Since the 1960s, the Cape Cod National Seashore has employed lifeguards to protect the Outer Cape's pristine beaches, from Marconi in Wellfleet to Race Point in Provincetown.
Among those lifeguards for 19 years was Anne Haggerty, who died in 2013 from skin cancer.
"Annie was a huge advocate for sun safety, ironically," said Caroline Freitas, the association's president. "She was fair-skinned but really meticulous about sun safety, and that's one reason why it doesn't seem fair that her life was taken early by melanoma."
Haggerty's favorite run was a 13-mile beach trek along the coastline. On Sunday, August 20, many of the Seashore's lifeguards will follow that same half-marathon path, from Wellfleet to Truro.
The event, in its 10th year, is sponsored by the nonprofit Cape Cod National Seashore Lifeguard Alumni Association, which supports local lifeguards.
Participants can choose either the 13-mile run or the five-mile walk to help promote the importance of sun protection. Proceeds support melanoma awareness and a memorial scholarship fund for Haggerty's son, who enters college this fall.
Register for the event here.
