Category Archives: Bridgton 4 on the Fourth

July 4, 2022 · 3:18 pm

Eric Ashe and Heather Gallant win 46th annual Bridgton 4 on the Fourth

46th annual Bridgton 4 on the Fourth gets underway

(Bridgton) Eric Ashe of Natick (MA) was the top finisher in the 46^th annual Bridgton 4 on the Fourth road race.

Eric Ashe (Natick) wins the Bridgon 4 on the Fourth

Heather Gallant of Wayne (ME) was the repeat winner among the women.

Nearly 1500 runners participated under sunny skies departing from in front of Food City at 8AM.

Eric Ashe was visiting his mother in Greenwood during the holiday weekend.

“I talked myself into driving over and running the race,” said Eric afterwards. “The cash price covers the gas expenses.”

Sasha/Scott Mindel (Burlington) have family on Moose Pond but hadn’t run the race before.

The two of them ran today, and both came in second.

“Our A goal was for both of us to come in first,” said Scott afterwards.

“I had seen the recent results, so I thought that I had a chance to win,” Scott added.

Eric Ashe (885) and Scott Mindel (766) at the start of the race

That optimism suffered a bit of a jolt before the race started.

“At the warmups, I saw Eric (Ashe),” said Scott. “He generally beats me, but I’ve beaten him a couple of times.”

For a mile the talented twosome stayed together. Then came the hills.

“The uphill started, and I tried to maintain the same effort,” recalled Eric. “Luckily, I was able to open a gap and keep it. I think the gap got bigger.”

“He’s much better on the uphills than I am,” said Scott. “When the uphill started today, I was hoping to keep him within close enough distance because I’m better on the downhills.”

“But Eric got too much on me and I couldn’t make a move until the downhill in the last mile,” said Scott. “It was too late by then.”

“At least it was a fun last mile,” he added with a smile.

Eric finished at 20:06 and had a thirteen-second lead over Scott.

Heather Gallant (Wayne) won last year.

“I was happy with last year’s weather and this years’ time (23:26),” she said.

2021 was rainy with temperatures in the fifties.

Heather was 15^th overall today.

Heather didn’t face any serious challengers from today’s runners. Her closing time was 23:26. The next woman to finish (Sasha Mindel) closed at 24:58.

“I hung out with a couple of guys during the race,” said Heather afterwards. “I pace off them. They’re good about doing that.”

Heather said she felt better prepared this time. “I had a couple more races coming into this one compared to last year. The hills here are still memorable.”

Sasha Mindel, who had a daughter last year, was glad just to be out there running. “This is only my second race since having her,” she said. “It was the first time it felt as if everything clicked.”

All four runners I talked with enjoyed the Bridgton race and would return if they could.

Scott Mindel told me that he had run at the University of Cincinnati. “I now run for the Central Mass Striders. I do a lot of races including marathons.”

Eric Ashe attended Boston University. “I saw online that guys were doing twenty-flat here,” he said, “so I knew it would be competitive. I am focusing on marathons. I did one in Minnesota two weeks ago.”

Joseph Reynolds (3^rd), Andrew Mongiat (4^th), and Chris Harmon (5^th) were in the top five.

Race Director Bill Graham again ran things smoothly.

The object is to have the male and female winners run through a banner at the finish line. It’s always easy with the male. The female…not always. Today was an example. Female leader Heather Gallant was close behind another runner near the finish and when the banner went up that runner (Thomad Lyons) got wrapped in it.

(The pictures should enlarge if you click on them.)

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Tagged as Andrew Mongiat, Bill Graham, Bridgton, Chris Harmon, Eric Ashe, Heather Gallant, Joseph Reynolds, Sasha Mindel, Scott Mindel

July 4, 2021 · 4:08 pm

Jesse Orach/Heather Gallant – 4 on the Fourth winners

Jesse Orach (1116) and Heather Gallant (806) at the start

(Bridgton ME) They were happy for the rain and the opportunity.

The 45^th annual 4 on the Fourth road race started this morning in rain and 55 degrees temperature.

But the runners I talked to afterwards were happy with the weather and equally happy to finally get back to competitive racing again.

“This was the first real race I’ve done in six to eight months,” said this year’s winner Jesse Orach.

“The weather was nice,” he added. “It actually stopped raining as hard about halfway through the race. It was certainly nice to have it cooler than it’s been the last couple of weeks.”

Jesse’s time was 20:08. He finished alone with a nineteen-second spread over Luke Bailey.

Both Luke and Jesse were on the Bridgton course for the first time.

“I loved the course,” said Luke. “I didn’t think the hill was too bad. I loved the straightaway flat finish.”

Heather Gallant finished 20^th which was first among the women. She was also new to the course.

“I almost missed the turn at Dugway Road but there were people there to redirect me,” she said.

“This is my first race since Covid and my leg injury,” she added. “It’s been 1 ½ years.”

But after the race everything turned out “good” for the runner from Wayne (Maine). “The temperature felt good. The rain felt good, and my leg feels good.”

Dominic Sclafani (Harrison Maine) chased Luke Bailey to the finish but lost out by a second.

Jesse Orach described the race this way: “I kind of pulled away in the first quarter mile. A couple of guys (Luke & Dominic) caught me in the middle. Down the last hill in Mile 3, I kind of pulled away.”

This was how Luke Bailey recalled the race: “The leader (Jesse Orach) took the lead super early covering the first mile in 4:46 he said afterwards. I caught him around the 2-mile mark and kind of chatted with him. We ran side by side up the second hill right before the 3-mile mark. I tried to make a move on him because I thought his legs had had it. He responded and I couldn’t recover. I just watched him pull away in the last mile.”

Both winners run for Dirigo.

“I had a lot of my Dirigo teammates with me,” said Heather.

Mary Pardi, also with Dirigo, was the second woman finisher.

The lack of organized races created uncertainty.

“I’ve been trying to stay in shape the best that I can,” said Jesse (Auburn Maine) who is twenty-seven. “I’m just trying to keep running as long as I can.”

Jesse was a heralded runner at UMaine. He told me that he ran there for five years and still holds the indoor 5K record.

Luke (22) is originally from northern Maine but moved to Wisconsin. He was a state champ for the Xavier Hawks in the two mile race. He went to South Dakota State after HS graduation. He told me that he has the 4^th fastest time in SDS history in the three mile.

“I had breathing problems out there because of the elevation so I came back to Maine,” he said. “I am now training at Orono.”

“I hadn’t raced in 1 ½ years so I saw this race (Bridgton) as a great breakin race for me,” said Luke.

Heather: “I chose this race because when I was looking for a race to do, this was the only one that was open.”

Heather (40) said, “I’ve been running off-and-on my whole life. I picked it back up in 2016. I have the LA Triple Crown at the end of August and I’m looking ahead for some fall races.”

“I’m hoping to run the Maine Potato Blossom in Fort Fairfield and maybe the Caribou Marathon,” said Luke.

“I’m probably going to take some time off and get ready to race in the fall,” said Jesse.

There were 923 finishers according to the Granite City Race Services. (Those folks were quick to get the results up.)

Laura Pulito was the third female finisher.

Silas Eastman continues to be a top-ten finisher. It’s been a while since he ran for Fryeburg or the Colby Mules but he’s still in good shape.

Dominic Sclafani (Wheaton College and Harrison) has run this race many times and his 3^rd place finish today was his best.

The starting numbers were down. Not surprising, since the area camps are restricted by virus concerns. Several of the camps did attend, however.

The starting street of the race was paved recently. The returning runners must have liked that.

That rain today was not as welcome to the spectators as it was to the runners. Any good pictures you see today were taken by someone rolling the dice on camera damage….I speak as one of them.

Race Director Bill Graham had everything running smoothly.

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Caleb Grover (9th) and Kevin O’Brien (10th)

Laura Pulito (76) was the 3rd woman finisher

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Tagged as Dominic Sclafani, Heather Gallant, Jesse Orach, Luke Bailey, Mary Pardi

July 4, 2019 · 5:41 pm

Ryan Smith wins the 43rd Bridgton 4 on the Fourth

Start of the Bridgton 4 on the Fourth

Ryan Smith (2019) takes first in the 2019 Bridgton 4 on the Fourth

Ryan Smith and second-place finisher Moninda Marube

(Bridgton ME) How did they know?

Racing bibs are handed out randomly for the Bridgton 4 on the Fourth, aren’t they?

Then how did this year’s winner (Ryan Smith) end up with “2019?”

But that’s what happened as Ryan won the 43^rd edition of the Bridgton 4^th…..in 2019.

Ryan (20:16), from Farmington, left the start in a hurry and won easily.

“I took the lead from the front,” Ryan (24) told me afterwards. “There were people behind me for probably the first 1 ½ miles. I heard footsteps. After that I kind of pulled away on the hills.”

Dom Sclafani, who came in 7^th, was one of those chasing Ryan early. “I was with the leader for the first half mile. Then he picked it up a lot.”

That fast start cost Dom later: “My first mile was well under five minutes. I went too fast early. I was looking for 5:10 and I ran 4:55.”

Winner Mary Pardi with race director Bill Graham

Mary Pardi (24:36) had an easy time of it in the women’s division. “I am in really good shape,” the 49-year-old said. “I had the lead from the start. I knew that I needed to stay strong in the second mile because it’s all uphill. The third mile is tough, and the fourth mile is beautiful. My final mile was 5:52.”

Amanda Dearborn (26:10) from Chicago finished second.

Last year’s winner, Moninda Marube, from Auburn (ME) came across second.

Moninda (20:53) had run against Ryan Smith before: “He’s a young guy, full of energy.”

“I did not try to run with him,” Moninda said. “I had a race plan and that is what I stuck with. I did not necessarily come here to win. I came here to reach a target preparing for the Maine Marathon.”

Moninda (41) has won the Bridgton 4^th four times. “I love racing this race,” he smiled. “I love the people. This race is as well run as any I race in.”

“It’s my birthday,” he laughed. “What better place to celebrate it?”

Tim Poitras (5th)

Tim Poitras (Dracut MA) crossed fifth and came about as close as you want to get to not even getting into the race. “I got the last number (2057),” he said smiling. “I found out about the race Tuesday. It was 7:55PM and the entries closed at 8PM. I quickly signed up and got the confirmation at 7:59!”

Tim (graduate of UMass Lowell in 2018)) said that he had always been in the area on the 4^th but never had run the race.

“This is definitely not an easy course,” Tim (21:40) said. “It is well organized, and everyone seems to be having a great time.”

Nick Brown (21:20) from Madison (NH) took third edging Adam Goode (21:24) of Topsham (ME).

Nick runs cross country at UNH and will be a senior.

Adam went to UMaine and is the cross-country coach at Bangor High School. Adam (35) spent four terms as a state representative for a section of Bangor.

Silas Eastman (11th)

Former winner Silas Eastman (24) was in the field. Silas (24) finished 11^th.

“I think it’s my 17^th year in a row being in this race,” the Colby graduate told me. “I love coming here. They said that there were people from every state here today. It’s fun to run with that many people.”

Lack of conditioning has caught up to Silas. “I’m doing a lot less training. Once I got out of college and away from the structure, life got in the way.”

Silas: “Right now I’m working on a crop farm in Fryeburg. I am also an assistant coach with the Fryeburg Academy ski team in the winter. I am working toward starting my own furniture-making business.”

Ryan: “I went to Goshen College (northern Indiana) and graduated two years ago. I’ve done the LL Bean two years in a row (he won both times) and decided to try something different this year. I ran a marathon twelve days ago and wasn’t sure where I’d be today condition-wise. I am planning to run the Beach to Beacon. I am an operations coordinator at a pellet mill in Strong, Maine. I do some accounting and a little bit of everything there.”

Mary Pardi at the start

Mary: “I’m guessing that I’ve done this race five times and finished in the top five each time. It was either this race or the LL Bean 10K. This is a little bit shorter but they’re both hard races. I’ve been home with my kids for a long time. I manage some property that we have. I love the small-town feel of the Bridgton race.”

Tim: “I have a busy schedule of running ahead. I am also looking for a job in the environmental sciences. I am planning to do the Yankee Homecoming race in Newburyport (MA) the end of the month.”

Bill Graham was the race director and did a terrific job.

Race results

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Tim Poitras, Nick Brown, Moninda Marube, Ryan Smith

Ryan Smith breaks through the finish banner

Ryan Smith waits for his award

Ryan Smith right after the race

Nick Brown (3rd) and Adam Goode (4th)

Moninda Marube close to the finish

Moninda Marube finishes

Wearing/Carrying the colors

Runner carrying his running shoes

Bowman Schneider (Camp Owatonna)

Women finishers; Amanda Dearborn (2nd), Laura Pulito (3rd), and Maia Vinhateiro (4th)

Emily Dexter of Belmont (MA)

Dominic Sclafani (7th)

Anthem singer

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Tagged as Adam Goode, Mary Pardi, Moninda Marube, Nick Brown, Ryan Smith, Silas Eastman, Tim Poitras

July 4, 2017 · 5:53 pm

Rob Gomez and Heather Mahoney win 2017 Bridgton 4 on the Fourth

Rob Gomez (Windham ME) takes the men’s title.

(Bridgton ME) Three days after a tornado roared into sections of Bridgton, over two thousand runners raced through an area of the town hit hardest by the storm. Talk about resilience!

Beautiful weather for the 41^st edition of the Bridgton 4 on the Fourth on Tuesday morning.

First-timer Rob Gomez of Windham (ME) ran away from the field that included 3-time champion Moninda Marube.

Moninda was only four second off his winning time in 2016 but, against one of state of Maine’s best runners, he was defeated by a significant twenty-five seconds (20:18).

Another first-timer, Heather Mahoney of Westford (MA), was the first woman to finish (24:14). Heather was 24^th overall. Her husband, Chris, crossed 8^th overall.

Heather Mahoney (Westford MA) was the top woman.

Two seniors from Principia College (Elsah IL), who work at Camp Owatonna in Harrison (ME), were among the top finishers. Shane Witters Hicks was 3^rd while teammate Nate Richards was 6^th.

In fourth place was Colby grad Silas Eastman. Silas has won this race in the past.

Osman Doolow (Lewiston ME) was another successful newcomer to this event. Osman had a remarkable high school running season in 2015-2016 winning several Maine state titles.

Robert Hollis (Farmington ME) was back at 7^th again.

Nick Brown (UNH freshman) took over thirty seconds off his time last year to claim 9^th.

Patrick Carty (Emmanuel College) from nearby Sweden reached 10^th.

Looking for a most-improved runner? Without much research, I’ll take Anna Lastra. Anna was a good runner for Fryeburg Academy but has now moved on to run at Stonehill College (Easton MA). Last year’s time: 25:46 and 46^th overall. This year’s time: 24:37 and 26^th overall. Watch out for Anna if she runs the Bridgton race next year.

Grady Rockwell shows the colors

Mary Pardi of Falmouth, who has competed in Bridgton many times, ended up as the 3^rd woman to finish.

The excitement, to me, in the Bridgton 4 on the Fourth is that you never know what runners will appear. The way that Moninda Marube had easily won the three races he had run at Bridgton had me thinking that the battle would be for second. Silly me! If I had known who Rob Gomez was I would have certainly hedged my assumption.

Rob is a graduate of Medomak Valley and Bates. He was the 5^th Mainer to finish the Beach to Beacon 10K last year. He was Maine’s “Runner of the Year” in 2013 according to New England Runner Magazine. He has had two top-forty finishes in the Boston Marathon. He owns the Eastern Shore Training company. He’s into running!

The Bridgton race is serious for some but for many it is a social event. It is not uncommon for runners to move into the crowd for a high-five or a hug.

A good collection of patriotic gear was in evidence.

Race Results

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Rob Gomez follows the Bridgton cruiser

Rob Gomez with Moninda Marube in the distance

Moninda Marube followed by Shane Witters Hicks

Silas Eastman followed by Osman Doolow, Nate Richards, and Robert Hollis

Osman Doolow followed by Nate Richards

Chris Mahoney (8th)

Zachary Matthiesen, Patrick Carty, Nick Brown

Anna Lastra (Bridgton ME)

Cooper Ashcroft (Canton MA)

Mike Brooks, Bear Brooks, George Voigt

Paige Lipman, Sara Shipon, Caroline Green

Amelia Bommer

Brad Richards

Nearby camps sent runners to Bridgton

Ken Shaw gives his daughter a 4-mile ride

Patriotic look

Bill Wood of Harrison ME

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Tagged as Anna Lastra, Heather Mahoney, Moninda Marube, Rob Gomez, Shane Witters Hicks, Silas Eastman

July 4, 2016 · 8:39 pm

Moninda Marube and Kristin Barry win 2016 Bridgton 4 on the Fourth

Moninda Marube wins his third Bridgton 4 on the Fourth

Kristin Barry (2001) took home her second Bridgton 4 on the Fourth title

(Bridgton ME) Moninda Marube won the Bridgton 4 on the Fourth for the third time in the last four years on a warm Monday July 4^th morning.

Several thousand runners completed the 4-mile course.

In all three wins, Moninda has not been in any kind of competitive danger coming down Main Street.

In the other two wins, Moninda was still tight to the task along Main Street but not today. He was smiling with thumbs up at the Bridgton Library well aware of Jim Johnson (2^nd place finisher) being too far back to catch him.

I had hoped that last year’s winner (Andrew Stewart) would be in the field because if time’s mean anything the race down Main Street would have been close. Maybe next year?

The 40^th anniversary of the race had a special ring to it because previous winners were invited back. Those that attended were given the racing bib number of the year they won the event. Nice touch.

Colin Peddie owns race record at 18:46

Got my first look at race record holder Colin Peddie. The tall gentleman did the course in 18:46 in 1987. Ben True was the closest to that record with an 18:58 in 2009.

I think you will need two very good runners in the race to push each other to a run at that 18:46. Moninda was able to win today’s race with a “leisurely” time of 20:41.

Jim Johnson took second. Jim is from Madison (NH) and has been the New Hampshire Snowshoe’s Champion for the last eight years.

Silas Eastman (2012 winner) was third. Silas was sporting the Colby colors. He is a senior in the fall. His parents were part of a storytelling performance that was at the Brick Church (Lovell) on Friday night.

Evan Turner (850) carries the colors down Main Street

Chris Garvin (4^th) from Charlestown RI was 5^th the last two years.

Nate Richards took fifth. Nate is a senior at Principia College in Illinois. Nate was 3^rd last year. He is currently a counselor at Camp Newfound in Harrison.

19-year-old Jose Rosas of Queen University in Charlotte (NC) ended 6^th. The sophomore’s time was 21:33.

Robert Hollis of UMaine Farmington was 7^th. Robert won this year’s North Atlantic Conference championship in cross country.

Chris Dunn, from Kennebunk, took 8^th. Chris was a senior as Southern Maine this year.

Kevin Tilton (9^th) went to UNH. He was 2^nd in this race in 2004 and 2006. He was 4^th in 2008.

Andy Spaulding is a former winner (2002). He ended 10^th today. He is part of the management of the Dirigo running club.

Former winner Kristin Barry (2001) returned in style to finish first among the women and 31^st overall (24:32).

Leader Kristin Barry (2001)

Erin Flynn had Kristin in her sights coming down Main Street but ended up settling for 2^nd, finishing some eleven seconds after Kristin. Erin won this race in 2009 and 2015.

Anna Laska of Bridgton and Fryeburg Academy was the third woman, finishing 46^th overall.

The race is always fun to attend. The surrounding camps are well represented and some of the counselors are high-quality runners. Plenty of patriotic stuff among the participants. I especially admire those who run and chant down Main Street after running 3+ milein 80-degrees heat. Oh, to be young!

The highly competitiveness in this race ends pretty early after the top runners have gone by. Many of the remaining runners look for familiar faces in the crowd. I did see one young man leave the race, run up the stairs of the Bridgton Library, and plant a kiss on what I hope was a significant other. My camera was not fast enough to catch that action!

RACE RESULTS

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Silas Eastman leads Chris Garvin

Nate Richards (1384) Jose Rosas (2212) Robert Hollis (2216)

Silas Eastman (2012) and Chris Garvin

Jim Johnson

Moninda Marube follows the police car with Jim Johnson in the distance

Anna Laska

Jennifer Smith stops to greet a friend

Kelly Akerley of North Bridgton

The Woods

Jeffrey Lindy of Brookline

Dan Allara of Hamilton-Wenham finished 17th

Mike Brooks with bib Number One

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Tagged as Andy Spaulding, Anna Laska, Chris Dunn, Chris Garvin, Colin Peddie, Jim Johnson, Jose Rosas, Kevin Tilton, Kristin Barry, Moninda Marube, Nate Richards, Robert Hollis, Silas Eastman

July 5, 2015 · 12:38 pm

Andrew Stewart wins the 2015 Bridgton 4 on the Fourth

Winner Andrew Stewart leads the way past the Bridgton News office with second-place Silas Eastman in the distance

Silas Eastman (Colby) controls second

(Bridgton Me) Moninda Marube dominated the last two Bridgton 4 on the Fourth’s.

This year Moninda was missing and newcomer Andrew Stewart turned in an equally dominating win in the 39^th edition of this race.

The University of Louisville junior finished with a time of 20:19 on the four-mile course in an overcast day with temperatures in the high 60s at the outset.

Silas Eastman (winner in 2012) took second. The Colby junior trailed Andrew by 22 seconds. My picture shows Andrew passing the Bridgton News office as Silas is seen in the distance.

Good race for third between Nate Richards (Principia College) and Taylor Days-Merrill (Assumption College). Nate got it done by taking over a minute off of his 2014 time.

Chris Garvin of Charlestown (Rhode Island) ended 5^th.

The bragging rights battle was between Kennett High School (Conway NH) track coach Tim Livingston and KHS runner Nicholas Brown for 6th. The 16-year-old finished thirteen seconds behind his coach.

Will Hopkins (counselor at Camp O-At-Ka) via Maryland was 8^th and Benson Worthington, who starred at Brunswick (ME) High School got 9^th.

Jeff Lindy from Brookline (MA) rounded out the top ten.

Erin Flynn topped the women with an 18^th place finish. The Newton (MA) resident took over 1 ½ minutes off her 2014 time.

Mary Pardi of Falmouth (ME) was the second woman while Jodi Theriault of Portland completed the top women’s trio.

I mentioned earlier that Moninda Marube was unavailable. Moninda set out from Auburn (ME) on July 1^st on a 3,700 mile cross-country run. The purpose of his run is to raise awareness of human trafficking. Moninda hopes to reach California in November and run in a marathon at Santa Barbara. Godspeed to him!

Another missing piece in this year’s race was some sort of vehicle conflict. Every past year there are vehicles that try and navigate the race route from downtown Bridgton just as the Main Street part of the race is about to happen. Last year a truck drove up Main Street just seconds before the runners popped the hill after Highland Lake. None of that “excitement” this time around.

The early runners are so serious and fast. Then you get to the runners who are out for a fun run. They almost always have friends/family ready to let out hollers when they pass by. One of the event staff at the end of Church Street had several runners come over to her and hug her before they ran on to the finish.

Impressive rendition of the National Anthem by a nine-year-old before the race began.

I can’t wait to find out what brought winner Andrew Stewart from Kentucky to Maine for this race.

RACE RESULTS

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Andrew Stewart (Louisville) before the race

Silas Eastman before the race

Taylor Day-Morrill (1909) chases Nate Richards for 3rd place

Chris Garvin (5th)

Kennett High coach Tim Livingston (6th)

Benson Worthington (9th)

Mary Pardi (2nd woman)

Nicholas Brown (453) 7th and Will Hopkins 8th

Jodi Theriault (3rd woman)

time to greet a friend

Nick Wilmott of New Zealand

riding to the finish

showing the colors

Stella Rose Boucher (1312)

Marsha, Bill, and Sheila

9-year-old dazzled with her rendition of the National Anthem

Song Kim of York, Maine

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Tagged as Benson Worthington, Bridgton 4 on the Fourth, Chris Garvin, Jeff Lindy, Jodi Theriault, Mary Pardi, Moninda Marube, Nate Richards, Nicholas Brown, Silas Eastman, Taylor Days-Merrill, Tim Livingston, Will Hopkins

July 5, 2014 · 5:57 pm

Marube and Pfitzinger win 38th Bridgton 4 on the Fourth

Moninda Marube of Auburn, Maine wins easily for the second straight year

Annika Pfitzinger of Auckland, New Zealand won the female title finishing 7th overall

Tony Bumatay: One of many runners showing the US colors

(Bridgton ME) Moninda Marube made it look easy for the second straight Bridgton 4 on the Fourth.

The Auburn (Maine) resident, formerly of Kenya, finished the course in 20:29 which was actually four seconds slower than last year’s winning time.

Moninda ran down Main Street without a challenger in sight. I am guessing that the 35-year-old could run closer to the course record (18:46) if someone pushed him. There was no one capable of doing it last year or this year. Maybe next year?

The temperatures were in the sixties with occasional drizzle. There was a rumble of thunder about forty minutes after the race started that got everyone’s attention.

Annika Pfitzinger of Auckland, New Zealand ran away with the woman’s title defeating runner-up Jenna Willett by over two minutes.

The battle for second: Matthew Methot (20400), Silas Eastman (71), and Robert Hall (2039)

The Bridgton race seems, in my opinion, to annually attract a ringer or two. Annika fits that category this time around. The 21-year-old finished second in the national cross country championship in New Zealand last year. Both of her parents are former Olympians. Annika was seventh overall (22:32) in the 38th running of this race.

I like to watch the start of this race and then move to the Magic Lantern area to catch the Main Street section down to Renys.

The race of the day was for second in the men’s division between Matthew Methot, Silas Eastman, and Robert Hall. Matthew (Maine Maritime Academy grad) went past me with a five-yard lead over the other two and I thought that he looked strong enough to hold onto second place. But it didn’t work out that way. Silas (Colby freshman) caught Matthew and took second by three seconds. Robert (Syracuse freshman) ended up seven seconds back in 4th place.

Silas won the race two years ago and then last year was a disappointing 7th. This year he improved his time by over a minute to get second place.

Chris Garvin

Chris Garvin of Charlestown (RI) took 5th with a career best 21:53. Chris was 12th last year.

Nate Richards (6th) is a counselor at Camp Newfound. The 19-year-old took a minute off of last year’s 14th place finish. He is attending Principia College in Elsah, Illinois.

Annika Pfitzinger (21) was 7th. She reacted to a group of well-wishers in front of the Bridgton Library.

Eric Rudolph from Augusta took the eighth spot. Eric (30) is a graduate of Unity College. He was a cross country academic All-American there.

Ian Lanza (9th place) is a doctor from Rochester, Minnesota. Ian (37) ran at UNH and did graduate work at UMass Amherst.

Ben Tanoff finished two seconds behind Ian in 10th place. Ben (21) is a counselor at Camp Indian Acres in Fryeburg. He ran for Kenyon College in Ohio.

Jenna Willett: second female

Youngster Nicholas Brown (16) finished off the top ten males in the race. Nicholas is from Madison (Maine) and runs for the Granite State Flash.

Jenna Willett from Denmark (Maine) was the second female (23rd overall). The Kenyon College grad was second last year as well.

Newcomer, to me, Erin Flynn from Newton (Massachusetts) was the third female finisher.

Robert Hall (4th place finisher) was part of Scarborough’s state championship outdoor track team in 2013. Robert won the 1600 meter at that event.

Weather? I thought it was terrific for the runners. Cooler than it had been with no sun. The off-and-on drizzle probably felt good to the participants. My camera wasn’t thrilled, however!

One improvement I liked was not having any cars parked on Main Street. I also liked the idea of keeping the runners on the right hand side of Main Street.

Truck adds some excitement to the wait for the runners to appear

If you’re looking for excitement you’re sure to get it while waiting for the runners to finally pop onto Main Street. Every year, without fail, some driver will try to become part of the race. This year two drivers entered the “what-could-go-wrong” zone in the last minutes before the runners appeared.

The first one pulled out of the Big A planning on heading toward Reny’s. He was stopped in a hurry but opted to converse with a race staff member about why he needed to continue the way he was going. He was finally convinced to turn around which seemed to take forever.

The other driver came out of the side street across from the Big A driving a truck. He headed up Main Street toward the spot where the runners get onto Main Street. No one stopped him and he went up the hill toward the monument literally seconds before the runners showed up. That one could have been ugly!

National Anthem

I commend the race staff for their overall organization. The same folks appear to be in charge every year and they know what they’re doing.

Always impressive at the 4 on the Fourth is the patriotic garb. The participating camps really seem to take it on. In a world where things are anything but rosy, you sense optimism about this country among the younger set.

Official race results

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)

Brian Ladd

Austin Osborn

Ricky Lipsey

Benjamin Chaine and Kristen Huntress

Alex Youngblood

Bill Wood

Nate Richards (6th)

Eric Rudolph (8th)

Ian Lanza (9th)

Ben Tanoff (10th)

Nicholas Brown (11th)

Isabella Rocamboli

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Tagged as Annika Pfitzinger, Ben Tanoff, Chris Garvin, Eric Rudolph, Ian Lanza, Jenna Willett, Matthew Methot, Moninda Marube, Nate Richards, Nicholas Brown, Robert Hall, Silas Eastman

July 4, 2013 · 9:32 pm

Moninda Marube and Mary Pardi win 37th Annual Bridgton 4 on the Fourth

(Bridgton) Last year the elite runners from away stayed away.

On this very hot morning, a collection of talented newcomers appeared and dominated the 37th annual race.

Moninda Marube

Mary Pardi

Moninda Marube, the 34-year-old originally from Kenya, started fast and won easily with a time of 20:27.

Second place finisher Matt Rand (Tufts University) trailed Moninda by over thirty seconds.

Finishing third was Craig Robinson (Bentley University) who trailed Matt by nearly thirty second.

So there was plenty of space between the first three. In each case, the runner ahead had reached the Bridgton News office as the next runner was coming down the hill above the Big A.
The promising youngster among the Top Ten was 15-year-old Thomas Ratcliffe, the Concord-Carlisle sophomore, who overtook John Vallo (Southern Maine) down the stretch to capture 4th. Thomas won the Dual County (MA) League championship for the mile in outdoor track as a freshman.

Matt Rand

Jenna Willett

Philip Parent of Pinkerton Academy (Derry NH) followed Pete Bottomley and Silas Eastman to get 8th.

Last year’s winner (Silas Eastman) finished two full minutes after the 2013 winner Moninda Marube in seventh place. Silas just graduated from Fryeburg Academy and in the fall will be attending Colby College.

Fifty-one-year-old Pete Bottomley reached sixth this time around after his best finish ever (3rd) in 2012.

Forty-year old Michael Keenan (South Glastonbury CT) got past Taylor Days-Merrill (Assumption College freshman) late to gain the ninth spot.

Mary Pardi finished twentieth overall and first among the women. Mary was ninth among the women in the 2012 Philadelphia Marathon.

Craig Robinson

Bridget Gagne

Jenna Willett (Kenyon College Fighting Scots) was second and Bridget Gagne (winner of the Miles for Miracles in Hartford last month) took third.

The tough heat was certainly a factor in this one. My suspicion is that many runners signed up but (wisely?) chose to stay away from the actual event. It was even hot watching the race!

The coolest spot in the area had to be where a mother duck and her five ducklings were situated in Stevens Brook as the race went on.

I did some Google research on Moninda Marube and was able to see his Facebook page. One of the pictures on the page looked very familiar to me and I realized that I had seen Moninda run last July in the Newburyport Yankee Homecoming 10-miler. Moninda came in a close 4th against a very strong field. Here is my story/pictures from that race.

Click here to see the race results for the 2013 Bridgton 4 on the 4th.

(If you click on any of the pictures they will enlarge considerably.)

Stevens Brook – the place to be!

John Vallo, Thomas Ratcliffe, and Pete Bottomley

Tim Even (17th)

Michael Keenan (1051) and Taylor Days-Merrill (1026)

Philip Parent

Silas Eastman

July 4th runners

Seth Shimberg wears the flag

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July 4, 2012 · 10:24 pm

Emily Ward and Silas Eastman Win 2012 Bridgton 4 on the 4th

Silas Eastman, Tim Even, and Peter Bottomley (in the distance) stride for the top three places in the 2012 Bridgton 4 on the 4th

Silas Eastman – champion runner and skier at Fryeburg Academy

(Bridgton ME) The last few years runners “from away” have shown up at the Bridgton 4 on the 4th and gotten the best of the local runners.

Not this year. Familiar faces Silas Eastman, Tim Even, and Peter Bottomley took the top three spots in the male division under overcast conditions. (It was almost like having Americans take the first three spots in the Boston Marathon!)

However, in the women’s division vacationing Emily Ward, formerly a Division 1 runner for the University of Richmond, was seventeenth overall (24:26) and defeated the second place woman (Cathleen Balantic) by fifty seconds.

Interesting coincidence that last year’s men’s winner (Jonny Wilson) was also from the University of Richmond.

Winner Silas Eastman from Chatham (NH) just finished his junior year at Fryeburg Academy and has won the Class B state cross country championship the last two years. The 17-year-old is also one of the best skiers in Maine.

Emily Ward – former University of Richmond runner finishes first

Silas ran the course in 21:33 defeated FA alum Tim Even by eight seconds. When I saw the two runners near the Magic Lantern, Silas appeared to be stretching his lead over Tim.

Second place finisher Tim (23) from Stoneham (ME) graduated this year from Southern Maine. He was the 2012 Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year in the Little East Conference.

Third place finisher Peter Bottomley was 16th in 2003 but has been in the top ten every other year since 2001. The 50-year-old’s best finish had been sixth before today‘s third place. The Maine Track Club named Peter the 2011 Outstanding Runner in the 40-49 age bracket.

Dominic Vernazza (1936) finished 4th. Kevin On (1689) fifth. Max Warner (1431) sixth.

Dominic Vernazza took fourth. He is at Camp Winona by way of Chatham, New Jersey. Dominic (15) is a sophomore at Chatham High. He was the Fishawack 4-mile run winner in New Jersey on June 9th.

Kevin On (19) from Chicago got 5th and Max Warner (24) on the staff at Camp Owatonna was sixth.

Young Nick Brown (14) from Madison (NH) finished seventh. Nick was 9th yesterday in a race in Manchester (NH).

Colton Tinker (22) was eighth. Colton was a junior this year at Southern Maine and part of the 2011 Little East champion cross country team with Tim Even.

Cathleen Balantic (795) second and April Wernig (1973) third.

Matt O’Rourke (17) took ninth. Matt was a junior at Arlington (MA) High School this year.

Dr. Kyle Rhoads runs this race regularly. Kyle is the principal of the Windham (ME) Primary School. He finished tenth today.

On the women’s side, Emily Ward was seventeenth overall and Cathleen Balantic was twenty-fifth. Cathleen won a 5K ran in Juneau (Alaska) on June 16th.

Former Bowdoin runner April Wernig finished third for the women and thirty-sixth overall.

(All of the pictures above and below enlarge significantly if you click on them.)

Logan Kavanagh

Matt ORourke (9th)

Nick Brown (seventh)

Payton Mannerino

Peter Bottomley (3rd)

race start

Sara Bradley

Tim Even (2nd)

Colton Tinker (8th)

Tom and Karoline Hartner

Tom Bumatay

Henry Howell (12) finished 31st

Henry Osborn

Dr. Kyle Rhoads (10th)

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Tagged as 2012 Bridgton 4 on the 4th, April Wernig, Cathleen Balantic, Colton Tinker, Dominic Vernazza, Emily Ward, Kevin On, Kyle Rhoads, Matt O'Rourke, Max Warner, Nick Brown, Peter Bottomley, Silas Eastman, Tim Even

July 4, 2010 · 7:44 pm

Phil Richert Wins Bridgton 4 on the Fourth Road Race

Part of the crowd of 1757 finishers at the Bridgton 4 on the Fourth road race.

(Bridgton ME) Steamy Bridgton was the scene of the 34th annual 4 on the Fourth road race.

Temperatures were in the 80s even at the 8AM start time from beside Food City.

Winner Phil Richert runs alone to victory in the 34th 4 on the Fourth

For the third straight year, the winner was a newcomer to the event.

I like to size up the runners as they prepare for the start to see if I can pick the winner. After the race starts, I move over to in front of the Magic Lantern to get a great view of the runners cruising down Main Street and to see how I did. I suspected that there were ringers in the race but chose the wrong one. My wife, however, guessed Phil Richert and had the winner.

For the second straight year, the eventual winner ran Main Street without company. The first competitive race was for fifth between Tim Even and John Bechshaw and Tim eventually won while John faded to seventh.

The race now attracts over 1500 runners and has come a long way from 1977 when it was started. In that starting year, the race was held in DECEMBER with a course that included Chadbourne Road and Upper Ridge Road. That race ended at the house of the organizer and hot cider was served to the 28 participants.

Later the starting point shifted to the golf course and the ending to Highland Lake. The hassle of getting runners to the golf course caused it to be shifted to downtown Bridgton in the 1980s where it has stayed. USA Track & Field have certified the course.

The event is very well organized from beginning to end. There are still folks who think that they can drive along Main Street just before the runners show up. Two cars tried it this year and judging by the number of stops they were forced into and the verbals they got, I doubt they’ll make the same mistake again.

Bowman Schneider (aged 7) was one of the 1757 finishers.

One change I noticed was that cones ran down the middle of Main Street giving the runners just half of the road. With 1757 finishers, I’m not sure that was a great idea.

That high heat brought out health concerns. You never worry about the elite runners because they have trained enough so that they could probably keep the same pace for another four miles. It’s the folks who are trained but the heat gets them or the untrained that should be standing beside me rather than risking their lives in front of a large audience. I did hear a couple of ambulances as I was leaving the race, before all had finished, and pray that there wasn’t a fatality. I did see one scary elderly gentleman in the race look as if he was going to go down at any minute since he was running at about a 45 degrees angle. Fortunately, it looked as if a family member was near him in case he headed for the pavement.

I did some online research on the top finishers after seeing their summer residences listed beside their names. I just wanted to know a little more background.

Winner Phil Richert is from Minnesota and went to Wisconsin = Stevens Point. The 23-year-old ran track there. What’s he doing in Bridgton, Maine on a hot July 4th? The Portland Press Herald found out that he has a summer job at Arcadia National Park in the gift shop on Cadillac Mountain.

Phil’s 19:58 winning time was quite a ways from that of record-setting Colin Peddie. The 3-time winner ran the course in 18:46 in 1987. Colin still holds a number of Maine state track records set while he was at Cheverus High School.

Noah Graboys, Douglas Whichard, and Richard Klauber finish 2nd, 3rd, and 4th

In second was Noah Graboys, who just graduated from New Trier High School in Illinois. If you want a favorite for next year, how about this kid? He finished eighth in 2009. It surprised me to see an elite runner like Noah have such long hair. If he returns next year with short hair, he’s my favorite. Noah’s brother, Sam, finished 11th and he’s just 15. Both boys are again connected to Camp Wigwam in Waterford for the summer and have run the Bridgton race several times each.

Third was Douglas Whichard who finished 15th at Bridgton as a 16-year-old in 2006. Doug is from California and is connected to the track program at UC Santa Barbara.

In fourth was Richard Klauber. This was Richard’s first try at Bridgton. He’s from Thomaston CT and now runs for Quinnipiac College. He’ll be a junior.

The first truly local runner to show up was Stoneham’s Tim Even. Tim is 21, attends the University of Southern Maine and runs track there. He has been running Bridgton while he was at Fryeburg Academy and had been stuck in the teens for the past three tries. This time, though, he put together his best time and best finish.

Erica Jesseman finishes first for the women and 14th overall

Scarborough’s Erica Jesseman finished 14th overall to pace the women finishers for the second time. She also was the best woman in 2006. She just graduated from UNH and starred in track.

(All information should be considered unofficial.)

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Tagged as Bowman Schneider, Bridgton, Bridgton 4 on the 4th, Cadillac Mountain gift shop, Cheverus, Colin Peddie, Douglas Whichard, Erica Jesseman, New Trier High School, Noah Graboys, Phil Richert, Quinnipiac College, Richard Klauber, Sam Graboys, Timothy Even, UC Santa Barbara, UNH, Wisconsin-Stevens Point