Photo (l to r): Jessica Elliott (1st F), Laura Hagley (3rd F), Cody Symonds (3rd M), Michaella Conery (2nd F), Cameron Cook (2nd M) and Adam Martin Caldwell (1st M)
Though it was in the 80s by midday, the morning of our 25th annual Great Bay 5K | Race for a Healthy Estuary was cool and sunny, perfect for the start of the race and veering toward warm by the end. Nearly 900 people registered for the race, with 683 runners and walkers completing the event. With a time of 14:28, Adam Martin Caldwell of Wilder, Vt., broke the men’s record, followed by Cameron Cook (15:08) and Cody Symonds (15:18). Jessica Elliott of Lyme, N.H., was the top finisher on the women’s side with a time of 17:25, followed by Michaella Conery (17:39) and Laura Hagley (18:33).
Sherrie Gadd was the fastest female walker with a time of 35:36, and Peter Bresciano won the male walker division with a time of 39:07. The race includes age-graded awards, which were won this year by Chris Kealey (55-59 age group, age-graded time of 15:02) and Geri Clifford (70-74 age group, age-graded time of 17:04).
Participating for the first time, race team UV Index took home the New England Oyster Cup, coming in as the fastest mixed team with top team members Caldwell and Elliott joined by Alex Gottlieb, Kevin Hartstein, Laura Hagley, and Krystyna Oszkinis. Float TC, last year’s winning team, also laid down a super-fast performance with team members Symonds and Conery joined by James Wilkes, Patrick Fitzgibbons, Brittany Martin, and Reilly Fitzgibbons.
The New England 65 Plus Runners Club won both the male and female team competition, followed by M&T Bank and Winner’s Circle Running Club, respectively. The team from New England 65 Plus also won a cash prize for forming the largest team, but generously donated the funds to Cornerstone School, which had the second largest team.
Johanna Rogers of Islesboro, Maine, logged the most mileage in the 55K Challenge with just over 500 miles, while Rick Rogers, also of Islesboro, Maine, clocked in 230 miles.
The Great Bay Stewards is grateful this year for the sponsorship of Sprague Operating Resources, M&T Bank, Oyster River Running Company, Northeast Delta Dental, Seacoast Prosthetics, Holy Rosary Credit Union, D.F. Richard, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New England, Bodywise Physical Therapy & Wellness, Durham-Great Bay Rotary Club, Calico Graphics, and First Student. Breweries participating in providing a beer for runners who visited the weekend of the race are Deciduous Brewing Company, Liars Bench Beer Co., Sawbelly Brewing, North Country Hard Cider, Stoneface Brewing Co., and Tributary Brewing Co., with The Franklin offering a half dozen oysters to race participants who visit the weekend of the race.
Full results can be found here.