The night before the 2006 Cape Cod Marathon, rains flooded roads, heavy winds had blown sand over many other roads, and downed power lines posed dangerous hazards to runners and wheelchair participants who would start the following morning. In fact, the Marathon itself was nearly “blown away.” But members of the Falmouth Amateur Radio Association rose to the occasion, providing very timely assistance to the race course officials.
Hams were positioned at net control, in a lead police cruiser, “tired runner” vehicles, at a location of a downed line, and many other locations along the course, handling close to 250 pieces of traffic on 2 meters and 440 MHz. The wind and blowing sand made communications challenging. More than one operator dumped a lap-full of sand stepping out of his or her car.
Participants who assisted at the world-class event included: KB1DOS, K1DYO, N1LNB, N1TB, N1WAT, N1DGO, N1GJ, KA1IOR, K1GM, W1DO, K1PE, KB1NNO, W1RBF, AB1BX, W1HIV, N1BLR, KB1LQQ, K1QLG, KB1CZB, KB1MLP, K2LYE, K1WCC, K1BI, N1EZL, N1LNE, and WX1K.
–Thanks, Falmouth ARA Newsletter, November, 2006 and N1LYN