Falmouth Road Race Accommodations

Our Falmouth Bed and Breakfast Properties offer some of the most comfortable and convenient accommodations for Falmouth Road Race participants and their cheering fans.

Every August, Falmouth becomes the destination for thousands who come to celebrate this tradition founded 46 years ago in 1973. The race’s founder, Tommy Leonard is a Falmouth icon. Tommy was a bartender from Boston who was working at a bar/restaurant in Falmouth Heights called the Brothers Four. He was a passionate runner and when the 1972 Olympic Marathon in Munich was on a TV set in the lounge Tommy provided a running commentary on the race. He was so enthralled by the race and one particular runner named Frank Shorter that he closed down the bar and watched Frank win the Olympic Marathon.

It was on that day that Tommy developed a dream that Frank Shorter would run a race in Cape Cod.  It

Credit: Karen Rinaldo Gallery

was with considerable work on Tommy’s part along with Falmouth High track coach,John Carroll, and the town recreation director, Rich Sherman, that they orchestrated the first Falmouth Road Race in 1973 with less than 100 runners. The race was often joked about as the bar race because it started at one bar restaurant (Captain Kids in Woods Hole) and ended at another bar/restaurant (Brothers Four). Tommy’s dream came true in 1975 when Frank Shorter ran the Falmouth Road Race and beat the recent Boston Marathon winner Bill Rodgers.

Now this internationally recognized 7-mile road race features one of the most beautiful seaside courses that is enjoyed by both elite and recreational runners. The race is now sponsored by New Balance and will accommodate over 11,000 runners this August 18th, 2018.

If you want to stay by the Road Race start you might select The Woods Hole Inn as your homebase as you can walk to the start line. A little farther away is the Woods Hole Passage Bed and Breakfast located halfway between the start line and the Lawrence Jr. High where buses will shuttle you to the Woods Hole start. If you want to stay in town and just walk to the Lawrence Jr. High shuttle buses you can choose to stay at The Captain’s Manor Inn,  The Palmer House Inn , Inn at Siders Lane or Captain Tom Lawrence House. One more option if you would like to stay by where the Road Race ends, you can just walk back to your home base you may select Inn on the Sound.

Falmouth Road Race Course Map