MACHIAS – The first time Ellsworth’s Andy Beardsley visited Machias, he was on a very different mission than he was Saturday at the 22nd annual Blueberry Run.

“I’d only been to Machias once before,” said Beardsley, who cruised over the hilly five-mile route in 26 minutes, 51 seconds, to earn a 25-second victory over Steve Harding of Santa Barbara, Calif. “And that was so my wife and I could go to Helen’s [restaurant] and get pie.”

Beardsley made the most of his second visit to the Washington County shire town, pulling away from Harding and Tim Wakeland of Dedham by the fourth mile and finishing down Court Street with a furious kick.

“We’re going to hang around a little after the race [and explore the town],” said Beardsley.

The race was held in conjunction with the Machias Blueberry Festival, and numerous street vendors had set up shop downtown despite the rainy conditions.

Beardsley, 33, the cross country coach at Ellsworth High, went out early with a lead pack which included Harding, Wakeland, Bruce Bridgham of Jonesboro, and Jeremy Lisee of Milbridge. They paced through the mostly downhill first mile in 5:05 but slowed considerably in the hilly second mile, the toughest portion of the course.

Beardsley said he had studied a map of the course and knew the most difficult hills were in the first few miles, so when he felt good at mile four he decided to make his move. He surged by Wakeland, who had maintained a two-stride lead most of the way, and capitalized on the downhills in the final mile.

Harding, a Blueberry Run veteran, tried to go with him but settled for second, his highest finish ever in the race.

Wakeland wound up third in 27:24, followed by Bridgham in 27:37 and Lisee in 27:52.

Harding, 24, was born in Garland, raised in Wisconsin, and now works in Santa Barbara as a stockbroker. He summers in Roque Bluffs and usually competes in several local road races.

He could not recall how many times he had participated in the Blueberry Run.

“I ran this the first time when I was 6,” Harding grinned. “I finished second to last and it took me an hour and 15 minutes.”

Harding began racing again this year after taking a year off after graduating from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. Harding was a cross country and track captain at the Division III school and the number one runner on the cross country team.

In the women’s race, Patty McCormick, a graduate student at the University of Maine at Orono, pulled away from Katrina Bisheimer of Bangor for a 21-second win.

McCormick, who holds the school record at Maine for 5,000 meters, timed 32:06. It was just her second race since the 1996 cross country season. She redshirted the 1997 indoor and outdoor track seasons.

McCormick, a New York native who is living in Northeast Harbor for the summer, said she will start her second year of graduate courses in counseling education this fall. She is hoping the NCAA will grant her eligibility to compete for the Black Bears in track.

Usually only first year graduate students are allowed to compete.

McCormick passed Bisheimer between the first and second miles and maintained her lead for the duration. She said she went out cautiously, with a 6:02 in the easy first mile, because she was unfamiliar with the course.

Bisheimer, 32, said she was satisfied with her performance.

“I was just watching the back of her (McCormick). She got ahead, but I think I was gaining (at the end),” Bisheimer said.

Sue Foster of Bar Harbor notched 32:40 for third.

The race drew 145 runners, its second largest crowd ever, despite the foul weather. It poured during the children’s one mile fun run, but the rain stopped and it remained overcast and cool – ideal conditions for distance running – during the five miler.

Machias Blueberry Run 5 Miles

1. Andy Beardsley 26:51, 2. Steve Harding 27:16, 3. Tim Wakeland 27:24, 4. Bruce Bridgham 27:37, 5. Jeremy Lisee 27:52, 6. Matthew Payson 27:57, 7. Jim Newett 28:06, 8. Tyler Lupien 28:39, 9. Stephen Carle 28:47, 10. Newell Lewey 28:54, 11. Ernest Ezis 29:11, 12. Matthew Tiblum 29:23, 13. Nate Woody 29:26, 14. Christopher Hunt 29:27, 15. Jonathan Aretakis 29:32, 16. Nicholas Murphy 29:35, 17. Chris Dorion 29:37, 18. Andy Boesgaard 30:22, 19. Peter Davis 30:42, 20. Larry Tonzi 31:16

21. Karl Johnson 31:19, 22. Paul Mazgas 31:43, 23. Mike Francis 31:47, 24. Patricia McCormick 32:06, 25. Jon Connolly 32:09, 26. Gregory Dorr 32:14, 27. Katrina Bisheimer 32:27, 28. David Torrey 32:30, 29. Sue Foster 32:40, 30. John Hunt 32:43, 31. Gary Larson 32:46, 32. Kevin Doyle 32:54, 33. CiHunt 32:43, 31. Gary Larson 32:46, 32. Kevin Doyle 32:54, 33. Cindy Levine 33:06, 34. Doug Hodum 33:12, 35. Lee Clein 33:18, 36. Ron Kilby 33:26, 37. Bill Pinkham 33:42, 38. Ed Mosel 33:53, 39. Chuck Murphy 33:58, 40. Bion McFadden 34:03

41. Stephen Cates 34:13, 42. Ed Scott 34:14, 43. Janet Feldman 34:20, 44. Gary Wakeland 34:25, 45. Tim McKim 34:26, 46. David Randall-Bodma 34:28, 47. David Baldwin 34:29, 48. Beret Skorpen 34:48, 49. Steve Fortier 34:59, 50. Donald Hogue 35:06, 51. Tony Chapman 35:08, 52. Ric Lamoureux 35:17, 53. Jimmy Buehner 35:26, 54. Ed Rice 35:41, 55. Ben Stark 35:48, 56. Mark Fochesato 36:02, 57. Tony Jans 36:03, 58. Ron Brodaw 36:10, 59. Brannin Buehner 36:30, 60. Robert Johnston 37:08

61. Erin Semba 37:17, 62. Melissa Smith 37:19, 63. Noah Buehner 37:22, 64. Annette Hatch-Clein 37:26, 65. Chris Steeve 37:38, 66. Kris Larson 37:56, 67. Ed Feldman 38:02, 68. Betsy Boyman 38:05, 69. Jennifer Jacobs 38:07, 70. Wayne Ayers 38:08, 71. Tom Brennan 38:26, 72. Lucas Legere 38:28, 73. Carol Legere 38:31, 74. John Churchill 38:32, 75. Mary Louise McEwen 38:42, 76. Dan Fuller 38:50, 77. Peter Knowles 38:53, 78. Robert Jung 39:12, 79. Robert Harvey 39:16, 80. Mark Michelinc 39:18

81. Jana Stabile 39:23, 82. Keith Holcombe 39:29, 83. Laura Zegel 39:30, 84. Andrew Dorr 39:43, 85. Carolyn Murray 39:55, 86. Ken Ross 39:56, 87. Rene Collins 39:56, 88. Garrett Curry 40:03, 89. Sean McDermott 40:11, 90. Troy Dennison 40:24, 91. Stephen Pritchard 40:24, 92. David Means 40:25, 93. Joan Merriam 41:17, 94. Vaughn Holyoke 41:22, 95. Paris Calor 41:41, 96. Charles Ingalls 41:42, 97. Austin Townsend 41:47, 98. David Emus 41:48, 99. Gary Hunt 42:14, 100. Kimberly Bryan 42:41

101. Jane Strassguetl 42:49, 102. Kathy Land 42:54, 103. Tamara Pennell 43:48, 104. Gary Joy 43:48, 105. Denise Foss 43:58, 106. John Schwarze 44:05, 107. Courtney Marshall 44:06, 108. Sam Auerbach 44:47, 109. Don Douville 44:59, 110. Jodi Boesgaard 45:03, 111. Pat Franklin 45:20, 112. Joe Kopin 45:54, 113. Robert Olson 45:56, 114. Daniel Murphy 47:04, 115. Bob Dodge 47:19, 116. Bob Myers 47:43, 117. Deborah Huntley 48:06, 118. Dana Urquhart 48:06, 119. Mary Alice Bruce 48:10, 120. Lisa Jones 48:16

121. Charles Clapper 51:36, 122. Donna Fochesato 51:44, 123. Eric Fochesato 52:00, 124. Triston Everett 52:06, 125. Elaine Freedgood 52:21, 126. Amy Sherburne 52:47, 127. Lani Spinney 52:47, 128. Becca Holcombe 52:49, 129. Stacey Brelsford 52:50, 130. Kristy Doten 53:48, 131. Jim Hurst 57:44, 132. Paul Francis 58:18, 133. Pat Martin 1:00.28, 134. Pierre Dumont 1:01.07, 135. Amy Chapman 1:02.00, 136. Emilio Aquerso 1:04.18, 137. Leona Clapper 1:06.20, 138. Heather Fochesato 1:06.58, 139. Sandra Richards 1:07.13, 140. Sondra Richards 1:07.13

141. Lisa Berg 1:15.29, 142. Joleen Nicely 1:15.32, 143. Cindy Knowles 1:16.25, 144. Bev Smithermon 1:20.29, 145. Linda Albee 1:20.29