hills near the beginning and a few hills in the teens and early 20’s. The course was pretty and scenic as described. Parking was easy and the race itself was coordinated very well. The only things that could be improved are finish line photos and swag. There wasn’t much swag at the expo and sizes were sparse for what they had (and I didn’t even go to the expo late). They have a PR bell which was really fun and the medal is beautiful. Highly recommend!
could i have asked for anything better?
i had been pretty uncertain how this was going to go given i had a wonky training schedule. i was pretty disheartened when i showed up to pick up my … MORE
i had been pretty uncertain how this was going to go given i had a wonky training schedule. i was pretty disheartened when i showed up to pick up my bib number, uncertain i was even going to finish. i felt as though i was going to feel emotionally and physically distant from folks, that i would be the last of the last. however, the day could not have been better.. everyone was so happy to be there and part of this day in the community. the coordinators, volunteers, other runners, and spectators made this a truly beautiful event. i smiled the entire 26.2 miles, surrounded (but not in an overwhelming way) by other people who just love running, love the outdoors, and love the chance to be in community. thank you for providing a little hope and pep in my step!
My first half marathon! Awesome from A-Z
My first half marathon was an amazing experience.. Truly from signing up to leaving the event was so effortless. What a great organization! Excited for next year! I will travel … MORE
My first half marathon was an amazing experience.. Truly from signing up to leaving the event was so effortless. What a great organization! Excited for next year! I will travel from New Hampshire again. Thank you.
Great race
A friend recommended this race to me after they ran it last year, and I'm glad I took their advice and signed up. I enjoyed the views along the course, … MORE
A friend recommended this race to me after they ran it last year, and I’m glad I took their advice and signed up. I enjoyed the views along the course, especially in the first half, and the hills were rolling and very manageable. The on-course support for the marathon was great – reliable water and Gatorade every two miles, well-staffed with volunteers. Even though the roads were partially open to traffic, I felt safe throughout. I was worried looking at the online map that I might get lost, but there were people telling you which way to go at each turn, so that was never a concern. Logistics were so easy from bib pickup all the way to post-race finding family. I’ll definitely be recommending this race to friends.
Great Atmosphere, Beautiful Scenery
The race was extremely organized There were amble volunteers The race started on time Check in and bib pickup was easy There were bathrooms and water stations throughout the course … MORE
The race was extremely organized
There were amble volunteers
The race started on time
Check in and bib pickup was easy
There were bathrooms and water stations throughout the course
There was plenty of food options post race and beautiful medals handed out to all that finished
Great first marathon!
Did this race as my first-ever marathon, and it was amazing! The race did not go my way (nutrition/hydration plan needs some work) but for my first one, this was … MORE
Did this race as my first-ever marathon, and it was amazing! The race did not go my way (nutrition/hydration plan needs some work) but for my first one, this was definitely a great choice. The views were great, and the weather was fantastic. The volunteers were keeping the energy going throughout the course, especially on the later miles, and although I was suffering after mile 18, I still enjoyed the race! I would love to do this again!
Beautiful Place to Run
Great race, well organized, great communication. Would like to see water stations every mile, but do understand how challenging that can be. Will definitely be running it again. MORE
Great race, well organized, great communication. Would like to see water stations every mile, but do understand how challenging that can be. Will definitely be running it again.