The Mattapoisett Road Race could have been called the Cannonball Run if co-founder Bob Gardner had kept up an early tradition for the event.

In the first years of the race, Gardner borrowed a small cannon to use in place of a more traditional starter gun.

“We started the race with it for a few years until we broke five windows,” remembered Gardner, a former athletic director at ORR and the first junior high principal there.

“We said, ‘Ok, we’re not going to do this again!”

Since the Mattapoisett Road Race started 42 years ago, several other things have changed.

The race originally started at Point Connett, as opposed to its current Water Street start, and there were no women runners.

“From the beginning, it was open to anybody who could put one foot in front of the other,” said Gardner, who still helps organize the race.

Even so, Mattapoisett resident Dan Briand said it was once a male dominated sport.

“Now there are more than 50 percent women,” said Briand, the finance chair for the race.

Briand added, “It used to be only people who ran track.”

Briand was himself one of those track runners and ran the first race while in high school.

He’s run every one since.

Although Briand said he never won the Road Race (he did come in second one year), he still enjoys the five-mile run and getting to see everybody in town.

With 1,001 people in this year’s race, Briand knew the competition was going to be tough.

His goal for this year?

“I’m trying to beat my 14-year-old son Patrick,” he said.

Alas,  after passing his dad during a few pre-race runs, Patrick did come in ahead…this time.

The friendly family rivalry will, no doubt, continue next year.

For complete race results, visit www.Sippican.VillageSoup.com.