Race Report: 4th Annual Central Maine Striders Fall Classic 10k

10/15/2023

by Ryan Goebel, with photos by Alicia MacLeay and Ryan Goebel

The lead pack of Harrison Mosher (3rd overall), Billy Kobin (1st overall), Andrew Knightly (1st masters / 2nd overall), and Jeff Tucker (4th overall) head back down Mayflower Hill Dr about 3.5 miles into the race.

The Central Maine Striders hosted their 4th annual Central Maine Striders Fall Classic 10k on Sunday, October 8th. There was a light rain at the start and during most of the race, but with the temperatures being a bit warmer than in previous years, it seemed that most of the runners didn't mind.

The race's top finishers provided a thrilling finish, with the first three runners crossing the finish line within 22 seconds of each other. Newcomer to Maine and to the Central Maine Striders club, Billy Kobin edged out the competition for first place overall with a time of 35:38. Bangor's Andrew Knightly finished three seconds behind Billy to nab second place overall and the award for 1st place Master's Male runner. Last year's champion, Harrison Mosher, finished third overall with a time of 35:50, which was nearly 30 seconds faster than his winning time last year.

Similar to the men's race, the women's open and master's winners placed first and second overall for their gender. Winslow resident Alanna McDonough won the Women's Open division and came in 11th overall with a time of 40:20. Susan Cooney of Belfast took the prize for fastest Master's Women, as the 2nd overall woman and 14th overall runner, crossing the finish line with a time of 45:55.

This year's race saw 9 runners finish under 40 minutes, compared to four in each of the last two years and seven in the inaugural race in 2020. For both the men and women, the winning times this year were the fastest seen in the race since 2020 when Joshua Way beat Casey Gallant by less than a second, both recording times of 34:52, and Kristina Guerette established the women's course record with a time of 39:07.

After four years of the Central Maine Striders Fall Classic 10k, only two runners have finished it all four years: Drew McCormick and David Benn.

A huge thanks to all of the runners and volunteers who continue to make this race a success!

Alanna McDonough, women's open division winner.

Susan Cooney, women's masters division winner.

The Winners (from left to right): Alanna McDonough (Women's Open), Billy Kobin (Men's Open), Susan Cooney (Women's Masters), and Andrew Knightly (Men's Masters)