Liberty 5K Trail Run

Into the woods we go.

The Fourth of July brought the return of live running events in Maine.

The Liberty 5K Trail Run is believed to be the first live race held since the Irish Road Rover in Portland on March 1. Back 40 Events and Pineland Farms in New Gloucester hosted the trail race that many termed a test-case.

A few of the coronavirus-inspired ground rules were:

• Six waves of no more than 40 runners each;
• Waves started 30 minutes apart;
• No same-day registration;
• Runners allowed in staging area only 20 minutes prior to wave start;
• Starting line area marked for social distancing;
• Finishers required to leave the start/finish area immediately.

The event went off without a hitch and with a notable lack of fireworks; very subdued for a Fourth of July race.

Social distancing was not an issue – at the start or out on Pineland’s Oak Hill and Pownal trails.

A total of 85 registered, nowhere near capacity, and the largest waves were Nos. 3 and 4 with a little more than 20 in each.

I met Terry Hartford, aka, Capt. America, and his son, Kyle, in the parking lot about 30 minutes before our Wave 4 start time of 8:30 a.m. At 8:10 we headed across Intervale Road to the Oak Hill Trail.

Kennebunk’s Chris Dunn, a 25-year-old whiz, took home the top prize with a crackling time of 17:56. I checked in at 33rd overall and second in the 50-59 age group at 25:59. Not bad for the shape I’m in.

All that was left was a stop at Pineland Farms’ wonderful market for some cookies to bring home.

Socially distanced, post Liberty 5K Trail Run-photo in the parking lot at Pineland Farms with Terry and Kyle Hartford.