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Walpole native Paul Clerici will host a talk about his latest book, “Falmouth Road Race: Running Cape Cod,” at 7 p.m. on Thursday evening, February 18, in the Community Room of the Walpole Public library.
“Falmouth Road Race: Running Cape Cod" is the newest book by Walpole native Paul Clerici, who will talk about his book and about his running experiences and observations. His presentation is part of the ongoing Author Series sponsored by the Friends of the Walpole Public Library, open to all at no charge.
The seven-mile Falmouth Road Race catapulted Cape Cod onto the running radar. Frank Shorter winning gold in the 1972 Olympic marathon inspired local barkeep Tommy Leonard to start a race in his own town.
That inaugural race in 1973 garnered fewer than one hundred runners. Participation soon swelled to the thousands, thanks to the success of organizers, volunteers, and talented fields, including running legends like Bill Rodgers and Catherine Ndereba, as well as wheelchair champions Bob Hall and Tatyana McFadden. Clerici’s book follows every bend and uphill battle of the race’s history from the early stages of the running boom to resetting the road-racing calendar.
Walpole native Paul C. Clerici is a freelance journalist, writer, photographer and former newspaper editor and sports editor. A dedicated runner, Clerici has competed in nearly every distance from the mile to the marathon, including two triathlons, more than forty marathons, the Boston Marathon more than twenty years in a row and the Falmouth Road Race several times.
Last March, he presented his book “Boston Marathon: History by the Mile” at the Walpole Library, also sponsored by the Friends.
