Collins road race has 111 competitors
CARIBOU — The 18th annual S.W. Collins Road Race took place June 24 with a record-breaking 111 athletes participating.
The race began in 1994 celebrating the company’s sesquicentennial; at that time, only twelve runners participated in the competition. Now, the race has expanded into a well-known event that attracts people from all over the County. Participants received S.W. Collins T-shirts and medals are awarded to the top three individuals (male and female) in all age brackets.
To commence the morning, the Kids Fun Races were held with racers between the ages of 4 and 10 flying through the lumberyard and around the buildings. Winning their respective gender divisions were Teanne Ewings (14.05 seconds) and Ty Hunter (14.25 seconds) for the 4-and-under group, Matthew Pelletier (14.4 seconds) for the 5-6 year olds, Ari Plante (1:24) for the 7-8 year olds, and Aidan Plante (2:54) and Tegan Ewings (3:17) for the 9-10 division. Also racing in the boys’ 7-8 year-old division were George Ferland (1:38), who placed second, and Gage Levesque (1:42) and Matthew Hart (1:42), who tied for third.
The 5K event began with the walkers setting out on the course. Renee Gorneault earned top honors overall with a time of 45:32. Finishing soon after her, Kathy Mazzuchelli (47:51) and Marcel Montane (27:52) took second and third, respectively.
Shortly after the walker’s start, despite threatening skies and the prospect of rain, 97 runners took off on the two-loop course that circled Collins Pond. The weather conditions proved perfect for some as P.J. Gorneault cruised to a first-place finish with a course record-breaking time of 15:25, eclipsing the prior record held by Evan Graves by two seconds.
The women’s overall winner was Gabrielle Naranja of Fort Kent, who sailed to a winning time of 19:11.
Winning their respective age and gender divisions were: 14 and under, Evan Desmond (20:57); 15-18, Danni Anderson (22:01) and Lucas Kinney (18:25); 19-29, Nicole Green (20:42) and Fred Bailey (16:24); 30-39, BethAnn Chamberlain (19:55) and Evan Graves (16:52); 40-49, Angela Ewings (21:44) and Will Sweetser (19:05); 50-59, Kimberley Wright (21:26) and Carl Soderberg (20:16); and 60-69, Brent Jepson (21:30).
Funds raised by the road race totaled $1,252. This money was donated to the Caribou High School Athletic Boosters program. Since the inception of the race, beneficiaries of the raised funds have included groups like United Way of Aroostook and other worthy causes.
The race was the third of this year’s County Challenge Series. Gorneault and Gabrielle Cyr are the series’ overall leaders with four events remaining. The next is the Musterd Mile in Caribou this Friday.
Other age division leaders are: 14-and-under male, Desmond and Noah Rossignol; 15-18 male, Alex Losieniecki and Kinney; 19-29 male, Chris Rines; 30-39 male, Gorneault; 40-49 male, Jeff Ashby, Joe Ewings and Sweetser; 50-59 male, Leo Kashian; 60-69 male, Larry Tonzi; 70-and-over male, Art Thompson and Clint Cushman.
Also, 14-and-under female, Mandy Graham; 15-18 female, Emily Wright; 19-29 female, Green; 30-39 female, Linda Gover; 40-49 female, Angela Ewings; 50-59 female, Kimberley Wright; 60-69 female, Connie McLellan.
Other upcoming series competitions are the Potato Blossom 5-Miler in Fort Fairfield July 21, the County Open Half-Marathon in Houlton Aug. 11 and the Caribou Labor Day Road Race Sept. 3.
