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.  
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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!​

Joshua Way:

​​The morning of the Central Maine Striders Fall Classic 10k was very cold and windy, I felt like I was freezing waiting for the race to kick off. My intentions were to win in a time around 36 minutes. When everyone was at the start line I was nervous as I didn't know how fast everyone else was, Club President Ryan Goebel kicked the race off with a "Runners set....Go!!" I was off and immediately I was up front with a fellow Strider runner Casey Gallant as we went down Quarry Road and turned onto North Street. I didn't think I could continue the pace I was running, but luckily the wind pushed me right up North street. After we finished the first half ,I pushed the uphills and got rid of Casey. He did a great job during this race. He pushed me very hard the first 5k. Back onto North Street I went, with the wind slowing me down, I was getting very tired. When I got back onto Quarry road for the home stretch, I knew I only had only a mile left. I ran that last mile faster than I thought I could, I was up front in the lead as I came near the finish line. I was pushed on by cheering family's and friends. I sprinted to the finish line in 34:32. I was very pleased as I moved off to the side for fellow runners to come through. I would love to run this race next year!

Kristina Guerette:

​As the worldwide pandemic continues to evolve, we do too and continue to roll with whatever comes our way. There have been a lot of changes over the past 7 months, but one thing has not changed for me: the sheer joy of lacing up my sneakers and going for a run. Both my husband (Patrick Guerette) and I are avid runners and have continued to find joy in running, despite races being cancelled. We were both training for big races in April and May, including the Boston Marathon and an Ultra Marathon in Vermont. We didn’t let the cancellations of those races get to us. When Patrick mentioned that the Central Maine Striders were organizing a fall race with a capacity of 40 runners, I knew I had to sign up. This was my chance to see results of all the training I’ve completed in the past year.

It was a cold, breezy morning at the Quarry Road. Foliage was at its peak and runners were happily warming up for the Fall Classic 10k. There was some nostalgia of a high school cross-country race with the crunching of the leaves and the brisk fall air. Race directors, runners and volunteers were masked up and following all COVID-19 safety protocols. Despite all the safety measures, race day did not feel any different than any other race I’ve done. I still had pre-race jitters, I still did my typical warm-up and mingled with other runners and my husband was STILL competitive with me as always. Patrick made a friendly bet with me prior to the race: If he ran faster than me, I would have to cook dinner all week (anyone who knows me is well aware that I am no chef and I never cook!). Fair enough. I knew we would be close. My 10k goal has always been to break 40 minutes but would today be the day?

I started off strong with mile 1 at 6:11 pace. Too fast? Maybe. Leaving the Quarry Road and heading on North Street, finishing the second mile at 6:12 pace. I felt strong and knew I could keep up with the pace. I could hear Patrick trailing behind me through miles 3 and 4. I was in the zone and knew I could finish strong. Patrick crept up on me and passed me going into mile 5, looking strong. He cracked a joke and broke ahead.  I just had to keep him in sight if I wanted to break 40 minutes. Turning back onto the Quarry Road for the last 1.5 miles, I could feel my legs starting to cramp and the wind was strong. I could hear the voices in my head saying “How bad do you want this?” Feeling the adrenaline rush in the last 400 meters, I raced to the finish in a time of 39:07. I immediately felt that “runners high.” All the hard work and dedication paid off. 

​We may be living in strange times but I felt a glimpse of hope in today’s race. It was fun to see other runners in the community come together and do what we love to do. Thank you, Central Maine Striders, for putting together this event! See you next year.

The Central Maine Striders are excited to announce that on October 11, 2020, they will be hosting a new 10k road race in Waterville, Maine.

More details, including information about registration, are coming soon!

Fall Classic 10k Webpage

Fall Classic 10k Facebook Event Page