CARRABASSETT VALLEY – With clear blue skies and cool temps in the 40s, 26-year-old Nicholas Arnecke of Hartwick, NY won the 39th Sugarloaf Marathon on Sunday, May 14 in two hours, twenty-eight minutes, and forty-six seconds. Katherine McCarthy, a 27-year-old from Concord, NH, claimed the women’s title with a time of 2:51.46.
Arnecke held off second-place finisher Robbie Hollis, 29, of Wilton, ME, who finished less than a minute back with a time of 2:29.12. Henry Weisman, a 22-year-old from Denver, CO, rounded out the top three men with a time of 2:30.40.
In the women’s division, 26-year-old Clarissa Modde of Boston, MA took second place with a time of 2:54.32, while 35-year-old Lindsey Gilman from Upton, MA took third in 2:59.15.
In the 15k, 25-year-old Aaron Willingham of Portland, ME defended his title with a time of 46:54 – nearly a minute ahead of the second-place finisher, 34-year-old Adam Quinn of Stowe, VT. On the women’s side, 31-year-old Mait Galipeau-Theberge of Piopolis, QC took first place with a running time of 58:44, and 33-year-old Paige Mills from Cumberland, ME finished second.
Sponsored by Landry French Construction Company and Darling’s, the Sugarloaf Marathon is Maine’s oldest continuously run marathon. As an official qualifying race for the Boston Marathon certified by the United States Track and Field Association (USATF), the Sugarloaf Marathon is wildly popular among running enthusiasts. Despite its mountainous setting, the course is primarily downhill and ends with a gradual 16-mile descent. Marathon runners regularly record personal-best times at Sugarloaf. Roughly 1000 racers participated in this year’s race.
One hundred percent of sponsor dollars from the marathon go to the Sugarloaf Region Charitable Trust, a private, nonprofit trust dedicated to improving the quality of life for the communities that make up the Sugarloaf Area. On average, the Sugarloaf marathon generates more than $20,000 annually for the Trust, distributed to deserving organizations in the Sugarloaf area.
The top three men and women in each race received cash prizes, and all entrants received a t-shirt, a post-race breakfast, and a finisher’s medal.
Click here to view complete results from both races.
Click here to view high-res photos of the event.
For more information on the Sugarloaf Marathon, please visit www.sugarloaf.com/marathon.
