Maine Track Club

Upcoming MTC races

The next two events on the Maine Track Club race schedule -- the MTC 50-Miler and 50K, and the Physical Therapy 8K -- will be held this coming weekend, both in Brunswick.

The MTC 50-Miler and 50K begins Saturday at 6:30 a.m. near the corner of Pennellville and Middle Bay Rd. Both races are on a 4-mile loop course, and runners have the option of switching events while in progress.

The Physical Therapy 8K starts at 9 a.m. Sunday at Brunswick High School. Entry is free for MTC members or $10 for non-members. Volunteers are also needed for the finish line, so please contact Mark Grandonico (232-0232) if you'd like to help.

Maine USATF Grand Prix series

Ethan Hemphill, 36, of Freeport and Carry Buterbaugh, 36, of South Portland clinched open division titles in the Maine USATF Grand Prix Series by winning the next-to-last event -- the Craig Cup Run for Life 5K.

Hemphill increased his lead to 21 points over Judson Cake of Bar Harbor, and Buterbaugh had a 15-point lead over Sheri Piers of Falmouth in the women's division.

Other division leaders are Dave Edwards (40-49), Floyd Lavery (50-59), Jim Toulouse (60-69) and Jerry LeVasseur (70+) among the men, and Christine Reaser (40-49), Carol Fanning (50-59), Joan Tremberth (60-69) and Polly Kenniston (70+) among the women. The Maine Track Club has a large lead in the overall team standings, with Dirigo Running Club in second place.

The final race in the series is the Great Pumpkin 10K in Saco on Oct. 26. The top six results for each runner count toward the final standings.

Grand Prix standings

See your running pictures online

MTC member David Colby Young has photos from numerous road races throughout the state, and beyond, posted on his personal Web site, so if you're a club member who has run any races since 2004, there's a good chance you'll find a photo of yourself. Check out David's site.

MTC Roasters Runs

The Maine Track Club hosts a weekly "Roasters Run" on Saturdays at 7 a.m., starting from the parking lot of Maine Roasters Coffee on Route 1 in Falmouth. This is a great opportunity to discover the social aspects of running. All ability levels are welcome.

Every Saturday morning (come rain, shine or blizzard!), a group of Maine Track Club runners and friends will get together for informal distance runs. Runners can group themselves based on pace and then go out for runs ranging from 5-20 miles through Falmouth and Portland. The courses are well laid out; click here to download a map of the individual routes. Maps will also be available at the start of each group run.

The runs are very informal, with the only formality being that they always start at exactly 7 a.m. all year long. This is an especially great way to train for the marathon distance, running in the company of friends.

Please note that the courses are on public streets or trails, and thus caution should be exercised; the Maine Track Club assumes no liability for runners making use of the group runs. For more information about the Roasters Runs and/or to sign up to put out water, contact Sandy Walton.

Maine Track Club Race Schedule

	MTC 50-Miler and 50K, Brunswick, Oct. 18
	Physical Therapy 8K, Brunswick, Oct. 19
	Maine Running Company Turkey Trot 5K, Cape Elizabeth, Nov. 23
	Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis, Freeport, Dec. 7
	Mid-Winter 10-Mile Classic, Cape Elizabeth, Feb. 1