Race Report: Sugarloaf Marathon 2024

Me, Shannon, and Billy before the race

by Sapan Bhatt

Race Date: May 12, 2024
Location: Eustis, ME to Kingfield, ME
Distance: 26.2 miles

​Pre-Race:
The Sugarloaf Marathon is one of the few Spring Maine marathons and hugely popular Boston Qualifying race due to its elevation drop of ~1000ft from miles 10-26. I chose to drive up from Waterville the morning of the race, leaving at 4:45am to make the 7am start time. Cathedral Pines, the starting location, is quintessential Maine forestry; picturesque pines growing tall standing guard over the two-lane road. The campground buzzed with excitement; runners warming up, bib check-in (which was very quick, only 5min of waiting), and a nice bag drop. 

Bathroom situation was a bit squirrely, there were plenty of them but a parked bus prevented people from lining up properly in front of them. That led to Billy and I lining up about a minute before start. 

Miles 1-5:
The race began with a surge of adrenaline as we crossed the starting line. It’s a flat shot out of the pine trees on route 27. Conditions were pretty ideal, about 40F at the start warming to 50F as the day progressed. The pace seemed speedy from the start; with 60+ runners all going out at 6:40 pace or faster. Many thanks to course feedback from Julie, Ryan, Drew and others who all said to go conservatively until you crest to hill at mile 10.  The scenery reminded me of the Downeast Sunrise Trail with the added beauty of mountains in the background. For anyone from a city, I can see why this would be a destination race.

Miles 6-10:
The rhythm set in nicely by mile 5. This was true for me in much of my training too; you don’t loosen up until about mile 4. There were plenty of fluid stops which were well stocked (many thanks to all the volunteers). I planned on using 4 GU gels (miles 8,13,18, 23). For the next one, I would probably add another 1 or 2. The major climb goes from mile 8 to about mile 10.5 and I took down my first gel before the ascent. I tucked in with a couple of guys who were also planning for 2:56 finishes and slowed down about 20 sec/mile. This worked very well, keeping the strain off the legs. There are 2 steeper sections during the climb, 1 at the beginning and 1 at the end, the rest is more gradual. I stuck with my running buddies until we crested the hill and was grateful to be feeling fresh. 

Miles 11-20:
The downhill after the climb is also no joke. It’s fairly steep and can do a number on your quads. My goal was to keep in control and try to stay loose. That mile was about 20 sec quicker than goal pace so you can definitely make up some time lost on the climb. The course is very forgiving after the hill, flat to slight decline. It was relatively easy to get back into a rhythm and stack some more miles at the 6:40 goal pace. After the halfway mark, a larger pack started to form (we went from 3 of us to about 8) and it was fun rolling along until mile 17/18 as a nice group. 

Legs were still feeling very good at this point and I was debating to push the pace with about an hour left of racing. I remembered my first marathon, Maine Coast 2018, where I bonked after mile 16. The loss of speed, the burning in my legs, were fresh in my mind and I decided to stick to the 6:40 pace plan until mile 19/20 and then see what was possible. 
I felt the Saucony Pro 4 was a great choice for a super shoe. It helped keep my legs fresh and kept my momentum going forward.

Miles 21-26.2:
From 19 on, I was starting to feel it and see the effects of the marathon around me. A few competitors slowed to a walk and the time between miles seemed to stretch. Although I was putting in more intention and energy into picking up the pace, fatigue was dampening my efforts. It’s during the last 8 miles where that extra gel might have left me fresher. After each mile, I envision the distance remaining (just a 10k left, just a 5 miler, just an out and back on Ridge Road, etc.) Another thing which helped was I set my watch to lap time. While it was a little more effort to press the button at each mile, it kept me focused on just the mile I was running and helped me stay in the moment. Once I entered Kingfield, the crowd swelled and I let that adrenaline push me over the finish. 2:53:49, a Boston qualifying time and 17 min off my previous best.

Still feeling strong. One complaint I heard was about the camber of the road on this course. I felt the cars were very respectful giving runners the full lane so it was easy to run in the middle where it was level vs. on the shoulder

Post-Race:
I was able to sync up with Julie and Ron who graciously stuck around the finish for over an hour. Billy and Stephanie came in soon after and it was great to recap with them. Shannon drove from the start to the finish so it was great to see her on course and at the end. The food was on point, basic but well executed. Delicious soups and pastry, chocolate milk (my favorite). If you’re looking for a great entry into the marathon, Sugarloaf is hard to beat. Weather has been ideal for the past couple years, it’s much less hilly than MDI or Maine Marathon in the Fall. Thanks again to everyone who shared advice about training, gear, the course, etc. 
​
This was almost a year in the making for me. I was 5+ years removed from the marathon, always saying next year I would train for one. Last June, both my achilles and thought my best running days were behind me. Starting with the Quarry Road summer series, I’ve been building fitness and results which culminated in this race. I did much of my speed work on the treadmill, so if that’s something that fits your schedule/lifestyle better than roads, feel encouraged. Here’s to an exciting summer and more adventures ahead.

---