- Published on
by Billy Kobin with photos by Julie MIllard
Several Striders ran well on the trails of Lost Valley in Auburn and then also drank well at the Backyard Brew Festival on Novemberr 4.
The Saturday morning event offered a 5K, 10K, and 15K race up, down and around the Lost Valley ski area that had nice and muddy trails in late fall.
Lindsey Madison and Billy Kobin were the top female and male finishers, respectively, in the 5K. They cheered on Julie Millard as she won her age group in the 10K and then kept encouraging Ron Peck as he braced three loops of the tough course to take home first place in the 15K.
The real fun came afterwards, when a dozen or so brewers - all from Maine - set up tents and offered pours of various beers that tasted even better after a morning trail run.
Julie’s favorite beer came from Fluvial Brewing in Harrison (perhaps a field trip to Harrison should happen one of these days).
Billy most enjoyed the Mr. Grumpypants (coffee stout) from Norway Brewing Company in Norway. Lindsey and Ron both liked best the choices from Side By Each Brewing Co. in Auburn.
Cheers to more runs, beer fests, and fun times!
The Saturday morning event offered a 5K, 10K, and 15K race up, down and around the Lost Valley ski area that had nice and muddy trails in late fall.
Lindsey Madison and Billy Kobin were the top female and male finishers, respectively, in the 5K. They cheered on Julie Millard as she won her age group in the 10K and then kept encouraging Ron Peck as he braced three loops of the tough course to take home first place in the 15K.
The real fun came afterwards, when a dozen or so brewers - all from Maine - set up tents and offered pours of various beers that tasted even better after a morning trail run.
Julie’s favorite beer came from Fluvial Brewing in Harrison (perhaps a field trip to Harrison should happen one of these days).
Billy most enjoyed the Mr. Grumpypants (coffee stout) from Norway Brewing Company in Norway. Lindsey and Ron both liked best the choices from Side By Each Brewing Co. in Auburn.
Cheers to more runs, beer fests, and fun times!
- Published on
Join us for the Central Maine Striders Annual Meeting!
This event will be hosted by club Vice President, Kate Scott, at her home in Waterville. Club members, prospective members and their families are welcome to attend. Please RSVP with your number of guests and Kate's address will be shared with you.
We will start off at 5pm with an optional 1-3 mile neighborhood run to enjoy the holiday lights. Jingle bells provided, headlamps and reflective gear recommended, ugly sweaters and/or other holiday costumes are encouraged! Following the run, please join us inside for food, holiday sweets, and a brief annual meeting (including awards and voting for next year's officers). BYOB. Non-alcoholic drinks will be provided.
Check your latest club newsletter for the link to the evite!
This event will be hosted by club Vice President, Kate Scott, at her home in Waterville. Club members, prospective members and their families are welcome to attend. Please RSVP with your number of guests and Kate's address will be shared with you.
We will start off at 5pm with an optional 1-3 mile neighborhood run to enjoy the holiday lights. Jingle bells provided, headlamps and reflective gear recommended, ugly sweaters and/or other holiday costumes are encouraged! Following the run, please join us inside for food, holiday sweets, and a brief annual meeting (including awards and voting for next year's officers). BYOB. Non-alcoholic drinks will be provided.
Check your latest club newsletter for the link to the evite!
- Published on
by Julie Millard
There’s not much that gets me up before 4:00 AM, but the two events that severely cut into my beauty sleep this summer both involved the Striders! One was the Downeast Sunrise Trail Relay— which hardly counts as “getting up early” as there was no bed the night before— and the other was volunteering at IRONMAN 70.3 Maine.
It was pitch black when fellow Strider Lindsey Madison and I rendezvoused at the local “park and ride” (AKA Marden’s parking lot) for the short trip down to the Augusta boat launch. The sky was showing the first glimmers of light as we picked out our loaner kayaks and paddles from the pile and found the other faithful Strider volunteers, Amy and Allison Stabins and Martha Nadeau. We had a short briefing meeting in which we were given our assignments, then maneuvered our kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards to our designated spots on the river about half an hour before the first wave of triathletes entered the water.
At 6 am, the canon signaled the start of the elite men’s race, and the pack churned through the water in a perfectly straight line. Shortly thereafter, the elite women were off, similarly powering through the course on a perfect tangent from buoy to buoy. For the next hour, wave after wave of swimmers went by, and that’s when our work really began. Volunteers flanked the course all the way down the river, and just maintaining location against the current required some serious paddling. Several athletes needed assistance, often holding onto a boat to catch their breath. Others swam completely off course and needed to be wrangled back inside the markers. Motorized police boats patrolled up and down, shouting instructions through bullhorns at volunteers, particularly when a swimmer appeared to be in distress. When the tail end of the competitors finally proceeded down the river, we were each given an assigned swimmer to escort. By about 7 am, the last athlete had made it out of the river and onto their bike for the next leg. The exhilarated volunteers paddled their way back to the boat launch and made it home in time for breakfast!
Several other Striders volunteered for the race that weekend by handing out packets, directing athletes along the route, and in other capacities. Shout out to all the Striders, who included Drew McCormick, Jan Santerre, Kate Scott, and Heather Cable—our club volunteers worked together to earn a $500 grant from Ironman, which we will use to further our mission of supporting running in central Maine! Hope to see you on July 28th 2024…on the Kennebec River
It was pitch black when fellow Strider Lindsey Madison and I rendezvoused at the local “park and ride” (AKA Marden’s parking lot) for the short trip down to the Augusta boat launch. The sky was showing the first glimmers of light as we picked out our loaner kayaks and paddles from the pile and found the other faithful Strider volunteers, Amy and Allison Stabins and Martha Nadeau. We had a short briefing meeting in which we were given our assignments, then maneuvered our kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards to our designated spots on the river about half an hour before the first wave of triathletes entered the water.
At 6 am, the canon signaled the start of the elite men’s race, and the pack churned through the water in a perfectly straight line. Shortly thereafter, the elite women were off, similarly powering through the course on a perfect tangent from buoy to buoy. For the next hour, wave after wave of swimmers went by, and that’s when our work really began. Volunteers flanked the course all the way down the river, and just maintaining location against the current required some serious paddling. Several athletes needed assistance, often holding onto a boat to catch their breath. Others swam completely off course and needed to be wrangled back inside the markers. Motorized police boats patrolled up and down, shouting instructions through bullhorns at volunteers, particularly when a swimmer appeared to be in distress. When the tail end of the competitors finally proceeded down the river, we were each given an assigned swimmer to escort. By about 7 am, the last athlete had made it out of the river and onto their bike for the next leg. The exhilarated volunteers paddled their way back to the boat launch and made it home in time for breakfast!
Several other Striders volunteered for the race that weekend by handing out packets, directing athletes along the route, and in other capacities. Shout out to all the Striders, who included Drew McCormick, Jan Santerre, Kate Scott, and Heather Cable—our club volunteers worked together to earn a $500 grant from Ironman, which we will use to further our mission of supporting running in central Maine! Hope to see you on July 28th 2024…on the Kennebec River
- Published on
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!
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)
Official Results and More Photos:
David Benn, one of only two runners to finish the Fall Classic 10k all four years.
Drew McCormick, the other runner who has finished the Fall Classic 10k all four years.
Paula Sawyer and Donnajean Pohlman.
Jessica Mosher enjoying the moment.
A rainbow shines over finish line volunteers Koren Coughlin and Amy Stabins.
Ron Paquette.
- Published on
by Heather Cable
Striders, both human and canine, were well represented at this year’s Pineland Farms Trail Festival over Memorial Day weekend.
On Saturday, Arne Koch competed in the event’s 50k distance! After looping through the two loops of winding, hilly trails he finished in a time of 6:06:56.
On Sunday, Julie Millard, Lindsey Madison, and myself took part in the Canicross 5k with our dogs, Lily, Ginny, and Tidbit, respectively. It was starting to heat up as runners lined up with their pups.
When the race started, it was total chaos as we took off hard towards the trail. You could definitely feel the excitement of the dogs. The goal was to find a spot for you and your pup to run without the distraction of too many other dogs and runners. I remember thinking that this wasn’t even close to Tidbit’s normal pace (a pretty big 3-4 minutes faster than normal) so I knew it was only a matter of time before we’d slow down, but he just kept chugging along to the finish with an occasional stop in a puddle or pool to cool off.
Tidbit and I came through the finish in 9th with Tidbit running his fastest 5k ever. Julie and Lily were not far behind us and came through in 18th. Followed by Lindsey and Ginny in 21st out of 35 competitors.
If you are a dog-loving runner, I highly recommend this event. It’s a great way to bond with your dog through running and most of the time, they love it!
Next up for Striders was Kate Scott running the 10k event. At this point the temps were starting to creep into the 80’s and it was getting a little toasty. Despite the warm weather and difficult course, Kate came through the finish as the 6th place female in a time of 55:45!
Other striders in attendance were Ron Peck, who helped get some great photos, and Martha Nadeau, who volunteered at the finish line handing out medals.
On Saturday, Arne Koch competed in the event’s 50k distance! After looping through the two loops of winding, hilly trails he finished in a time of 6:06:56.
On Sunday, Julie Millard, Lindsey Madison, and myself took part in the Canicross 5k with our dogs, Lily, Ginny, and Tidbit, respectively. It was starting to heat up as runners lined up with their pups.
When the race started, it was total chaos as we took off hard towards the trail. You could definitely feel the excitement of the dogs. The goal was to find a spot for you and your pup to run without the distraction of too many other dogs and runners. I remember thinking that this wasn’t even close to Tidbit’s normal pace (a pretty big 3-4 minutes faster than normal) so I knew it was only a matter of time before we’d slow down, but he just kept chugging along to the finish with an occasional stop in a puddle or pool to cool off.
Tidbit and I came through the finish in 9th with Tidbit running his fastest 5k ever. Julie and Lily were not far behind us and came through in 18th. Followed by Lindsey and Ginny in 21st out of 35 competitors.
If you are a dog-loving runner, I highly recommend this event. It’s a great way to bond with your dog through running and most of the time, they love it!
Next up for Striders was Kate Scott running the 10k event. At this point the temps were starting to creep into the 80’s and it was getting a little toasty. Despite the warm weather and difficult course, Kate came through the finish as the 6th place female in a time of 55:45!
Other striders in attendance were Ron Peck, who helped get some great photos, and Martha Nadeau, who volunteered at the finish line handing out medals.
- Published on
by Julie Millard
These days, you can’t get much for 5 bucks. A cup of fancy coffee, a movie rental, a gallon of gas…or a delightful 5k at the Baptist Church in Smithfield. I last ran this family friendly race in 2012, and it was easy to convince Lindsey Madison and Ron Peck to join me this year. The modest entry fee, the prospect of running early to beat the heat, the tantalizing assortment of prizes, and the promise of a post-race breakfast at Early Bird were all powerful selling points.
Clearly, most Central Maine Striders appreciate a bargain (what other club offers a year-long family membership for only $20?), and so I was not surprised to see several other members at the venue. Camp Manitou was also well represented with counselors and what seemed like dozens of young campers in the field of about 50 runners. The out-and-back course along the shores of North Pond seemed like a walk in the park compared to my most recent 5k, but it could have been the nostalgia for simpler times that propelled me through to the finish.
The Striders cleaned up, winning many of the age group awards, and proudly claimed several loon-themed items, including a pillow, mug, and towel, as well as maple syrup and homemade jam. The race lived up to my memory as one of Maine racing’s “hidden gems,” an all-around great way to spend a Saturday morning in July with friends!
Clearly, most Central Maine Striders appreciate a bargain (what other club offers a year-long family membership for only $20?), and so I was not surprised to see several other members at the venue. Camp Manitou was also well represented with counselors and what seemed like dozens of young campers in the field of about 50 runners. The out-and-back course along the shores of North Pond seemed like a walk in the park compared to my most recent 5k, but it could have been the nostalgia for simpler times that propelled me through to the finish.
The Striders cleaned up, winning many of the age group awards, and proudly claimed several loon-themed items, including a pillow, mug, and towel, as well as maple syrup and homemade jam. The race lived up to my memory as one of Maine racing’s “hidden gems,” an all-around great way to spend a Saturday morning in July with friends!
- Published on
by Ryan Goebel
Photo by Joe Viger.
Despite the miserable weather at this year's Mount Washington Road race, a moment was captured by the official race photographer that warmed the hearts of many runners across New England. In the days following the race, the photo shown above from Joe Viger seemed to go viral across various social media and traditional media channels.
Although Joe originally didn't know who the runners in the photo were, Laura Chadwick (wife of Chris Chadwick and mother to John McGinty) recognized the photo as being her son helping Ron Paquette up the mountain.
From Joe Viger's Facebook post:
Although Joe originally didn't know who the runners in the photo were, Laura Chadwick (wife of Chris Chadwick and mother to John McGinty) recognized the photo as being her son helping Ron Paquette up the mountain.
From Joe Viger's Facebook post:
The photo was shared by many media outlets, including this segment on WMUR in Manchester, NH.
Even the Boston Globe ran an article about the photo that included an interview with John and Ron.
Unfortunately, the Boston Globe article is behind a paywall and due to copyright laws, we can't reproduce the story here. However, here's an excerpt:
Unfortunately, the Boston Globe article is behind a paywall and due to copyright laws, we can't reproduce the story here. However, here's an excerpt:
When McGinty and Paquette saw that Viger had captured the moment on the mountain, they were astounded. The response to the photo has been overwhelming, with many people reaching out in recent days.
“The picture shows that you don’t have to do hard things alone,” McGinty said. “There’s a team around you, and people willing to lend a hand.”
Paquette wonders what would have happened to him had McGinty not run to his aid. The photo, he said, will forever serve as a reminder of how McGinty helped him “accomplish something that made it special for both of us.”
“This means so much to me,” he said.
“The picture shows that you don’t have to do hard things alone,” McGinty said. “There’s a team around you, and people willing to lend a hand.”
Paquette wonders what would have happened to him had McGinty not run to his aid. The photo, he said, will forever serve as a reminder of how McGinty helped him “accomplish something that made it special for both of us.”
“This means so much to me,” he said.
The Central Maine Striders are proud to have had Ron Paquette representing us in the Mount Washington Road Race for so many years, and for John McGinty to run for us for the last five years. We hope they both make several more trips up the "one hill".
For some bonus content, check out this video interview (recently unearthed by Julie Millard) that Central Maine Strider Erzsie Nagy did with Ron Paquette when they were a Lawrence High School student back in 2012:
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by Mark Fisher
It was a great but highly variable weather day on the mountain for this year's edition of the Mount Washington Road Race. A very successful day for the Central Maine Striders and a milestone year for two of our teammates.
Friday started with our team volunteering to support the parking process for Registration. I want to thank Linda Fisher for her leadership on site as I was unable to make it to the mountain on time. The team was well represented and did a stellar job in allowing 5 CMS Team members to get into the field despite not “winning” the lottery. Special thanks to the following for volunteering on behalf of the club:
Linda Fisher
Dawn Gee
Mike Lansing
Sylvia Ryan
Martha Nadeau
Dawn Gee
Friday started with our team volunteering to support the parking process for Registration. I want to thank Linda Fisher for her leadership on site as I was unable to make it to the mountain on time. The team was well represented and did a stellar job in allowing 5 CMS Team members to get into the field despite not “winning” the lottery. Special thanks to the following for volunteering on behalf of the club:
Linda Fisher
Dawn Gee
Mike Lansing
Sylvia Ryan
Martha Nadeau
Dawn Gee
The Race:
The day started with the new starting configuration around the pond instead of the downhill pitch starting line close to Route 16. The temperature and precipitation for the first 90 minutes or so of the race was cool, misty and pretty comfortable. Those conditions deteriorated rapidly around mile 5 to the finish complete with dense fog, strong winds of ~20-40 MPH and driving rain. The conditions toward the top were challenging to say the least. To finish any year is a massive accomplishment but this year's conditions made it all the more difficult.
Central Maine Striders 2023 Finishers:
Dawn Gee
Mike Lansing
Martha Nadeau
Sylvia Ryan
Peter Leone
Mark Fisher
Dean Rasmussen (1st in Age Group)
Ron Paquette (2nd in Age Group)
Chris Chadwick
Patrick Guerette
John McGinty (5th in Age Group)
Jon Chapin
Full results can be found at:
http://www.iresultslive.com/?op=overall&eid=5660
The day started with the new starting configuration around the pond instead of the downhill pitch starting line close to Route 16. The temperature and precipitation for the first 90 minutes or so of the race was cool, misty and pretty comfortable. Those conditions deteriorated rapidly around mile 5 to the finish complete with dense fog, strong winds of ~20-40 MPH and driving rain. The conditions toward the top were challenging to say the least. To finish any year is a massive accomplishment but this year's conditions made it all the more difficult.
Central Maine Striders 2023 Finishers:
Dawn Gee
Mike Lansing
Martha Nadeau
Sylvia Ryan
Peter Leone
Mark Fisher
Dean Rasmussen (1st in Age Group)
Ron Paquette (2nd in Age Group)
Chris Chadwick
Patrick Guerette
John McGinty (5th in Age Group)
Jon Chapin
Full results can be found at:
http://www.iresultslive.com/?op=overall&eid=5660
- Published on
by Billy Kobin
Photo by Humane Society Waterville Area.
Dozens of dogs and humans made the inaugural 5K Woof Run a doggone success.
The June 10 run kicked off the daylong Woofstock festival held outside the Waterville Area Humane Society, with proceeds benefiting the organization and its vital work with animals.
Central Maine Striders played a key part in organizing the Woof Run, with a big thanks to race director Lindsey Madison, Ron Peck and Emiko Peck for checking in runners and walkers along with their furry companions and ensuring the 5K went off smoothly.
Members Billy Kobin and Heather Cable also were the top two finishers. Other Striders joined in the fun with Stephanie Dodson (running with her pup Sierra) finishing as 3rd place female. Emiko Peck and Gi Reed also ran strong races on the Saturday morning.
- Published on
Calling all animal lovers! Join us for a pawsitively awesome 5k race supporting the Humane Society Waterville Area!
Are you ready to lace up your running shoes and make a difference for our furry friends? The Central Maine Striders are excited to co-sponsor the Waterville Humane Society's upcoming 5k charity race on Saurday, June 10th. Not only will you have a blast, but you'll also be helping a fantastic cause. This race supports the Waterville Area Humane Society's efforts to provide shelter, care, and loving homes for countless animals in need. Every stride you take will contribute to their vital mission and help improve the lives of our beloved four-legged companions. The 5k course will be an out-and-back on scenic country roads starting from the HSWA shelter on Webb Road. If your canine running partner is road savy and dog friendly, you are encouraged to race with them!
Are you ready to lace up your running shoes and make a difference for our furry friends? The Central Maine Striders are excited to co-sponsor the Waterville Humane Society's upcoming 5k charity race on Saurday, June 10th. Not only will you have a blast, but you'll also be helping a fantastic cause. This race supports the Waterville Area Humane Society's efforts to provide shelter, care, and loving homes for countless animals in need. Every stride you take will contribute to their vital mission and help improve the lives of our beloved four-legged companions. The 5k course will be an out-and-back on scenic country roads starting from the HSWA shelter on Webb Road. If your canine running partner is road savy and dog friendly, you are encouraged to race with them!
Big thanks to Strider Lindsey Madison, who is coordinating the club's participation in organizing this event. If you are interesting in volunteering, please reach out to Lindsey at lmadison13@gmail.com.
This event is part of Humane Society Waterville Area's Woofstock and following the race there will be the Canine Carnival at 12:30 and Music Festival at 4pm.
Date: June 10th
Time: Race Registration 9:30 - 10:20 am
Race starts at 10:30 am
Location: HSWA, 100 Webb Rd Waterville, ME
$15 for CMS members, $20 for general public
More Information about Woofstock-2023:
https://hswa.org/event/woofstock-2023/
This event is part of Humane Society Waterville Area's Woofstock and following the race there will be the Canine Carnival at 12:30 and Music Festival at 4pm.
Date: June 10th
Time: Race Registration 9:30 - 10:20 am
Race starts at 10:30 am
Location: HSWA, 100 Webb Rd Waterville, ME
$15 for CMS members, $20 for general public
More Information about Woofstock-2023:
https://hswa.org/event/woofstock-2023/