Eighth Chatham In The Fall 10K Sees 250-Plus Runners

CHATHAM – More than 250 people ran Sunday in the 8th Chatham in the Fall 10K, a race held by the Cape Cod Athletic Club that raises money for local charities.

The 252 total individual runners in the autumn morning race were 40 more participants than last year. The event primarily collected funds for Sharing Kindness, a Cape Cod-based nonprofit organization that offers suicide prevention, grief support and mental health education programs. More than 300 people had signed up for the 10K.

“We’re happy to see it grow a little bit,” race organizer Howard Tansey said.

Justin Cai, 24, of Cambridge finished first overall with a time of 35:48, outpacing the competition by nearly two full minutes. He had never ran the Chatham in the Fall 10K before. 

Rounding out the top five finishers were Sverre Urnes Johnson, 41, of Brookline (37:42), Valdi Fernandes, 45, of South Dennis (37:48), Tom Steele, 50, of Buzzards Bay (38:52) and Brendan O’Donnell, 26, of Somerville (39:06). Steele was last year’s winner.

“I think the hills on the second half really got to me, but the course was really pretty,” Cai said afterwards.

Rebecca Norton, 40, of Sandwich was the race’s top female finisher with a time of 44:39. Karla Steele (last year’s female winner), 48, of Buzzards Bay placed second (45:46), followed by Christine Marre, 43, of Quincy (46:24), Emily Gould, 38, of South Yarmouth (46:49) and Julie Luistro, 51, of North Attleboro (48:16).

“I'm always striving to do my best, and you never know what the other competition will be like,” Norton said.

Norton ran the race a few years prior, she said. As a Cape Cod Athletic Club member, she had volunteered for the Chatham Harbor Run in June, then opted to participate in the fall 10K.

“I love running and I love competing, so I'm really excited that I got first place, but you never know what to expect when you do a race,” Norton said.

The course began and ended at Monomoy Regional Middle School. Runners bounded down toward Oyster Pond Beach, thereafter to the lighthouse, up the road and back to the school. Inclines and declines define the route.

“It was pretty tough,” Norton said. “There's a lot of hills throughout the course, but it's a beautiful course, like just right along the water, so really, really scenic but tough when it comes to the hills.”

The race also featured a team relay in which two participants could each take on a portion of the run. Of nine teams, Ray and Marvin Joseph placed first with a time of 42:27, followed by Brian Lowry and Jamie Veara (43:12), John and Todd Clark (48:12), Josh and Abby Raysman (48:16), and Adria and Stephen Bodell (57:28).