Race completes County Challenge

   CARIBOU, Maine — This year’s Caribou Labor Day 8K Road Race featured a small field of 29 runners, with P.J. Gorneault and Marie Beckum, both of Caribou, distinguishing themselves as race champions in the event that serves as the finale of the County Challenge Racing Series.  The race, held Sept. 1, is billed as the oldest in Arooostook County.
Gorneault crossed the finish line in 26 minutes and 54 seconds, while Beckum came in at 32:25.
Following Gorneault and completing the race’s top-10 were Evan Graves (28:26), Curtis Wheeler (29:25), Trevor Levesque (31:36), Bradley Burlock (31:49), Chris Rines (32:07), Leo Kashian (32:10), Evan Desmond (32:15), Beckum and Steve Desmond (34:19).
In the female division, Nicole Hanscom (35:33), Kim Wright (35:47) and Angela Ewings (36:43) followed Beckum across the finish line.
Age division winners were Evan Desmond, 14 and under male; Levesque, 15-18 male; Wheeler, 19-29 male; Hanscom, 30-39 female; Graves, 30-39 male; Ewings, 40-49 female; George Ferland, 40-49 male; Wright, 50-59 female; Kashian, 50-59 male; and Larry Tonzi, 60-69 male.
The County Challenge Racing Series began in February and includes a total of seven competitions which are held throughout The County.
The others were the Katahdin Trust Snow Run in Houlton, the UMPI Spring Runoff 5K in Presque Isle, the S.W. Collins  5K in Caribou, the Musterd Mile in Caribou, the Potato Blossom 5-Miler in Fort Fairfield and the County Open Half Marathon in Island Falls.
An awards banquet is traditionally held in October, honoring the overall and age division winners as well as the Aroostook Musterds running club’s annual Runner of the Year.