Eric Ashe/Taylor Bickford win 47th annual Bridgton 4 on the Fourth

(Bridgton ME) It didn’t rain but was it humid.

Today’s repeat winner (Eric Ashe) complained about the humidity as did every runner I talked to.

“It was a tough day to run fast,” said Eric afterwards.

If it was tough for him, imagine how it was for the rest of the field trailing him!

“One fellow took the first half mile a little quick,” recalled Eric.  “I caught him around a half mile and tried to stay strong up and down the hills the rest of the way.”

Eric finished the course in 20:45. Scott Mindel was second (21:19) and Tim Poitras third (21:32).

The most excited post-race runner may well have been female-division winner Taylor Bickford of Portland.

Why? 

Let Taylor explain it: “This was my first time breaking the tape ever.  I’ve run a lot of races in Maine and some marathons, but this was the first time I’ve ever won a race.”

Taylor admitted afterwards that she didn’t know the course very well but that she had heard about it.

“I started the race a little conservative because everyone had me worried about the hills,” she said.  “Then I realized that I could pass a lot of people on the downhills so I kind of let it go.”

“I kept the first female in front of me for the first two miles,” she added, “after I passed her, I knew I was the first one.”

Scott Mindel finished second for the second straight year. 

“Some kid took it out really fast and it was faster than I wanted,” said Scott.  “I didn’t have as much left as I had the year before because of that start and the humidity.  I soon realized that I needed to compete for the place rather than the time.”

Tim Poitras entered the race hoping to improve on his 4^th place finish two years ago.

“I knew that Eric and Scott would be running the race,” said Tim. 

“After Eric pulled away, I stuck with Scott,” added Tim.  “I was pushing the uphills and he was pushing the downhills.”

The humidity eventually got to Tim.  “It was such that I felt as if I was swimming,” he said. “I started to look behind me a few times to make sure I got third.”

Good crowd with plenty of enthusiasm.

Dave Albert of Fryeburg is the master of the National Anthem.

Sasha Mindel came in second last year but didn’t race this year.  “She has been sick the last few nights,” explained her husband Scott.  “My son did run the kid’s race.  It’s always a fun weekend up here.”

Both Scott and Eric ran in Grandma’s Marathon on June 17^th in Duluth, Minnesota.  “Eric was shooting for Olympic Trials time but didn’t finish,” recalled Scott. 

Taylor Bickford: “I grew up in Limington and now live in Portland.  I am a strategy project manager at New Balance in Boston, so I commute to work.  I am planning to do the Beach-to-Beacon.”