Report from Director Gerry Ryan, Liaison to Road Race Committee, given at our 8/5/17 Annual Meeting. See www.falmouthroadrace.com
The New Balance Falmouth Road Race will celebrate its 45th year on August 20, 2017 starting at 8 am. The number of registered runners has remained the same as previous years: 12,800. The race committee has, and will continue to, respect that maximum number of runners.
• Worcester Ave/Ct NO PARKING – The Falmouth Police Department (FPD) has confirmed that there will be no parking on Worcester Ave/Ct green. Signs will be posed as was done on the 4th of July and there will be a police presence to ensure no one parks on the middle area of Worcester CT. The race committee will be placing an ad in the newspaper to this effect and will be notifying the registered runners. The race will once again have tents on the grassy area on the corner of Worcester Ct and Grand Ave.
• Security – While the FPD and the race committee can’t release all the details of their security efforts, they will have the same level of heightened security as in previous years. Residents are asked not to bring bags to the ball field. NEW this year – Public Safety will be placing dump trucks filled with sand in predetermined areas.
• ROAD CLOSURES around the finish line – While race staff is setting areas up, traffic may be affected, but until Public Safety shows up (5:30 – 6:00 am) nothing would be shut down. Any officer assigned to the Heights area knows that, in the midst of all the organization, there are residents trying to live. Unless there is a direct possibility of harm to either the resident or a participant of the race, those officers will try to accommodate residents’ requests. With this in mind, it is safe to say that from 6:00 am to 8:30 am, the area directly around the finish area will be flexibly closed – meaning that a Public Safety Officer may be able to accommodate a request from a resident. When the bulk of the runners are arriving into the finish area (approx. 9:45 am-11:00 am), there will be a much stricter closure of the area. Once the course itself is closed, around 8:15 am, no traffic will be allowed on the course – NO EXCEPTIONS. This will continue until approximately noon to allow the clean-up team to clean up without getting run over. If a resident has any questions regarding road closures on race day, they should check with Public Safety either at the event or through the FPD.
• Bike Valet Program – will be returning. Only registered runners with a visible 2017 NBFRR bib and a bike will be allowed to ride the bus to start.
• Trash Team – A trash team assigned specifically to Worcester Ave/Ct will be responsible for the collection of water bottles, and any other race-related trash. The race committee is aware that “zip ties” left on the ground have been an issue in the past. After the race, Dave McGillivray will personally walk the route with his team and make every effort to get any zip tie lying around. The race committee will once again strive to respect the residents and property of the Heights, leaving Falmouth Heights as clean, if not cleaner, than they found it.
• Survey – The race committee organizers continue to be very receptive to residents’ concerns. As we do each year, FHMNA will reach out to our members at the end of the road race looking for comments which we will then share with the road race committee.
On behalf of the Falmouth Road Race Board of Directors, the 12,800 registered runners and the thousands of spectators that enjoy the race, they would like to thank the residents of Falmouth Heights for sharing their roads and community.