MILLINOCKET, Maine - The second official Millinocket Marathon & Half saw Robert Ashby, 49, of Brunswick finishing the full 26.2 miles first, in 2:47.44. Not far behind him was the top female finisher, Sarah Mulcahy, 32, of Princeton, in 2:56.06.
213 people ran the full marathon, with 942 people running the half marathon.
The event was created in 2015, with an informal trial run that year, by Cranberry Isles runner Gary Allen. Allen says he saw it as a way of generating support for the Katahdin region which has lost much of its industry with the demise of the paper mills.
Allen says the Millinocket race also creates another major qualifying venue away from the tightly packed summer race season; the Millinocket Marathon serves as a qualifier for the Boston, Chicago, and NYC marathons, and a pre-qualifier for the Olympics.
In lieu of a race entry fee, runners are asked to spend the equivalent- or more- in local businesses, restaurants, and shops.
