Hidden Valley Nature Center’s Half Marathon went off as re-scheduled with just a little hitch on Sunday. The race was initially scheduled to be run in October, but an early snowstorm pushed it off until Sunday.
Snow on Nov. 23 created wet, snowy conditions. Volunteers tamped down nearly a foot of snow on the trails to make them race-ready. The course was shortened to 10.6 miles to eliminate really soggy areas.
Eric Mauricette, of Old Town, was the race winner in 1:23.41, beating out Thomas Beckum of Caribou by four minutes. The course was slower than usual, but Mauricette set the course record, this being the first time the race has been held.
The first female finisher was Nora Willauer of Hope in 1:38:08. Rick Nelson, of Edgecomb, was the first Lincoln County finisher in 1:39:45.
Forty-four of the 50 runners who signed up arrived early, ready to take on the challenge. All but two finished the entire race and even those who didn’t were thrilled with the experience and promised to come back for more races.
The runners were a wonderful cross section of the population, ranging in age from 14 to 60, with professions ranging from lobster woman to banker, and coming from Caribou and all over New England.
Their enthusiasm and general upbeat attitude were matched only by that of the many volunteers.
Fifteen people were positioned along the route directing runners so they didn’t get off track. This was much appreciated by the runners as their eyes were constantly on their feet. The three EMTs on hand were also pleased to be without work.
The winner, 20-year-old Eric Mauricette from Old Town, finished in 1 hour 23 minutes, For most, finishing the race seemed like enough of a goal. The first place woman was 17-year-old Nora Willauer from Hope. She and most of the others will be back next year to see if they can better their time.
Winners received home or locally prepared food and drinks or gift certificates to local businesses. Chili, cider, cornbread, coffee and sweets were generously provided by volunteers and local businesses. Thanks to all who donated their time and products.
There were 42 finishers in the race. Racers in order of finish were 1. Mauricette, 1:23:41; 2. Thomas Beckum, 1:27:59; 3. Stephen Wagner, 1:30:22; 4. Ian Cross, 1:30:22; 5. Trevor Mills, 1:31:26; 6. Nicholas Ernst, 1:32:56; 7. Chris Hayward, 1:33:37; 8. Rusty Nelson, 1:37:36; 9. Nora Willauer, 1:38:08; 10. Tobin Peacock, 1:38:53; 11. Rick Nelson, 1:39:48; 12. Katie Johnson, 1:39:48; 13. Lauren Jellison, 1:39:53; 14. David Bidler, 1:40:30; 15. Austin Stonebraker, 1:41:13; 16. Richard Bissett (Waldoboro), 1:43:13; 17. Steve Day, 1:43:21; 18. Patrick Waitt, 1:44:06; 19. Jeff Arsenault, 1:45:33; 20. Kris Ansin, 1:47:32; 21. Larry Fickett, 1:49:37; 22. Theresa Withee, 1:50:07; 23. Jamie Johnson, 1:51:36; 24. Brett Leland, 1:55:30; 25. Rebecca Miller, 1:57:58; 26. Phil Vezina, 1:58:27; 27. Paula Lunt, 2:01:44; 28. Beth Cohen (Waldoboro), 2:03:30; 29. Sarah Scordino (Jefferson), 2:03:30; 30. Steve Hall, 2:04:19; 31. Gavin Felch, 2:05:19; 32. Catherine Robinson, 2:05:37; 33. Steve Cartwright (Waldoboro), 2:08:32; 34. Kristen Kimball, 2:08:32; 35. Mary Smith, 2;12:01; 36. Amanda Russell (Edgecomb), 2:17:13; 37. Allyson Koenig, 2:20:45; 38. Jeanne Christie, 2:22:58; 39. Jane Price Schwartz, 2:29:39; 40. Xar Adelberg, 2:33:05; 41. Daphne Millay, 2:35:04; 42. Teunis VandeGraaf, 2:54:07.
Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson, is a non-profit organization with nearly 1000 acres of diverse habitat, many small ponds and vernal pools, miles of trails, and a range of low-impact sustainable forestry projects. It is dedicated to providing nature based educational and non-motorized recreational opportunities to the community throughout the year. For more information visit www.hvnc.org.