Youth rules over age in Bangor race> Allen edges veteran Dearing

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BANGOR – Not long into Monday’s 37th Labor Day 5-Miler, Dan Dearing – formerly one of Maine’s top road warriors – looked like he’d recaptured his youth.

With his bright red hair bouncing on every stride, the shirtless 37-year-old built a 100-meter lead with a speedy first mile and ran alone through the two-mile mark in 10 minutes, 40 seconds.

A half mile after that, youth (in the form of Bangor 17-year-old Ben Allen) recaptured the former UMaine standout.

And at the end, after nearly 2 1/2 miles of stride-for-stride racing, the patient Allen pounced, putting a seven-second cushion on Dearing in the final 150 yards of the race to earn the win.

Allen’s winning time on the sunny and humid day was 28:04. Dearing ran 28:11, while third-place finisher Gabriel Brooks clocked a 29:15.

In the women’s race, Hampden’s Sheila Hodges won her fifth Labor Day crown in seven years by nearly four minutes, touring the course in 33:56. Samantha Taber was second in 37:53, tipping Margaret Jones of Bucksport by a second.

Eighty runners completed the race.

Allen is a junior at Bangor High who finished third in the Ellsworth Invitational cross country meet on Saturday. He said that a glance at last year’s winning time – 30:06 – told him he might be able to contend.

But Dearing’s opening 5:10 mile changed Allen’s goals a bit.

“I was kind of worried after he went out kind of fast,” Allen said. “But after two miles I knew I could catch him.”

And when he did, shortly after a steep footpath dumps runners onto Wiley Street, Allen said he liked what he saw – or heard.

“I had a lot of energy left and [Dearing] was kind of breathing heavy, so I kind of knew I could pass him at the end if I was with him at the end.”

Dearing’s initial analysis jibed with Allen’s.

“He was running very smoothly and relaxed, so I tried to get into his rhythm after the hill and relax,” Dearing said.

Dearing has recently returned to running and is training 30 miles per week – mostly as a way to have fun with his family.

During the late ’80s and early ’90s, Dearing ran for the Boston Athletic Association, logged 80 to 120 miles a week, and competed in a national schedule of races.

Dearing, who admitted he didn’t know many of the other top runners in the field, said he wasn’t too surprised when he stole a glance at the runner who’d caught him and saw a smooth-running kid with braces on his teeth.

“Knowing how old my legs are, [I wasn’t surprised],” Dearing said with a lau expected, actually, [more] people to be up with me.”

After a couple of minor surges were quickly answered by Allen, Dearing, too, was content to wait for the kick.

“I just figured I’d have a shot at the end if I had anything left,” Dearing said.

Hodges, 44, said she wasn’t confident enough to plan for another win, but admitted that she sized up the other runners before the start.

“Once I saw the field I was hoping [to win], but you never know what the competitors have in them,” she said.

37th Labor Day 5-Miler AT BANGOR

1. Ben Allen 28:04, 2. Dan Dearing 28:11, 3. Gabriel Brooks 29:15, 4. Charles Teed 29:32, 5. Gary Lafreniere 29:37, 6. Chris Jones 30:35, 7. Steve Connor 30:52, 8. Robert Jordan 31:13, 9. John Mills 31:22, 10. Marty Smith 31:23, 11. Jeff Sands 32:13, 12. Rick Lyons 32:15, 13. Mathew Ferguson 32:22, 14. Ed Hughes 32:32, 15. Seth Harrow 33:04, 16. Ron Pelletier 33:10, 17. Alan Stockley 33:26, 18. James Beardsley 33:35, 19. Sheila Hodges 33:56, 20. Bob Snow 34:14;

21. Ryan Oakes 34:23, 22. Dave Torrey 34:30, 23. Alton Libby 35:35, 24. John Dostie 35:43, 25. Tom Kirby 36:14, 26. Andy Pettle 36:18, 27. Tim Reid 36:26, 28. Ed Rice 36:38, 29. K. Scott Hinckley 37:12, 30. Ike Morgan 37:24, 31. Lance Stuart 37:25, 32. Dale Dickie 37:52, 33. Samantha Taber 37:53, 34. Margaret Jones 37:54, 35. Dan Mulan 37:55, 36. John Kraljic 37:56, 37. Elizabeth Scott 38:04, 38. Edward Rudnicki 38:20, 39. Phil Stuart 38:49, 40. Keith Holland 38:52;

41. Bernice Stockley 38:55, 42. Annie Stockbridge 38:56, 43. Dick Miles 38:59, 44. Lori Brown 39:21, 45. Shannon Smith 39:30, 46. Peter Boucher 39:58, 47. Ron Dostie 40:02, 48. Thad Dwyer 40:06, 49. Peggy Smith 40:20, 50. Laura Bagley 40:40, 51. Jeanne Butterfield 40:46, 52. Roben Sypitkowski 40:47, 53. Patti Hinckley 40:55, 54. Joan Merriam 41:07, 55. Gerry Rudmin 41:21, 56. John Wakely 41:36, 57. Reynold Dubois 41:49, 58. Billy Hall 42:12, 59. Dave Page 42:23, 60. Kathleen Dearing 42:50;

61. George Schaefer 42:53, 62. Tom Bennett 42:54, 63. Robbie Johnson 43:00, 64. Annette Hatch-Clein 43:11, 65. Jessica Smith 43:43, 66. John Goldfine 44:02, 67. John Riley 44:17, 68. Amy Clark 44:20, 69. Paul Edwards 44:20, 70. Michael Cram 44:33, 71. Gary Fessler 44:35, 72. Denny Morrill 45:09, 73. Walter Cupples 45:37, 74. Craig Stockbridge 45:59, 75. Wayne Smith 46:31, 76. Lucas Pelkey 47:04, 77. Paul Nichols 47:05, 78. Laura Zegel 47:14, 79. Floyd Hoyt 47:31, 80. Lori Lommler 47:38;

81. Bill Arata 48:09, 82. Jean Goldfine 49:49, 83. John Evans 49:54, 84. Mike Lebun 51:18, 85. Laura Artesani 52:50, 86. Hanna Claeson 59:32, 87. Kate Skorpen-Claeso 59:32, 88. Dottie Laber 1:02:13, 89. Marsha Hartz 1:03:03

AGE GROUP WINNERS Women

19-under: Samantha Taber, 37:53; 20-29: Lori Brown 39:21; 30-39: Margaret Jones 37:54; 40-49: Sheila Hodges 33:56; 50-59: Peggy Smith 40:20; 60-over: Dottie Laber 1:02:13 Men

19-under: Ben Allen 28:04; 20-29: Charles Teed 29:32; 30-39: Dan Dearing 28:11; 40-49: Rick Lyons 32:15; 50-59: Alan Stockley 33:26; 60-over: Denny Morrill 45:09