- Published on
by Ryan Goebel with photos from the AYCC
Joshua Way, Men's Overall Champion
Vanessa Holman, Women's Overall Champion
On Saturday, August 20, runners gathered at the Waterville Alfond Youth Center for the annual Doc and Mardie Brown 5k. Former Central Maine Striders members, Doc and Mardie Brown exemplified the spirit of our club, with both of them being active well into their 90's. This run is held in their honor and even includes an award for the oldest finisher.
After running a modified course laster year due to construction on Mayflower Hill Drive, the race returned to its traditional course which includes running up the big hill from North Street to Colby College in the first mile. While almost every runner who has ever run this race has very strong opinions about this hill, most runners can agree that it's (mostly) downhill for the last 2 miles of the race.
From start to finish, the race was led by Joshua Way, former Waterville resident and young speedster who was temporarily back in the state with his family. The last time that Way ran Doc & Mardie was 2020, which was also the last time the course including the big North Street hill. That year, as a 14-year old, he placed second to Eli Caret. This year, Way finished with a blistering fast time of 16:41, which not only improved upon his time from 2020, but also bested Caret's time from that year.
Andrew Knightly, a 50-year old runner who drove down from Orono for the race, came in 2nd with a time of 17:57. Braden Rioux, a Winslow High School runner, placed third with a time of 18:43. Rounding out the top 5 were Striders Ryan Goebel (18:46) and Drew McCormick (19:04).
Leading the women were Messalonskee High School cross country coach Vanessa Holman (22:17) and Winslow High School runner Addison Pellerin (22:30).
Longtime Strider Ron Paquette once again picked up the award for the oldest finisher. At the awards ceremony, he joked with Race Director Patrick Guerette that he should stop reminding him that Paquette is the oldest. Guerette replied that it must not bother Paquette too much, because he keeps coming back every year.
Besides the ten children that completed the youth fun run, this year's 5k featured some impressive times by a couple of future all-star runners, including 10-year-old Sawyer Wess (24:38) and 8-year-old Cora Wess (32:30). Keep an eye out for these two in future Doc & Mardie 5k's and other area races!
Official Results for the 2022 Doc & Mardie 5k: https://my.raceresult.com/215715/results
Youth 1-Mile Fun Run Results: https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/10338#resultSetId-334089
Photos: https://runsignup.com/Race/Photos/ME/Waterville/DocMardie5kandYouth1MileFunRun
After running a modified course laster year due to construction on Mayflower Hill Drive, the race returned to its traditional course which includes running up the big hill from North Street to Colby College in the first mile. While almost every runner who has ever run this race has very strong opinions about this hill, most runners can agree that it's (mostly) downhill for the last 2 miles of the race.
From start to finish, the race was led by Joshua Way, former Waterville resident and young speedster who was temporarily back in the state with his family. The last time that Way ran Doc & Mardie was 2020, which was also the last time the course including the big North Street hill. That year, as a 14-year old, he placed second to Eli Caret. This year, Way finished with a blistering fast time of 16:41, which not only improved upon his time from 2020, but also bested Caret's time from that year.
Andrew Knightly, a 50-year old runner who drove down from Orono for the race, came in 2nd with a time of 17:57. Braden Rioux, a Winslow High School runner, placed third with a time of 18:43. Rounding out the top 5 were Striders Ryan Goebel (18:46) and Drew McCormick (19:04).
Leading the women were Messalonskee High School cross country coach Vanessa Holman (22:17) and Winslow High School runner Addison Pellerin (22:30).
Longtime Strider Ron Paquette once again picked up the award for the oldest finisher. At the awards ceremony, he joked with Race Director Patrick Guerette that he should stop reminding him that Paquette is the oldest. Guerette replied that it must not bother Paquette too much, because he keeps coming back every year.
Besides the ten children that completed the youth fun run, this year's 5k featured some impressive times by a couple of future all-star runners, including 10-year-old Sawyer Wess (24:38) and 8-year-old Cora Wess (32:30). Keep an eye out for these two in future Doc & Mardie 5k's and other area races!
Official Results for the 2022 Doc & Mardie 5k: https://my.raceresult.com/215715/results
Youth 1-Mile Fun Run Results: https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/10338#resultSetId-334089
Photos: https://runsignup.com/Race/Photos/ME/Waterville/DocMardie5kandYouth1MileFunRun
CMS President racing to a 4th place finish overall and 1st in the Men's 40-49 age group.
Drew McCormick, who was 5th overall, receiving the award for 1st in the Men's 30-39 age group.
Martha Nadeau chasing down the runner in front of her as she nears the finish line.
Longtime Strider David Benn securing his 1st place finish in the Men's 70 & up age group.
Race Director Patrick Guerette awarding Donnajean Pohlman with the medal for 1st place in the Women's 70 & up age group.
Maine Running Hall of Fame member, longtime Strider, and repeat winner of the Doc & Mardie Oldest Finisher Award (81 years old), Ron Paquette.
- Published on
by Cecilia Morin
On the morning of this year’s Doc and Mardie Brown 5K, I added a new step to my typical race day ritual when I tied a multi-colored cloth mask (sewed by my grandma) around my face. My dad, fellow Central Maine Striders member Brian Morin, and I arrived at the Alfond Youth & Community Center around 7:00AM to check in to the race. Just before 7:30AM, the start time for our wave, masked runners gathered loosely around the starting line. We received our signal to “go” and off we went charging across North Street’s flat terrain with the knowledge that we would soon tackle a steep hill. Once ensuring that everyone around us had sufficient space, we removed our masks. After charging up the “Colby hill”, I solidified my game face and focused on maintaining a powerful stride. The rewarding downhill on Mayflower Hill was followed by a short incline then a turn. I momentarily lost my rhythm turning on to the uphill on West Street, but then I regained my stride with the motivation of an approaching finish line. I turned left into the Alfond Youth & Community Center parking lot. Looking at my watch, I told myself I still had time to break 21 minutes. I ran through the finish line, clocking in at just under 21 minutes. After my usual post-race hands-on-my-knees crouch, I placed my mask on my face and walked to my dad and the other finishers.
The aspect of this year’s Doc and Mardie Brown 5K that stands out to me the most is how much the event felt “normal” in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just like any other race, I tied up my racing flats and I wore a race bib. I still slowed down running uphill and I still appreciated the downhills. I still did not beat my dad (maybe next year) and my legs still felt sore after charging the “Colby hill”. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to run in a (non-virtual) road race while feeling safe about the implemented public health guidelines.
The aspect of this year’s Doc and Mardie Brown 5K that stands out to me the most is how much the event felt “normal” in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Just like any other race, I tied up my racing flats and I wore a race bib. I still slowed down running uphill and I still appreciated the downhills. I still did not beat my dad (maybe next year) and my legs still felt sore after charging the “Colby hill”. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to run in a (non-virtual) road race while feeling safe about the implemented public health guidelines.
Cecilia Morin and her dad, Brian.
(all photos courtesy of David Colby Young and Maine Running Photos)
(all photos courtesy of David Colby Young and Maine Running Photos)
Cecilia, originally from Waterville, is a senior at Dartmouth College whose passions include running, art, and cooking.
- Published on
Our only live LOCAL race was held successfully on Saturday, August 22, 2020.
Race results can be found by clicking here.
Congrats to overall winner Elijah Caret (M, 19) with a time of 16:59,8.
Top female finisher was Strider Cecilia Morin (21) with a time of 20:56,2.
Oldest female finisher was Paula Sawyer, and oldest male finisher was Ron Paquette.
All race photos shown here are courtesy of David Colby Young and Maine Running Photos. To see more, go to Maine Running Photos or Flickr.
Race results can be found by clicking here.
Congrats to overall winner Elijah Caret (M, 19) with a time of 16:59,8.
Top female finisher was Strider Cecilia Morin (21) with a time of 20:56,2.
Oldest female finisher was Paula Sawyer, and oldest male finisher was Ron Paquette.
All race photos shown here are courtesy of David Colby Young and Maine Running Photos. To see more, go to Maine Running Photos or Flickr.
Top female finisher Cecilia Morin
Top male finisher Elijah Caret
Congratulations to all of the Striders who ran in the Doc & Mardie 5k:
|
Place |
Name |
Age |
Gender |
Time |
|
2 |
Joshua Way |
14 |
M |
17:11.8 |
|
3 |
Casey Gallant |
17 |
M |
17:27.7 |
|
6 |
Ron Peck |
45 |
M |
18:38.9 |
|
7 |
Andrew McCormick |
37 |
M |
19:33.3 |
|
8 |
Brian Morin |
57 |
M |
19:53.3 |
|
10 |
Cecilia Morin |
21 |
F |
20:56.2 |
|
13 |
Dave Angelini |
44 |
M |
22:15.5 |
|
16 |
Kate Scott |
45 |
F |
22:58.3 |
|
19 |
Elyse Catalina |
32 |
F |
24:35.5 |
|
20 |
Julie Millard |
57 |
F |
24:51.1 |
|
22 |
Lindsey Madison |
32 |
F |
24:53.6 |
|
24 |
Susan Vogt Brooks |
61 |
F |
25:11.0 |
|
25 |
Alicia Wilcox |
42 |
F |
25:20.4 |
|
33 |
Ryan Gallant |
46 |
M |
28:46.2 |
|
34 |
Jessica Gallant |
45 |
F |
29:06.5 |
|
35 |
Gary Menchen |
70 |
M |
31:25.8 |
|
37 |
Patty Hallee |
57 |
F |
32:08.0 |
|
39 |
Donnajean Pohlman |
69 |
F |
32:50.9 |
|
40 |
David Benn |
75 |
M |
33:13.4 |
|
44 |
Ronald Paquette |
79 |
M |
36:55.6 |
|
45 |
Elizabeth Bridger |
55 |
F |
39:10.5 |
|
48 |
Rebecca Tracy |
66 |
F |
46:23.4 |
|
49 |
Jim Moore |
77 |
M |
46:23.7 |
|
50 |
Michael Levey |
76 |
M |
52:28.5 |
Josua Way
Ron Peck
Andrew McCormick
Casey Gallant
Kate Scott
Julie Millard
Brian Morin
Dave Angelini
Donnajean Pohlman
Jim Moore and Rebecca Tracy
Susan Vogt Brooks
Lindsey Madison
Beth Bridger
Ron Paquette
Alicia Wilcox
Elyse Catalina
David Benn
Gary Menchen
- Published on
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:
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.
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.
- Published on
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 and 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 it's been my pleasure to honor the memory of Doc & Mardie, share their story, and hopefully inspire others to get and 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/.
- Published on
By Ryan Goebel
It is hard not to run a race that starts less than a mile from your house. That’s probably the main reason I ran the Doc & Mardie Brown 5K last year and again this year.
In the race last year, I was new to Maine and didn’t really know what to expect from the competition and from the course. I managed to place second overall and win the 40-49 male age group division with a time of 18:38, which was 29 seconds behind the overall winner. Having never actually won a race on a certified course before, I immediately put the thought into my head that I wanted to come back in 2018 and win this race.
The Doc & Mardie 5K course is by no means easy. In fact, it’s the hardest road 5K that I’ve ever run. The first mile includes an elevation gain of 128 feet, most of which is over a quarter mile while you climb up the hill to Colby College from North Street. How you run up this hill can make or break your race, and I was determined to conquer it. So, I ran up this hill frequently during my training, including seven times in the week prior to this year’s Doc & Mardie 5K. I made several attempts at capturing the Strava segment “course record” from fellow Strider Ron Peck, but continually failed. The only thing I could hope for was some race day magic to propel me up the hill at the pace I wanted to run.
Going into the race, I gave myself about a 50 percent chance that I could win it. My running has improved a lot over the last year, including cutting nearly 30 seconds off my 5K PR, but I knew there was no guarantee that I could beat the winning time from last year. I was also afraid that a random Colby College kid would show up and blow me away.
On the morning of the race, I jogged from my house to the YMCA to pick up my number and t-shirt and then jogged back home where I changed shoes and shirt and drank some water. Once again, the convenience of racing this close to home can’t be overstated. As I ran down the street heading back to the YMCA and the start of the race, I started feeling a little hungry, so I made a U-turn to go back home to eat a GU energy gel and drink more water.
It is hard not to run a race that starts less than a mile from your house. That’s probably the main reason I ran the Doc & Mardie Brown 5K last year and again this year.
In the race last year, I was new to Maine and didn’t really know what to expect from the competition and from the course. I managed to place second overall and win the 40-49 male age group division with a time of 18:38, which was 29 seconds behind the overall winner. Having never actually won a race on a certified course before, I immediately put the thought into my head that I wanted to come back in 2018 and win this race.
The Doc & Mardie 5K course is by no means easy. In fact, it’s the hardest road 5K that I’ve ever run. The first mile includes an elevation gain of 128 feet, most of which is over a quarter mile while you climb up the hill to Colby College from North Street. How you run up this hill can make or break your race, and I was determined to conquer it. So, I ran up this hill frequently during my training, including seven times in the week prior to this year’s Doc & Mardie 5K. I made several attempts at capturing the Strava segment “course record” from fellow Strider Ron Peck, but continually failed. The only thing I could hope for was some race day magic to propel me up the hill at the pace I wanted to run.
Going into the race, I gave myself about a 50 percent chance that I could win it. My running has improved a lot over the last year, including cutting nearly 30 seconds off my 5K PR, but I knew there was no guarantee that I could beat the winning time from last year. I was also afraid that a random Colby College kid would show up and blow me away.
On the morning of the race, I jogged from my house to the YMCA to pick up my number and t-shirt and then jogged back home where I changed shoes and shirt and drank some water. Once again, the convenience of racing this close to home can’t be overstated. As I ran down the street heading back to the YMCA and the start of the race, I started feeling a little hungry, so I made a U-turn to go back home to eat a GU energy gel and drink more water.
Striders Ryan Goebel, Ron Peck, and Julie Millard
As I chatted with some of the other Striders while standing at the starting line, I looked around and either didn’t see or didn’t recognize the guy who won last year’s race. I also didn’t see anyone else I recognized as being faster than me. I knew that winning was a real possibility now.
“On your mark. Go!”
I immediately shot out into the lead having no idea how close anyone was behind me. I looked at my watch about a quarter mile into the race and saw I was running 5:15 pace. I knew I had to slow down a bit so I wasn’t too winded by the time I reached the base of the hill. As I ran up the hill, I started getting paranoid that someone was right on my tail. I thought I was hearing heavy breathing and footsteps right behind me, but was afraid to look back.
I continued to push up the hill trying to pull away from the phantom runner trying to pass me. The hill felt much less bad than normal. I made it to the top of the steep part of the hill, but knew that the road kept climbing until close to the one-mile mark just past the Colby Art Museum. My Garmin GPS watched beeped and showed that I ran my first mile in 6 minutes flat. “Not bad,” I thought to myself. “I can do this.”
Running down Mayflower Hill, I knew my pace would increase, but I didn’t want to push it too much. I knew that the third mile included another climb that may not be as big as the hill in the first mile but still had the potential to zap a lot of energy out of me. I came through the second mile at 5:36 min/mile pace. I was right where I wanted to be.
As I approached the bottom of the hill at the Gilman Street bridge, I again thought I heard heavy breathing right behind me. After crossing the bridge, there was a car that seemed to want to drive through the construction barriers. I was relieved to see that race director Patrick Guerette was talking to the driver, but also a tad worried because the driver seemed to keep inching forward. I wasn’t sure whether I should go around the left or the right side of the car. I went to the right without incident and soon after saw my wife standing on the side of the course cheering for me.
“Are you winning?” she asked.
“Yes. How far back is the next guy?”
“I don’t know. I can’t tell.”
I was relieved to know that the phantom runner chasing me really was a phantom and I was well on my way to winning the race as long as I maintained my pace to the finish.
Of course, knowing that I had a comfortable lead also killed my adrenaline rush. My breathing grew heavier and I felt hot for the first time in the race. Running up the hill on West Street felt much worse than the giant hill in the first mile. At this point, I just wanted the race to be over. I topped the hill and turned onto North Street. “Only a half mile to go,” I thought to myself. I really wanted this half mile to be finished.
As I turned into the YMCA parking lot, I saw the race clock counting up from 17:37. I pushed to the finish line realizing that I was going to win the race and run a sub-18:00 time. I had just won a race for the first time ever!
I turned around to see the next runners approach the finish and was glad to see that Ron Peck came in second overall and Julie Millard won the women’s race.
After I got home and loaded my GPS data to Strava, I found that I had finally beat the segment record going up the big hill to Colby (sorry, Ron). That capped off a great week of running for me: placing fifth in my age group at Beach to Beacon, winning the Doc & Mardie 5K, topping 70 miles for the week, and getting a segment record on Strava. The only thing left to do was to head over to the New Balance Factory Store Tent Sale and spend the gift card I won from the Doc & Mardie race.
Thanks to Patrick Guerette for organizing a great race. If you live in the area and haven’t run the Doc & Mardie Brown 5K, you really should consider it. I plan on running it again next year.
Doc and Mardie 5K winners Julie Millard and Ryan Goebel