Fellow Striders,
​
For those of you whom I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting, my name is Jordan Castillo, and I’ve been so happy to serve as Vice President of this running community for the past year. 

Last December, I was just a guy looking for some friends to run with. I heard about the Striders, saw a Facebook post about a monthly meeting coming up, and decided to go. When I showed up, the camaraderie was almost tangible -- I could tell this running community had deep roots and was great at creating opportunities for people to bond over running. And I thought it was so cool how the Striders have been the oldest, active running club in Maine!

I knew I wanted to be involved, and there was an open Vice President position. The Striders at the meeting encouraged me to take the position, and I thought, “Heck, why not!” I definitely knew I was excited to organize social runs and events for the Strider community, so stepping into the VP role felt like a fun (cool-sounding!) way to do that.

So, the reason I’m writing this is because I’m stepping down from my role, and this is like a little goodbye letter because I’m actually moving to Minnesota later this month. A great career opportunity a little closer to family is the main reason for the move. And I’ve gotta tell you, I will miss this community dearly.

I mostly want to take this moment to express my deep gratitude to the Striders, and to each of you beautiful people that have made my past 12 months that much richer. From running my first Millinocket half marathon, to the countless “virtual run” gatherings, to volunteering at the Striders’ first ever 10k race, this community has helped me create so many meaningful memories during my time in Maine. 

To end, I want to encourage you all to keep investing in this community. Running may seem like a simple activity, but it has the power to bring some really awesome people together. There’s just something magic that happens when runners gather. We challenge each other, we are excited to see each other grow, and we love sharing stories about our lives as we traverse miles together. 

And while we currently have to get a little more creative about the ways we can be “together” in this pandemic, I’ve also found it all the more necessary to stay connected with people who share my deep appreciation for running. Especially now, the world needs joyful people who can inspire others to keep pressing on. This community breeds that joy and inspiration. I can’t wait to see the ways this community continues to grow and positively impact others through the sport of running.

So, Striders, thank you for the opportunity to be part of your story (even just for a year!). And when marathons become a thing again, who knows… maybe I’ll see you out there on the road.  ;)

All the best,
Jordan

We no longer make a list of all of the injuries that our club members have, but apparently they did back in 1990!

Not sure if his Arizona tan or the photocopy quality of this photo, but Rick Stuart is looking like he's straight out of Hollywood in this photo.  Oh, and his 1:20:21 time was good for 18th place at the Mount Washington Road Race that year.  

1990 was the year that Mardie Brown won a "Youth Award" as Tom McGuire looks on from the background.  Also, can you believe that Runners World was "saluting" the Central Maine Striders back then?  Yep, the Striders were that awesome back then.

The 1990 Boston Primer 15-Mile Race saw Cranberry Island's most famous resident grab 6th place, while legendary Striders Tom McGuire and Gene Roy came in 24th and 25th.

Some things just never change.  Tom McGuire was asking for members to help out.  Current President Ryan Goebel would like to add, "We still need help.  Please let me know if you want to help out with any aspect of the club."