Gov. Angus King’s “Maine Is on the Move” has to be one of the weirdest political slogans. How can a whole state be on the move unless we are all migrating somewhere?

But when I saw this slogan on a big green banner at the second annual Team Maine Distance Festival in Brunswick last Saturday, I conceded it might have some meaning, because this year it has become clear that Maine racing is going places.

The distance festival, an invitational held at the Bowdoin College track, is one example. Begun last year by Brunswick’s Steve and Marjorie Podgajny, coordinators of the elite Team Maine, the event’s goal is showcasing the state’s running talent. Each year it has featured state record-breaking runs and has pitted some of the state’s best runners against excellent out-of-state competition.

Last year Erik Nedeau, formerly of Kennebunk High and Northeastern University, ran a mile in 4 minutes, 1 second, breaking a 4:07 state record set at the University of Maine in 1963. The only Mainer ever to run sub-four (while still at college), he was trying to run the first sub-four mile in Maine. Also in last year’s meet, Joe LeMay of Connecticut, who holds the national 10-mile record (47:25), set a state 5,000-meter record of 14:18.

This year LeMay returned and did a 14:14 despite having no one to push him. Even with Nedeau competing in Europe this season, the best men’s mile time was still good: a 4:03 run by Scott Strand of Alabama, a former All-American steeplechaser.

In the women’s mile, Alisa Hill of Newton, Mass., ran a 4:34, demolishing the Whittier Field record of 5:00. A two-time Pan-American Games medalist, in 1993 she was ranked No. 1 nationally for 1,500 meters.

A top-notch out-of-stater was attracted to the boys 1,600: Hugh Simson, 17, of Saint John, New Brunswick, ran a 4:22, beating Joe Luchini of Ellsworth and the best of Maine’s school talent. In the high school girls’ races, the usual front-runners, Cuyler Goodwin of Brunswick in the 800, and Margery VanOrden in the mile, cleaned up.

The distance festival has become Maine’s top track event. This year famed world-record miler Jim Ryun fired the starter’s pistol for the men’s and women’s miles.

A lovely evening of track in a classic setting, the distance festival is still developing. While it has attracted top runners, it needs to attract more of them to provide competitive fire for each event. Corporate support for prize money will probably be needed for this.

Another indication that the Maine racing picture is brightening is that the state is again producing potential Olympic-quality runners, the first since Bruce Bickford and Joan Benoit in the mid-80’s.

Nedeau has become one of the top 1,500-meter runners in the world. He took third (3:44) at this winter’s world indoor championships in Barcelona, beating Fermin Cacho, the 1992 Olympic gold medalist. The top six runners crossed the finish line in the span of one second. (A nightmare for those of us used to timing by hand!)

Up and coming, too, as a national-caliber runner is Sam Wilbur of Lincoln. He just graduated from Dartmouth College, where he wound up his career by winning the New England collegiate men’s championships for 10,000 meters with a 29:14 and was fifth in the U.S. overall steeplechase championship (8:36). His personal best for the mile is 4:01.

There are younger runners who have enormous potential such as Goodwin, who this fall goes to Villanova – a top track university in Pennsylvania – with 16 state championships under her belt. Former Narraguagus of Harrington star Gladys Ganiel, who took sixth in the Footlocker national high school cross-country championship last fall, will join former Greely High School star Molly Dinan at Providence College. Dinan made the U.S. 10K junior world chmpionship team last year.

There are three other Maine women who have qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials: Julia Kirtland of South Harpswell with a 2:44 (she did this coming in third at the USA Track & Field national championship marathon in February in Columbia, S.C.); Edie Dubord of Waterville with a 2:48; and Christine Snow Reaser of Augusta with a 2:48. No Maine man besides Rob Pierce of Alfred has yet qualified. Pierce is 22nd among the men.

Let us not forget the old folks. Mike Gaige, 42, of Bangor, could do well in the national masters’ cross-country championships in early December. They will be held at Boston’s Franklin Park. Two years ago he finished fourth, just eight seconds behind running great Bill Rodgers in the national masters’ 8K cross-country race.

Lance Tapley is publisher and editor of “Maine Running & Fitness” magazine.