WHDH-TV (Boston, MA) - 7News at 6 PM

and the 53rd annual falmouth road race kicked off today. the seven mile race featured olympians, paralympians and recreational runners in the field. today was also the 50th anniversary of the wheelchair division, making it the oldest competitive wheelchair race in the country. one of this year's competitors was in attendance for the race. back in 1977. >> i was so happy to be able to compete in an event that was a public race. i had always done just wheelchair racing before, so to be able to be out on the street competing against myself with the public was terrific. the town has been wonderful. they're so supportive and i enjoy every year i come up here. ahead of this year's running, nasa astronaut and needham resident sonny williams was given an honorary medal. williams ran the falmouth road race last year all the way up to the international space station. she spent nearly ten months in outer space in 2020 for returning to earth last september. it's amazing. >> yeah, it's good to have her back down here. >> yeah. and you know, eliza kruczynski, our morning reporter. she ran the falmouth road race today. >> to go eliza. >> yeah. way to go. my best friend tori, for her dad, who battled alzheimer's. so a lot of people running in that race, it's a great one. >> lots of different reasons. and hopefully they had lots of