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Lawrence Lynch Corporation Presents
The 7th Almost Annual Liam Maguire’s Irish Pub Almost 5 Miler
A New England Runner Pub Series Event
Hosted by F L Putnam Investment Management Company
Produced by the HFC Striders
4.9167 Miles, Sunday, September 15, 2024 at 9:30 am,
Town Hall Square, Falmouth, MA

The HFC Striders are proud to stage the 7th Almost Annual Liam Maguire’s Irish Pub Almost Five Miler.

A while back, the founders and former organizers, PCB Race Management,  cast aside their walkers, wheelchairs and bibs, fortified themselves with Beer and Geritol against numerous infirmities of mind and body, and decided conduct an exhaustive search for a live person or organization to resurrect the beloved event.  The three deeply revered , but aging and increasingly infirm founders and organizers of Liam’s Almost Five sat by the roadside in their wheel chairs and/or leaned on their walkers day after day. They braved wind, hail, intense heat and biting cold, snow, rain, hurricanes, and an occasional passing shower — holding signs saying “Event for Sale, Cheap!” For nearly two years, all they got were an occasional honk from a passing motorist and quite soggy from cars driving through the puddles in the road. Even the lemonade stand run by the neighbor’s kid did better! Then a miracle happened! After numerous Guinness Stouts, the HFC Striders “bought” the race from the now somewhat-senile, hearing-impaired and visually-challenged PCB trio for for the astronomical sum of $-.99! Given that that is a minus number, it appears that PCB actually paid HFC to take on the race!  It will be a celebration! ON TOP OF THAT, HFC  talked their way into being part of the New England Runner Pub Series! In the words of the late and beloved Eliot Lounge Bartender, Tommy Leonard, “Holy Cow!!”

You would not be out of line to ask “Why did PCB Race Management sell the race and, in fact, pay HFC $.99 to take it?” As every politician says, when asked a tough or logical question, “That’s a good question; Glad you asked it…” We offer some answers like — “The Pandemic made them do it!” “Liam’s made them do it!” “The Town made them do it!” “Old age, bad backs, failing vigor and forgetfulness contributed to it…”   “Oh, And the Devil did too…”

Liam’s will again be held in Falmouth, MA on the same almost breathtakingly beautiful course. Before and after the race, celebrations of the sport will held at Liam Maguire’s Irish Pub  and other venues. The race will again be limited to almost 500 runners (499 precisely). So plan on registering early!

Registration Procedure:

    • You may register on-line for a penny-pinching $34.99 (Almost $35.00)! And as an added bonus, when you register on-line, we even even eat that annoying extra processing charge, which other races tack on at check-out! What’s better to like than that! Registration is open. The date of the race is Sunday, September 15.
    • Almost 500 runners (499, precisely) is the limit.
    • All preregistered runners will be emailed their bib number assignments and race weekend information, including times and places for packet and bib number pick-up, beginning a week to 10 days before the race.  NOTE:  Emails with bib-number assignments and race weekend activities are being sent out to all preregistered runners beginning September 7. If you did not receive this email, check your spam or junk email folder. If it is not there, email us at info@pcbpubrun.com and we will resend it. To verify your status, including your bib number, go to Race Entry Search on this website.
    • T-shirts and commemorative beer glasses will be given to all runners who preregister by August 18, 2024 . On race weekend, runners registering after that date will receive a t-shirt and beer glass based on the order of registration and as long as supplies last.
    • Race timing for 2024 is being provided by the most aptly-named Almost Accurate Timing Company, a quasi-official off-shoot of the now-defunct PCB Race Management. Its credo: “Chips? This ain’t poker! If it’s almost close a runner’s real finishing time, we think its good enough and we charge more more to get it right! Our complaint department paraphrases the late, great Marie Antoinette, ‘Let them drink beer!'”

Post-Registration and Bib # Pick-up: You may post-register for a full $40.00 on Saturday, September 14 at The Run House, 227 Main Street, Falmouth, between 1:00 pm & 4:00 pm; and Sunday, September 15, at Timber Axe Bar & Bowl, 23 Town Hall Square between 8:00 and 9:00 am.

Pre-registered Runners: A searchable database of pre-registered runners is available on this website.

Awards: Real cash, merchandise prizes and gift certificates will be awarded to the top men and women finishers overall and in the following age groups: Junior (1-18), Open (19-39), Masters (40-49), Seniors (50-59)cfb39, Veterans (60-69),  Ancients (70-79), Hoary (80-89), and Relics (90+).
AGAIN THIS YEAR: CLUB /TEAM COMPETITION! Almost Coveted awards will be given to the top three coed teams of the clubs or Ad Hoc teams registering. When you sign up make sure to include your club or team name, and you will automatically be added to your club’s or team’s roster. The top three men and women finishers from that club or team will score, and the club or team with the best combined time will win! Holy Cow! That’s Almost exciting!
The awards ceremony will take place at Liam Maguire’s Irish Pub following the race.

Race Day Parking:

Race day parking will be at the Lawrence School, 113 Lakeview Ave., the Mullen Hall School, 130 Katharine Lee Bates Rd., and the municipal lots between Katharine Lee Bates Road and Main Street. All those parking areas are within a quarter mile walk of Town Hall Square and Liam’s.
In order to assure access by residents and visitors to Main Street businesses that are open before and during the race,
THERE WILL BE NO RACE DAY PARKING FOR RUNNERS ON MAIN STREET AND IN TOWN HALL SQUARE. SO DON’T EVEN THINK OF PARKING THERE!!! VIOLATORS WILL BE TOWED AND THEIR DAY RUINED! POLICE WITH TICKET BOOKS IN HAND AND TOW TRUCKS WITH MOTORS IDLING WILL BE OMNIPRESENT!
For more parking information and maps, go to www.pcbpubrun.com/parking.

Race Weekend Jollifications:
Pre-Race Gathering: Friday, 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Liam Maguire’s Irish Pub, 273 Main Street, Falmouth. Beer and appetizers will be available for runners and their guests. A warm-up for the main event! And a great opportunity to review race strategy, tell war stories and socialize.
fitz112Post-Race Celebration: Sunday at Liam Maguire’s Irish Pub, 273 Main Street, Falmouth from 10:00 am to noon for runners. Bar opens to public at noon. A buffet and beer and ale on draft for runners and their guests.
fitz130Post-Post-Race Celebration: Sunday at Courtney Bird’s house overlooking Little Sippewissett Marsh, 43 Sippewissett Road, Falmouth beginning at 1:00 — weather permitting! And there will be even more brew on tap featuring Ireland’s World Famous Guinness Stout and Martha’s Vineyard’s Offshore Ale — all accompanied by a barbecue. And to top it all off, the classic rock and blues music of “Blu Lobsta” (https://www.reverbnation.com/blulobsta) will be featured for your listening and dancing pleasure from 1:30 to 4:30 pm. The Post-Post Race Party will begin following the festivities at Liam’s.

Race results from 2024 and previous years are available here .

Thanks to Ted Tyler, we have some photos from the 2024 race! You may view and download them free here.

HFC-webThe HFC Striders are a group of post-collegiate athletes founded on the concept that together we can achieve greatness. We welcome male and female runners of all talent levels and operate with one, simple mission – ‘To collectively get faster.’ We push each other to meet individual and team goals, celebrate personal bests, and savor post-workout and post-race camaraderie. With the guidance of our accomplished coaching staff, we train together and compete against other running clubs, all while keeping enjoyment of the sport a top priority.