Run to Win

Registration is going quick for the L.L. Bean 10k. When registration opened on Tuesday, it only took until noon before the last pair of free shoes was taken.

As of this morning, a scant 48 hours later, there have been over 700 registrations which means that the free shirts are also gone now.

If you are interested in running, there are less than 300 online registrations remaining.

Once the race has 1000 registered runners, there will no longer be any pre-registration available, although if you get to the race early enough there will be an additional 200 spots available for race-day registration.

So here’s a big congratulations to the L.L. Bean race directors for getting so many race registrations this fast! I wonder whether they’ll get all 1000 registrations before the weekend?

Once again, the L.L. Bean 4^th of July 10k is going to give away free running shoes to registered runners.

The first 400 runners will receive a pair of New Balance 1063 running shoes, their premium neutral-cushioning training shoe. It retails for $125, so if this is a shoe that you can wear then it is a great deal for the $18 race registration fee. In order to get the shoes you must arrive on race day to pick up your packet. Along with the shoes, the first 700 runners will receive a technical race shirt.

Registration opens on Tuesday, March 24^th at 8:00 a.m. EDT. The first 400 to register for the run before May 14^th will receive the shoes. They will then have a treat of a course through Freeport on the Fourth of July.

This is the second year that L.L. Bean has offered free shoes and last year there were a lot of happy runners. This year, they have a spiffy new website for the race, which has all of the information that you’ll need if you are interested in running: http://www.llbeanroadrace.com/

If you are going to be in Maine this Summer then I’d definitely recommend this race; it’s well run, there is a fun 1-mile run for the kids afterwards, and they give out a lot of awards that are actually worth using. Last year, I won a duffel bag.

Here is a quick breakdown of races today throughout Maine. I will update this page as I find more results. If you know of any races that are missing, please let me know in the comments so that I can add it! Same goes for any photo galleries.

The current tally of the number of runners that competed today in Maine: 5152

The LL Bean 4^th of July 10k in Freeport is first this year, since I decided to go back and race there after taking a few years off.
Ethan Hemphill once again took top honors, finishing in 32:36 with a 15 second margin. Kristin Barry led the rest of the women by 68 seconds with a time of 35:12. There were 918 finishers. (Full Results – Photos)

Next up is the 32^nd Bridgton 4 on the 4^th. Stan Pyle was looking to go under 20 minutes today, but he missed the mark. He can’t be too upset, though, because he beat some very stiff competition to win the race in 20:26, winning by only 2 seconds. Carry Buterbaugh had about a half minute lead with her winning time of 23:26. There were 1670 finishers. (Full Results – Race Website – Photos: CD1 – CD2 – CD3 – CD4 – CD5 – CD6 – CD7 )

The York 4 on the 4th also had a pretty good draw, with 787 finishers. Bob Winn had a 19 second lead with his winning time of 21:10, while Amy Gosztyla had to fight for her 4 second winning time of 22:51. (Full Results)

The Goose Rocks Beach Association puts on an annual 5k in Kennebunkport, and it also had a large draw with 777 finishers. The entire field got “Huppeed” when Nathan Huppe crossed the line in 15:49, 13 seconds ahead of 2^nd place. Abby Iselborn had a similar lead over the rest of the women with her winning time of 18:22. (Full Results – Race Website)

The Walter Hunt Memorial 3k in Brewer was led by Ruben Sanca in 8:25, giving him a win by 7 seconds. Hilary Maxim had a 19 second lead with her winning time of 10:27. There were 472 finishers. (Full Results)

The Friends on the 4^th 5k, put on by the Friends of the Cobbosse Watershed in Winthrop, was won by 16 year old Luke Fontaine in 16:16. He won by less than a half second. Lauren Laroche had a slightly larger lead of 18 seconds to take the women’s title. There were 405 finishers. (Full Results – Race Website)

There were 107 finishers in the Firecracker 5k in Thomaston. Darren Winchenbach won the race in 19:45. (Full Results – Video – Photos)

There was a 5.1 mile race in Brooks called Let Freedom Ring. There were 16 finishers, led by Kevin Patrick who won with over a 4 minute lead in 28:34. (Full Results – Photos & Video)

There were 8 teams of 8 legs each in the 6^th Annual Mount Desert Island Relay, a 61.09 mile race. I have not yet had a chance to figure out how many people ran more than one leg but there are at least a few so there were less than 64 competitors. The Spudland Racers won by over an hour, setting a course record. (Full Results [pdf])

I am still awaiting the results of the Sebec Village 4th of July 5k. (Update: 31 people finished – Full Results)

Updates to follow.

This morning was the LL Bean 4^th of July 10k, which I have not run for the past few years. As I said back in 2005, this course is not quite flat:

Today was far and away the best running weather that I have ever had on this course. It was humid, but the temperatures never got too high and the last mile or so down Main Street did not involve thundering through the relentless sun as it usually does. There was a nice breeze and it felt pretty good.

There were 918 finishers this year, the majority of whom managed to get a free pair of New Balance 1062 running sneakers for being one of the first 500 people to register for the race. The post-race refreshments were a little meager and didn’t really last long enough, although there were enough popsicles for the kids at the end of the 1 mile fun run which is the important part.
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If you are planning on running in the L.L. Bean 4^th of July 10k in Freeport tomorrow morning, you’ll need to get up early. If you have not yet registered, then you should plan on getting there as soon as registration opens at 6:00. The race only allowed 800 people to pre-register, and are only allowing 200 day of registrations which are sure to go fast. It would be a shame to get there and then not be able to run.

If you were amongst the first 500 registered then you’ll need to pick up your free pair of running shoes before the race. Any shoes that are not claimed before the race will be sold after the race. You are going to need time to bring the shoes back to your car.

If you are not running at Bean’s tomorrow, there are plenty of other options in not only the Southern and Central Maine areas but all across the country. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate my country’s birthday than running a road race.

The L.L. Bean 4^th of July 10k is worth registering early for this year. The race is always competitive, is usually quite warm, and is a good way to spend the morning on our Nation’s birthday.

Plus, you might get free shoes. The first 500 runners to pre-register before May 15^th at noon get a free pair of New Balance 1062 running shoes. They also get a free technical running shirt, along with another 300 people who preregister.

I have run the race before, and I like it, but for the past few years have been making my way up to Bridgton for the 4 on the 4^th race. I like 4 milers. This year, though, I am planning on making my way back to Freeport for the L.L. Bean 10k. There is also a 1 mile fun run if you have children that is always a hoot to watch.

The race benefits the Casco Bay YMCA so that they can continue meeting their mission of never turning anyone away because of inability to pay.

You can register online at Active.com. If you are interested in volunteering on race day, you can contact Stephen Wells or leave a comment here and I’ll see that he gets it. He’s offering a volunteer’s technical t-shirt to anybody that helps set up.

Update: All of the results for races I knew about are now accounted for, as well as the results for a race I hadn’t previously been aware of. There were at least 4561 people who finished a road race on Wednesday.

It is the Fourth of July today, one of the more popular days for a road race in the country. Here is a short recap of the Bridgton Four on the Fourth, the L.L. Bean 10k in Freeport, the York Four on the Fourth, the Winthrop Friends on the Fourth 5k, the Walter Hunt Memorial 3k in Brewer-Bangor, the Kennebunkport Goose Rock Beach 5k, and the Around Mount Desert Island Relay. Updates will appear as I find the results for each race, and I may add more races that I was not aware of, such as the Thomaston 5k.

The first race is the Bridgton Four on the Fourth. This is the one that I decided to run, and the weather was absolutely perfect for a fast, short race on a course with plenty of shade. Erik Stanley broke 20 minutes for the first time in quite a few years, winning the race in 19:57. Carry Buterbaugh ran just over 6 minute pace to win the women’s race in 24:08 on her first attempt at the course. There were 1411 finishers, about 30 shy of last year’s numbers. (Full Results – Photos)

The York Four on the Fourth was won by the local Anthony Balkier in a time of 20:52. The women were led in by Kelsey Smith in 26:50. There were 780 finishers, a healthy growth over last year. (Full Results)

The L.L. Bean 10k in Freeport was won by Ethan Hemphill in 32:33, half of a minute faster than his winning time from last year. Emily Levan had a strong showing to win the women’s race in 36:15, almost a minute faster than second-place Sheri Piers. Joan Samuelson fell back about a minute from last year’s winning time and was the fifth woman to finish. The race grew quite a bit this year, with nearly 200 extra finishers from last year to bring the total to 711. (Full Results – Race Video)

The Kennebunkport Goose Rock Beach 5k was won by again by Mike Griffin, running 6 seconds faster than last year with a winning time of 15:51. He was 50 seconds ahead of second place; a slightly smaller lead than he had last year but still a commanding one. Christine Reaser also repeated last year’s performance, finishing in 18:26. There were 644 finishers, about 30 less than last year. (Full Results)

The Walter Hunt Memorial 4th of July 3K in Brewer/Bangor was won by Steven DeWitt in 8:37. Hilary Maxim led the women in 10:54. Both runners won by less than 10 seconds. There were 490 finishers this year. (Full Results)

The Winthrop Friends on the 4th 5k was won by Gabe Rivard in a speedy 15:07. The women were led by Donna Harriman in 18:31. The race increased by over a third this year, with 407 finishers! That is some huge growth. (Full Results)

The Thomaston 5k was won by Mike Hersom in 19:07. In fourth place over all, Caity Tully won the women’s race in 20:41. There was also a 1 mile kid’s race which was won by Abby Hersom and Keenan Hendricks in 6:33. There were 89 finishers in the 5k, and 58 children in the 1 mile race. (Full Results [5k only] – News Story – Video [start line] – Winner Photo)

The Around Mount Desert Island Relay consisted of 9 teams, 8 of whom finished. The race is comprised of teams of 8 people each, although 11 people ran at least 2 legs of the race; 3 of those 11 ran 3 legs. Team Mules, from Maine, set a course record of 6 hours, 16 minutes and 29 seconds. Crow Athletics was a little over a half hour behind them in 6:52:23. Each team was given a Barbie or Ken doll with a matching bib to use as a baton. There were 68 legs of the race completed by 54 people. (Full Results [pdf])

There were at least 4561 people who finished a road race in Maine today.

Here is a quick breakdown of races this Fourth of July. I’ll cover the Bridgton Four on the Fourth, the Freeport L.L. Bean 10k, the York Four on the Fourth, the Kennebunkport Goose Rocks Beach 5K, the Winthrop Friends on the Fourth 5k and the Sebec Village Fourth of July 5k.
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