Congratulations to Pierce Coughlin (35:23) and Alanna McDonough Tucker (39:48), our top open men's and women's finishers, and to Ryan Goebel (37:56) and Kelly Harmon (50:16) our top masters men's and women's finishers, at this weekend's Central Maine Striders Fall Classic 10K road race in Waterville.

​Photo above, left to right: Kelly Harmon, Ryan Goebel, Pierce Coughlin, Alanna McDonough Tucker

​Forty-two runners turned out on Sunday, October 12, 2025, to race the sixth annual race. Due to ongoing construction at the Quarry Road Trails yurt and parking area, there was a slight course chang for 2025, but racers still enjoyed a full 10K distance through Waterville and beautiful fall weather.

Thanks to all the volunteers who made the Fall Classic a success, led by  Race Director Ian Hepburn, Volunteer Coordinator Tom Farmer, and Central Maine Striders club president Martha Cowperthwaite. Julie Millard created stained glass prizes, Maeve Wilcox designed the shirts, and Alicia McCarthy organized registration and the finish line. Beth Bridger, Charlie Jacobs, Billy Kobin, Tom McGuire, Butch Parker, Amy Stabins, Lindsay Theis, and Debra Violette all helped race day run smoothly.

​Thanks also to our Fall Classic race sponsors: Waterville Parks & Rec and Quarry Road Trails, Pin High Printing, Alfond Youth & Community Center, Hannaford, Sunrise Bagel, Carrabasset Coffee, and White Pine Dentistry.
​

Thank you to Alicia MacLeay for race pictures.
A full album of free race pictures is available for download on SmugMug.

​by Mark Fisher

Want to run to the top of the highest peak in the Northeast? Then get ready to sign up for the lottery to participate in the 2025 Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race to be held Saturday, June 14.

Central Maine Striders also has five lottery bypass slots that will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to current club members. But you'll still need to enter February's random lottery first. 

Lottery and Bypasses
Interested in running Mount Washington this year? The Mount Washington lottery for Random Selection Registration opens on Monday, February 10, at 8 a.m. and closes on Monday, February 24. Please first sign up for the lottery between February 10 and 24. Race officials will then send out selection/rejection emails on February 27. 

Of course, if you get in via the random lottery you won't need a bypass slot—excellent! However, if you find yourself on on the outside looking in, please email me ([email protected]), and if I have a bypass, you can claim it as a club member.

Volunteers Needed
For each Central Maine Striders bypass slot, we also need to supply a volunteer—for a total of five club volunteers. This year our volunteer opportunity will be on Friday, June 13, for "directional and bib pickup" needs. This happens during the open bib pickup times on Friday afternoon and evening. So if you get a bypass, we also will need to supply a volunteer to match.  

If you want to volunteer on behalf of the club (untied to any bypass entry) that is most helpful, and please let me know. Thank you!

Our Central Maine Striders team has continually been part of the historic Mount Washington Road Race. This 7.6-mile, all-uphill run draws thousands of runners from around the globe to make the grueling 4,650 vertical feet climb to the summit. This event is possible because of volunteers that so generously give their time to support the silly people that want to do this race!

​Thank you so much, and if you have questions, please let me know.  
—Mark ([email protected])
​

• 2025 Mount Washingto Road Race Info
  
  
• Renew your 2025 Striders membership to be eligible for bypass consideration (first-come, first-served)

by Ron Peck
Ever wanted to run through the Maine woods in the dark? Enjoy staying up all night and riding in cars with other smelly runners? If that sounds like a great time, consider joining a Central Maine Striders team for the Downeast Sunrise Trail Relay (DESTR) in 2024! Teams of up to 8 people run legs of various lengths from Ellsworth to Eastport. DESTR start times are assigned so teams start Friday evening (between 5 pm and midnight-ish), and all teams finish about noon on Saturday.
This year, DESTR is July 19-20th. Runners of all abilities are welcome! The only rule is that you can only be a little cranky at four in the morning when you've just run 5 miles with no sleep. Last year, the Striders were proudly represented by two teams: OG and Twopoint0. (Click here for inspirational video montage of our races) We plan to have two teams again, and it would be great to add a third team this year. If you're interested, please email me at [email protected]. I'll keep a list and contact people around April when registration opens to finalize teams.

It's really happening!  There's going to be a live, in-person, non-virtual race in Waterville this month!!!!

The 2020 Doc & Mardie 5k will be a LIVE race, with waves of 40 or less participants in each wave.

Face masks will be required when within 6 feet of another participant, including the start line. We will modify the start to allow for social distancing.

In the spirit of Doc & Mardie there is even awards for the oldest Male and Female finishers!

Join us Saturday, August 22nd for our 15th Annual Doc & Mardie 5k, an amazing time!

We are going to put on an actual live race in a few week. Wave starts with 40 or less people in each wave.
Sounds like a few of you may be itching for a race with live competition!

All Central Maine Striders members get 25% off their registration fee.

Key things you need to know  / current modifications:

• Registration will be online only and we will not have day of registration, to limit the number of staff/volunteers needed. 
  
  
• Race number pickup will be at the start line, and we will as that runners arrive to the start line no earlier than 29 minutes to their scheduled wave. 
  
  
• The start will be modified to accommodate waves of up to 40 runners, when you register, you will self select the wave in which you wish to run.
  
  
• Masks will be required while wait at the start line if you are within 6' of another person. We will ask that runners give adequate space when passing other runners on the road.
  
  
• Award announcements will be done via Facebook live and available for pickup to mailed to recipients.  

We hope that you can join us as we bring live road racing back to Central Maine in a few weeks, while honoring the memory of Doc & Mardie Brown and supporting the Alfond Youth & Community Center!

​For more information or to register, go to the Facebook event webpage or the race registration webpage.

Race Director Patrick Guerette gave us this update about the Doc & Mardie 5k scheduled for August:

Over 20 years ago I ran the Palermo Days 5k, I vaguely recall the course, I have no idea my time, but I have a pretty vivid memory of watching an 80 year old lady finish the race, and being completely blown away by her effort. I know I had run other races with Mardie Brown, but for some reason this is the race that sticks out in my mind. 

As a teenager, I know I didn't fully grasp how amazing Mardie or her husband Donald "Doc" Brown were, but after directing the Doc & Mardie 5k for the past 8 years, and listening to other Central Maine Striders share their affections and stories, it's hard not to amazed. It wasn't until after moving back to Waterville in 2012 that I learned Mardie was not only a runner, but more impressively, an age group record holder in Master's Swimming and that Doc was a tennis & racquetball player into his 90's, when injuries slowed him down to just working out several times a week. 

Now, as Race Director for the Doc & Mardie 5k its been my pleasure to honor the memory of Doc & Mardie, share their story, and hopefully inspire others to get & stay active at any age. I hope you will join me at the Alfond Youth & Community Center on Saturday, August 22nd for the 15th Annual Doc & Mardie 5k. We are currently working on a plan that would allow us to hold a live race with appropriate social distancing measures. For more information, please visit https://docmardie5k.weebly.com/.

The 2018 Northeast Delta Dental Mt. Washington Road Race will take place on Saturday, June 16. Anyone that would like to run the challenging 7.6-mile race to the top must apply for a slot by entering a lottery. Lottery registration is open now through February 26.  

Runners can enter the race lottery at:
mountwashingtonroadrace.com

Lottery entrants will be informed on March 1 if they are accepted.

If you are rejected, you may contact Central Maine Striders to request a spot in the race. There are a limited number of entries per team for club members. Runners will have to provide a volunteer to assist the club on race day.
​
Please contact Ron Paquette for more info, if you may want a slot, or to help coordinate club volunteers and runners: [email protected]

The club has had a team entered at the Mt. Washington Road Race for many years. The 2018 race will be held on Saturday, June 16. To learn more about this challenging, all-uphill, 7.6-mile race up the Auto Road, visit: mountwashingtonroadrace.com

Have fun hanging out with your fellow Striders club members while competing in a 100-mile relay race this spring. Members are currently organizing several Striders teams for the 2018 Riverlands 100 & Relay race in Turner, Maine, on May 12 and 13.

Riverlands 100 is 100-mile relay or solo trail race organized by Trail Monster Running. Each relay team has five runners and each runner completes a 20-mile, out-and-back loop. 

Karen Gross, who ran the inaugural 2017 race with team Kennebec Trail Runners (read their 2017 race report), is helping to organize Striders teams for 2018. 

All abilities are welcome to join a club relay team. The Riverlands course is mostly wide dirt roads and is very easy to run, says Karen. Aid stations are positioned about every five miles along the course. The cutoff time is 32 hours, so even slower runners will have plenty of time to finish.

​The cost is $55 for each relay runner ($275 per team). This includes a race tee and a very cool hooded sweatshirt with a race logo if your team finishes before the cutoff time. For a bigger challenge, solo runners can compete in the full 100 miler ($160 registration fee).

If interested in joining a Striders team at Riverlands or if you have questions, please send an email to [email protected] or reach out to Karen Gross directly. 

For more information on the Riverlands 100 & Relay, put on by Trail Monster Running, visit www.riverlands100.com.

Striders Club Run at Riverlands

IMPORTANT UPDATE: The date for the club run at Riverlands has been postponed due to trail conditions. Once a new date has been selected we'll update the info.

Weather permitting Karen Gross will lead an easy, no-drop, 10-mile club run at Androscoggin Riverlands State Park for Striders members interested in joining a relay team.

The group will follow the Old River Road Trail on an out-and-back run, so runners can adjust the distance up or down to their liking. Meet at the Androscoggin Riverlands State Park entrance off Center Bridge Road, Turner, Maine.  

• For more info on the club group run: Facebook event
• For more info on Riverlands 100: www.riverlands100.com

• For more info on Androscoggin Riverlands State Park, including a trail map, visit: 
  ​www.maine.gov/cgi-bin/online/doc/parksearch/details.pl?park_id=98

Directions: Travel Route 117 east from Turner about 2 miles, turning right at a fork just before a four-way intersection. Continue onto Center Bridge Road and proceed another 2 miles to the parking lot on right just before the Turner boat launch.
​

Run, walk, waddle, or race and join Central Maine Striders for an invigorating run at the 39th annual 4.5-mile January Thaw Road Race. This year’s race is scheduled for Sunday, January 21, at 11 a.m. at the Belgrade Central School.

The top female and male runners will receive $50 gift certificates each from New Balance. There also will be a post-race raffle for all runners with movie passes to local movie theaters, $20 gift certificates from local businesses like the Korner Store and Deli in Oakland, and gift certificates from local lumberyards. All runners get lightweight cotton gloves.

Refreshments will be served after the race in the Belgrade Central School cafeteria and will include oranges, bananas, hot chili, dark chocolate brownies, and Poland Spring water.

In the case of severe weather, the race will be held on Sunday, January 28, instead.

Registration:

• Race fee: $10 on the day of the race (please make out checks to Central Maine Striders)
• Registration will be held at Belgrade Central School (158 Depot Road, Belgrade) starting at 9 a.m. on race day
• Facebook Event: www.facebook.com/events/693862517488903/

​

Want to run up New Hampshire's Mt. Washington with other Central Maine Striders in June?

If you are interested in running the 2017 Northeast Delta Dental Mt. Washington Road Race as part of the Central Maine Striders team, please contact ​Ron Paquette at [email protected]​ as soon as possible. There are a limited number of entries per team for club members. Once Ron hears from you, he will get back to you about the procedures.

The club has had a team entered at the Mt. Washington Road Race for many years. The 2017 race will be held on Saturday, June 17. To learn more about this challenging, all-uphill, 7.6-mile race up the Auto Road, visit: mountwashingtonroadrace.com

If you want to run, but not as part of a team, open registration for interested runners is open now through March 1 via a lottery system.

2017 January Thaw Race Results

38th January Thaw Road Race
January 15, 2017, 10 a.m.
4.5 miles
Belgrade Central School
Central Maine Striders
 
1. Ron Peck                             28:24
2. Jack Babin                           31:16
3. Peter Wirth                         32:02
4. Gust Stringos                     35:07
5. Richard Beaudoin             35:18
6. Julie Millard                        35:43*
7. Harold Shaw                       35:58
8. Susan brooks                      36:09*
9. Alicia MacLeay                    36:27*
10. Jeff Preble                          37:55
11. Richard Bissett                  38:03
12. Tammy Moulton               38:33*
13. Chad Tracy                        39:42
14. Shara Marquis                  39:52*
15. Lori Kaley                            42:04*
16. Dave Samuelian                46:52
17. Joe Phelan                           48:14
18. David Benn                         48:16
19. Casey Beaudoin                 49:54*
20. Tom McGuire                      50:07
21. Donnejean Puhlman          50:11*
22. Jim Moore                            52:36
23. Ron Paquette                      53:09
 
See more race day pictures, courtesy of David Colby Young and Maine Running Photos:

• Flickr
• Facebook​