Mount Desert Island Marathon
Bar Harbor, Maine
Sunday, October 19, 2008

I finished state number 49 when I race walked the Mount Desert Marathon in Bar Harbor, Maine on Sunday, October 19, 2008. The race director rates the course as challenging with the terrain being hilly throughout the entire route. I agree with him completely. This is one of the most scenic courses in the entire country. The hills and coastline were augmented by the colorful fall foliage. The weather was cold 26 degrees to 50 degrees with sun and a little wind. There were water/Gatorade stations every two miles with plenty of enthusiastic volunteers. For the most part the road was open to traffic that sometimes did not leave much room for the participants. We were always on the left side of the roads and this caused much of the footing to be slanted to the left and made some of my race walking to be unnatural. I enjoyed the race; however.
One of my friends, John Welsh, the principal of Key West High School, did the race with me. He enjoyed himself also.