CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine — With cool temperatures and intermittent rain showers providing favorable conditions for runners, 49-year-old Robert Ashby of Brunswick took home top honors in the 36th annual Sugarloaf Marathon on Sunday with a time of 2 hours, 41 minutes, 49 seconds.
Sarah Walker, 24, of Waterville claimed victory over the women’s field in 2:52:59.
Maine runners were well-represented in the 15-kilometer race as well, with 30-year-old Jonny Wilson of Falmouth and 49-year-old Christine Hein of North Yarmouth crossing the finish line to win the men’s and women’s races in 47:07 and 57:37, respectively.
Ashby found the top spot on the podium after placing second and third in the marathon in 2015 and 2017. This year, the top three finishers in the men’s field were separated by only one minute with Ian Therriault of Braintree, Mass., taking second place in 2:42:09, and Matthew Daly of Eliot in third with a time of 2:42:50
Walker held more than an 11-minute lead over second-place finisher, Carolyn Yang of Rogers, Ark., who crossed the finish line in 3:04:35. Kacey Busque of Manchester, Conn., joined Yang and Walker on the women’s podium in third place, with a finish time of 3:09:33.
Maine runners swept the 15K podiums, with Kenneth Akiha of Orono and Ryan Collins of Portland finishing behind Wilson in the men’s division, in 50:18 and 52:01, respectively. Tamlyn Frederick of Harpswell and Audrey MacHowski of Wales rounded out the women’s top three with Hein, crossing the finish line in 1:05:53 and MacHowski at 1:06:48.
With competitors traveling from as far away as Guatemala, this year’s race welcomed 1,600 registered runners hailing from 49 states and four countries.
The Sugarloaf Marathon is Maine’s oldest continuously run marathon. It is an official qualifying race for the Boston Marathon certified by the United States Track and Field Association and the race is popular among running enthusiasts. Despite its mountainous setting, the course is primarily downhill and ends with a gradual 16-mile descent.
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