Local marathon participation runs high

The finish line was on Lubec's Water Street, but the starting point was at the West Quoddy Head Light, and also a year earlier. Four hundred and forty-seven runners completed the first Bay of Fundy International Marathon on June 23, and another 270 finished the 10‑kilometer race.
Runners checked in the afternoon before, starting by picking up their numbered bibs on Campobello, then crossing back to the Lubec Consolidated School, which allowed border officials to record their credentials so that they would not be delayed at the border during the race. Then it was off to the pasta dinner, or if they chose, lobster, plus an enormous selection of cookies and pastries. The University of Maine at Machias Ukulele Band provided entertainment for those waiting in the line that snaked down the parking lot.
On Sunday morning a fleet of buses transported the athletes from the school to the lighthouse and the starting line, where participants swapped encouragement and repartee, as well as stretching and warm‑up techniques, before loading personal possessions into Rachel Rubeor's vehicle for transportation back to the finish. Pre‑race ceremonies included the singing of both the American and Canadian national anthems, and a last-minute admonition by Race Director John Hough to be aware of vehicles sharing the roadway.
At 8 a.m. the group took off, with leaders quickly moving to the front and the main group clustered tightly, for the first two miles. An earlier group left at 6 a.m., which included runners who felt they'd need more than six hours to complete the course, slated to be closed at 2 p.m.
By the time the main body of runners reached the Route 189 intersection, about five miles into the 26.2‑mile race, they had started to spread apart. South Lubec Road hosted two "official" watering stations, plus a number more set up by local residents, all of whom added to the cheering din. At Flat Iron Corner a rowdy group of cheerleaders urged them on with signs like one that reminded runners that "You are NOT almost there," and another that promised "Turbo Power" in return for touching a spot on the sign. Then they hit the bridge and crossed into Canadian territory.
Those on hand to help celebrate the event included Katherine Cassidy, a state representative and the original race promoter; Curtis Malloch, MLA for Charlotte-Campobello; and Dorothy Shephard, minister of Healthy and Inclusive Communities for the province of New Brunswick. Shephard's office provided the first grant to fund the marathon.
A bit after 10 a.m. the front‑runner crossed back onto the American side of the bridge. William Guzick from New York hustled across the border, not even appearing to be breathing hard in the swirling fog and chilly air, with the next runner following well behind. Results show Guzick completing the race with a total time of 2:40:51, better than three minutes ahead of Justin Leach of Birmingham, Ala. The first woman to finish was Washington County's Sarah Mulcahy of Baring Plantation, with a time of 3:16:12, in 13th place.

Many helping hands
Speaking to the Lubec Select Board just a few days earlier, Hough pointed out that a major "selling point" in attracting so many participants C four times the hoped‑for number of six months earlier C was the extent of local participation. "It's not being put on by a big city," Hough said. After the race, many participants, most of whom had never before been to the region, commented on exactly that. "I've run in many marathons," said one, "and I've never seen so many local residents helping out."
Traveling the course, it was obvious what the level of participation was. From the number of residents handing out cups of water and Gatorade, directing traffic, running the health and safety stations and working the finish line, there were few who were not involved in some way. Reports placed Bill Case, not in his popular role as Jiggs the Clown but instead wearing an orange vest, simultaneously in at least three different places.
For some, participation began many months earlier. Lubec's Shanna Wheelock and Eastport's Richard Klyver, who made the trophies and finisher's medallions, put in many hours of labor. The task of stringing the cords on all 515 of Klyver's medallions fell to 93‑year‑old Betty Quinlan, whose daughter, Jean DeVeber, was involved in cooking up the pasta dinner.
At the finish line one group of volunteers wrapped each runner in a foil‑covered sheet to help them cool down gradually, while Downeast EMS's Walter Plaut checked them out. Most were fine, but Plaut and his team escorted a few from the line for further evaluation by medical personnel. Other volunteers placed the finisher's medallion, a pewter scallop shell, around the contestant's neck.
Several finishers were accompanied across the line by family members, including, in one case, a girl who appeared to be about 5. She was offered the task of placing the medal on her father's neck but put it on her own instead, prompting one volunteer to quip, "Looks like it's hers now." Eventually, it moved to his neck.
How about those lobster‑bait "goodie bags?" "Awesome," said one runner. "Never saw anything like that before," said another. "Everything here is unique," one added, pointing out that from the local participation to the design of the trophies and medallions, she had not seen the like elsewhere.
The Campobello mother‑daughter team of Daphne and Adelaine Carten were among those both exulting and working kinks out of overheated muscles at the finish line, fulfilling the promise they'd made earlier as published in The Quoddy Tides. Fourteen-year-old Adelaine reported that her friends "were all lining the route and cheering," and added that several had said they planned on participating next year.

"The Boston factor"
Part of the allure of the race was what several contestants termed "the Boston factor." One runner, who hailed from Boston, Mass., said he'd not run a marathon "in 20 years" but the recent terrorist attack convinced him that "I'm running Boston next year." In order to register for that event he needed to qualify, and the Bay of Fundy International Marathon provided an opportunity. Since most marathons are run earlier in the year, he explained, this was his last chance to qualify for Boston in 2014.
Water Street was transformed into a street festival for the day, with the finish line and runner‑support operations at the south end and the Lost Fishermen's Memorial Association booth at the north end. Crafts, edibles, jewelry and other local products were all available; however, the cool air and several showers may have resulted in less than anticipated results.
While this year's event was capped at 800 runners, suggestions have been made that next year it could grow beyond that. When asked about the effect of expanded operations in light of reports that all available lodging from Machias to Calais had been taken up by this year's marathon, Malloch replied, "Now wouldn't that be a grand problem."