More than 80 Canton runners cross finish line in Falmouth

Under cloudy skies and at times a light drizzle, more than 11,000 runners — including 82 from Canton — powered their way to the finish line at the 52nd annual ASICS Falmouth Road Race on Sunday, August 18.

Runners and walkers from 45 states and 12 countries ventured to the Cape this year to experience the iconic seven-mile course, which starts in Woods Hole and follows the shoreline to Falmouth Heights. Considered one of the premier non-marathon races in the world, the event annually draws some of the best American and international distance runners, including both past and future Olympic athletes.

Laurie Chabot, Rhianne Berardi, Marissa Thomas and Joanne Whall pose for a photo after finishing the Falmouth Road Race.

Leading the way for the Canton contingent at this year’s Falmouth Road Race was 27-year-old Liam Collins, a former standout distance runner for the Bulldogs who reached even greater heights at Princeton University, where he was a two-time NIRCA Cross Country First-Team All-American and served as president of the university’s running club.

Competing in a field that included 2024 Paris Olympian and Canadian record holder Ben Flanagan, Collins would go on to finish Sunday’s race in 37:41, placing 54th overall out of 11,166 runners — and 21st out of 775 among men ages 25-29.

Also making his mark with an impressive time of 41:09 was Canton’s John Ealy, who placed 132nd overall and ninth out of 518 runners in the men’s 35-39 division — a group headlined by former Olympic marathoner Jake Riley. Originally from Ohio, Ealy starred on the men’s cross country team at Ohio State University in the early 2000s and has continued to excel on the local road racing circuit, twice winning the CABI Road Race (5K in 2021 and 10K in 2022) and most recently topping the field at the inaugural CHS Champions of Wellness 5K held in November 2023.

Rounding out the top five among Canton participants were two others in the men’s 35-39 group — Kevin Ethier and Michael Devlin, who finished 244th and 814th overall with respective times of 44:11 and 51:42 — and 21-year-old Patrick Morrissey, who completed the course in 54:56.

Morrissey was followed two minutes later by Elissa Montilio-Crane, Canton’s top female finisher, who placed 51st out of 675 participants in her age group and 1,653rd overall (56:55). Also finishing the course in under one hour were fellow Cantonites Sean Talbot, Maurice Joyce, Lindsey Nolte, Catherine Duggan and Laurie Chabot.

In addition to running for enjoyment and as a test of physical endurance, several participants also ran with charity teams to raise funds for causes that are important to them. Talbot, for instance, ran on behalf of Ronald McDonald House Charities, a nonprofit dedicated to helping families with sick children in their time of need. Joyce ran for the New England Patriots Foundation, and Nolte was one of several Canton residents — along with Jennifer Lawlor, Marissa Thomas, Lauren Tourgee and Joanne Whall — who ran for We Beat Cancer, an initiative of the Gallahue/Rooney Family Foundation that provides assistance to local cancer patients and their loved ones.

Chabot, meanwhile, chose to run this year for the Joe Andruzzi Foundation (JAF), another locally based charity benefiting cancer patients that is headed by former New England Patriot and three-time Super Bowl champion Joe Andruzzi and his wife, Jen. Diagnosed with ovarian cancer in May 2023, the Canton mother of five had to miss a full year of work while undergoing treatment and was able to secure much-needed support through the foundation’s Financial Assistance and Food Security programs.

“This foundation has been absolutely incredible,” noted Chabot. “They have supported us through [grants], through grocery shopping, through [covering] a mortgage payment. They really make things less stressful [throughout] your cancer journey … and I was really lucky and blessed that they helped us out.”

On the Friday before race day, the Chabots joined with dozens of other patients and their families for a complimentary Boston Harbor cruise on the famed Codzilla speedboat — part of the foundation’s annual Codzilla Up(Beat) Patient Outing. Guests also received lunch from Panera Bread, free tickets to the New England Aquarium, and got a chance to meet Andruzzi and try on his Super Bowl rings.

Two days after their memorable day on Boston Harbor, Chabot and the 43 other members of Team JAF were more than happy to return the favor with a spirited effort down in Falmouth, where they raised a combined $82,000 to benefit New England cancer patients and their families.

In addition to Chabot, Talbot, Joyce, and the We Beat Cancer crew, more than two dozen other Canton residents ran in this year’s Falmouth Road Race on behalf of a local charity, including Dylan and Emma Cunningham, Matthew Larsen, Susan Marshall and Addison Mirliani, who all ran with the Compassionate Care ALS team; Jennifer and Sierra Abbott, who ran for Canton-based Journey Forward; Jessica and Matthew Morrissey, who ran for Maddie’s Promise (benefiting childhood cancer research); and Kevin Brown and Caitlin Hutchinson, who ran with the Dana-Farber team.

Other Canton runners with a listed charity affiliation included Lindsay Agro (Best Buddies MA & RI); Rachel Beatty (Confikids Inc.); Gisella Berardi (Alzheimer’s Assn.); Cara Bobillier (Project Sweet Peas); Sara-Rose Brenner (MSPCA-Angell); Emma Cahill (Parkinson’s Foundation); Brad Francis (Dream Day on Cape Cod); Jules Gilchrist (American Lung Assn.); Nichole Gillespie (Breakthrough T1D); Michaela Hannigan (Falmouth Service Center); Michael Larsen (ALS One); Lilah Milton (Arts Foundation of Cape Cod); Emilie O’Brien (Family Reach); Deb Shafran (The Boston House); Jasmin Tabares (Hospitality Homes); Jamie Toto (Back on My Feet); and Kathryne Turner (Herren Project).

Also completing the seven-mile course this year were Canton residents (in alphabetical order) Rhianne Berardi, Laurie Bogue, Mary Collins, Virginia and Wes Cushman, Jessica Doucette, Melissa Downey, McKenzie Duggan, Alison Fernandes, Puck Fernsten, James Ferrera, Samantha Gallagher, Tess and Tom Giglio, Jillian Giuliano, Grace, Meredith and Tom Hannigan, Jen Hic, Terri Ivanoski, Jillian Kelly, Georgia Lagadinos, Piyawan Lappiam, Dolores Leonardo, Michael Loring, Emily and Molly Loughran, Erica MacDonald, Nick Matt, Cyrus Moattari, Kelly Morrissey, Alan Nunes, Ilise and Joseph Prendergast, William and William N. Riley, Sophia Spinelli, Richael Tonsberg and Kevin Walsh.

A full list of results from the 2024 Falmouth Road Race is available at track.rtrt.me/e/FRR-FALMOUTH-2024#.

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=126132

Posted by Jay Turner on Aug 22 2024. Filed under Beyond CHS, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.