Falmouth 2026 Recap
A personal narrative by Ali Pearson
In August 2020, my dear friend April asked me and Kira if we wanted to do a group run with a newly formed run crew headed up by her old pal Will Walker. I hate to take you back, but I must: this was DEEP Covid. There were no vaccines, we were learning to navigate somewhat meaningless phrases like “social distancing” and were wildly sick of hearing the word “unprecedented”. Anything fun had to be outside. Meeting new people was either impossible or completely online. I was already leaning into running to assuage the frenzy of new dangers so this opportunity felt like a possible oasis. Upon arriving at R House on a sweltering August evening, I was enthusiastically greeted by a charismatic man in bright neon shorts who welcomed me to A Tribe Called Run. In those days, Never Miss a Monday had about 10-15 attendees and the group chat was small enough that if we dared miss a Monday, we shouted it out to the group so that they didn’t take off without us. There were about 5 of us who went to speed work at the track that first long Covid winter, and Wolf Pack Saturdays did not yet exist. I will say that even then, we knew we were in a cult.
Fast forward to August 16, 2026. It’s 3:30 a.m and I am now on a shuttle wearing a Tribe branded ASICS race-fit singlet and a free pair of ASICS running shoes. I’m surrounded by a dozen plus members of ATCR whose group chat now has over 600 members. We’d traveled northeast (most of us for under 48 hours) from Baltimore in order to take on the Falmouth Road Race. ASICS offered ATCR 20 bibs, a travel stipend and a full VIP experience for the coveted Falmouth 7-mile run. Falmouth is an odd distance in a hard to get to place, but a bib is elusive and it draws a mighty field of elites. The thing is, while everyone on that bus was a strong runner, none of us were what you might consider, in the traditional sense, elites. ATCR has a deep bench of extremely strong runners, several have competed in high stakes track meets, some have run Boston, many have completed ultras. On the bus were Tribe’s very own two-man racing team (shout out to Ako and Trez!), a handful of Tribe leadership and a smattering of other runners with various goals and abilities. Just a regular group of runners, really. Yet here we were, with a blue bracelet granting us access to VIP treatment from the time we hopped off the school bus and headed to the starting line. Waiting for us was a generous, carb-y delicious breakfast and cushy seats to wait out the 8 a.m. start time (we arrived at the course just as the sun was coming up). Our ASICS rep, Jarrhett Butler, greeted us with powerful enthusiasm WEARING A TRIBE HAT. It was magical. And what occurred to me repeatedly over the course of the weekend was: while the trappings have changed significantly since that hot Covid August, something fundamental has not: A Tribe Called Run is a community that supports literally all runners and all goals. ATCR, through its ASICS sponsorship and community values, offers every kind of runner an elite experience.
The race itself was, at least for me, a great time, even though the fundamental conditions were…not amazing. It was hotter than I wanted it to be, I had been up since well before it was reasonable to function and my caffeine intake was far from ideal. I also do not love standing around for hours before I start a run. So, I had no expectations once we started. I knew the weekend was going to be a fever dream and I was leaning into that. Kira and I went out of the gate WAY TOO spicy. I may not be an elite athlete, but this is also not my first rodeo and I know better than to push the pace in mile 1. And sure enough, we were both low key dying by the second mile. We decided to slow down. I remember looking up and seeing a pretty big hill that I was not excited to run up but also an extraordinary view: the curving path was absolutely packed with runners winding their way up to and past a lighthouse with a sweeping view of the water to our right. It took my breath away and I will not soon forget the overwhelming feeling of excitement and gratitude that I got to be there. That I got to see this. That I got to be there and see this not because I am some speed demon or conqueror of massive distances, but because of community, plain and simple. Kira and I separated around mile 4 because my legs were itching for a little more turnover. But not before we took a cute pause so I could imitate a sea bird who was jauntily perched on a rock, wings fully out.
Once I picked up the pace, my joy and gratitude only increased. There were people on every inch of the course. Some had garden hoses that they generously let us run through. There was a slip n slide (which Tribe icon and run coach Vicky slid through several times), I even saw a cold plunge (!!!). Our bibs had names which means that I heard “Go Ali” from several strangers. At one point, on a particularly sun-exposed and hilly stretch, I heard someone yell “Look at Ali! She’s still smiling.” And I was. The whole time (note: the race photos belie this statement, but as anyone who knows me knows, sometimes my smile is a grimace, especially when I am REALLY happy). I remember thinking: I honestly can’t believe my damn luck. I sped up each mile as I closed in on the finish. There is a really rude hill about a quarter mile that was so steep and winding, I couldn’t really see the end of it, which is not how I like to end a race, but the course is the course and I ran right up it and then crossed the finish line, feeling proud and spent and happy.
The post-race situation was bananas. It took me a while to wind my way through the corrals to the field where there were drinks and food and so so many people. I eventually found my way to Shipwrecked, the bar where ASICS was hosting a VIP post-race party. Let me tell you walking into an air conditioned bar with wifi, FREE salty food and drinks was an absolute DREAM. I found the rest of the Tribe crew. Some folks were out jumping in the salt water that surrounded us to cap off their run. I sat in a corner and disassociated with a hot dog and slice of pizza. I caught up with or overheard pretty much everyone’s race post-mortem. Some folks described “fighting for their life” as they pushed their pace. And we also had a solid back of pack crew and the mids, like me.
As we rode out of Cape Cod on a three hour shuttle ride, despite the absolutely brutal stop and start traffic, I felt completely surrounded by a chorus of joy. And that’s why I run. For joy. Because I like the way it makes my body feel, sure, but also because it brings me into community and, now, thanks to Tribe and ASICS, into spaces I never could have imagined as I was running laps at the track as a middle schooler.
I would be remiss if I did not highlight the incredible logistics magic performed by Mel and Kira in getting us to and from Falmouth with our bibs and our gear. The ease with which I moved through the weekend was not luck, it was borne of a ton of behind the scenes effort. Thank you Tribe, for being you, no matter what.
