Spaulding wins third Blueberry> Ganiel leads women; Bickford distant third

MACHIAS — Andy Spaulding of Searsport topped a field of more than 100 runners for the third straight year to win the annual 5-mile Machias Blueberry Run on Saturday.

Winning in 25 minutes, 47 seconds, the 23-year-old Spaulding shaved 29 seconds off his winning time of a year ago. His finish, however, was still nearly two minutes shy of the course record set in 1982 by Michael Gaige of Bangor. Gaige completed the loop that year in 24:45.9.

Bruce Bridgham, 33, from Jonesboro, earned second place honors in 26:22 in the fifth race of the Bangor Daily News’ Charities Running Series.

Gladys Ganiel of Harrington won the women’s championship in 30:25.

Since its inception, the race has become the premier running event in Washington County. Held in conjunction with the Machias Blueberry Festival, the race readily attracts competitors from Maine, New England and the Canadian maritime provinces.

Among those in this year’s race was Bruce Bickford of Benton, a Maine Sports Hall of Fame and Maine Running Hall of Fame member who is considered one of Maine’s greatest distance runners.

An alternate in the 5,000 meters in the 1984 Olympics, Bickford was ranked No. 1 in the world in the 10,000 meters the following year by Track and Field News. He won that event at the 1988 Olympic Trials. He is now coaching men’s track and cross country at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass.

Bickford finished Saturday’s race third in 26:41, nearly one minute off Spaulding’s winning pace.