Learn more about the Falmouth Road Race

Its global image may be that of the world’s elite crossing the finish line under a proudly flapping, larger-than-life Old Glory, but the very soul of the Falmouth Road Race lies in the thousands of stories of grit and perseverance, the individual tales of anguish and accomplishment, and the countless lives that are touched by the race’s immeasurable impact on numerous charitable efforts. Each year, the race committee grants numbers to various nonprofit organizations for runners who agree to raise money. According to board member Scott Ghelfi, owner of Ghelfi’s Candies in Falmouth and Mashpee, last year’s race raised more than $4.9 million in charitable donations, and  assisted more than 100 nonprofits with missions as varied as the runners.

In 2014, Lisa Kelliher ran for Recovery Without Walls (RWW), a Falmouth-based nonprofit that provides assistance to women in early recovery from substance abuse, raising more than $5,000 for the cause. In 2015, she again raised several thousand dollars, but another daunting challenge awaited this inimitable young woman. Lisa unwittingly suffered a heart attack at the starting line, making it all the way to 20 feet from the finish line before nearly collapsing. But she recalls resolving to herself, “There’s no way I’m not finishing.” Incredibly, Lisa did finish that race with the help of some friends, her newfound faith and sense of purpose carrying her determinedly across the finish line. Her heart may have been filled with mechanical flaws that day, but it was also filled with love, hope, and devotion—and it kept beating.