Lebreton edges Goupee to win Labor Day race Richardson top woman in 5-miler

BANGOR – After watching Phil Lebreton scorch through two miles of Monday’s Bangor Labor Day 5-Miler – and after patiently reeling in the slowing Lebreton over the next mile – Andy Goupee admits he made a small tactical mistake.

He didn’t punish Lebreton for his early indiscretions.

“You’ve gotta push at those times, but I just didn’t feel like it,” Goupee said. “I didn’t have it for now. You just run as fast as you can.”

Lebreton, who tucked in and “rested” through a slowish downhill 5:45 fourth mile, took advantage of that breather when he reached Main Street: He used his superior foot-speed to kick away from Goupee.

Lebreton, a Brewer High grad who lives in Bangor, finished in 26 minutes, 58 seconds while Orrington’s Goupee ran 27:08. Lebreton built his entire margin of victory over the final 200 meters.

“I’m pretty confident in my mile pace in the last half-mile, because I was a miler,” Lebreton said. “I’m more getting transitioned into being a marathon runner, but I still have that confidence, if I can stay with him until a half mile to go, I’ve got confidence that I can take him at the end.”

Goupee, who has been battling illness all summer, said he hasn’t been able to train much in months, running just a time or two a week.

“To be honest with you, I was just running for fun today,” Goupee said.

In the women’s race, former Waterville High and Brown University star Jenna Richardson of China cruised to a comfortable win … even though she wasn’t sure what she was in for after deciding to head to Bangor for the race.

“I guess I thought it was a 5K until this morning, so that was a little bit surprising,” Richardson said.

Richardson clocked a 30:36, while Kathleen Bell took second in 32:10. Rosalea Kimballl was third in 33:08.

A total of 138 runners finished the race – an increase of 48 finishers over last year.

Richardson said finding out the race was nearly two miles further than she’d expected didn’t really changer her approach.

“I wasn’t taking my splits or anything. I was just running it. It was a good workout right now,” she said.

But that doesn’t mean it was particularly pleasant, either.

“I felt like crap, to tell you the truth,” Richardson said.

The men’s race, while competitive up front, also featured a well-known field of contenders. The six finishers behind Lebreton and Goupee, in fact, formed a virtual who’s who list of Eastern Maine running from the 1980s and 90s.

Bruce Bridgham of Jonesboro was third, former Stearns of Millinocket and UMaine standout Dan Dearing took fourth and ex-Hampden Academy star Brent Leighton was fifth. Tim Wakeland of Holden, a former Iowa State All-American, finished sixth, Jim Newett of Ellsworth was seventh and Henri Bouchard was eighth.

Each has been a frequent winner on the Maine road scene.

Bell, the women’s runner-up, grew up in Framingham, Mass., and moved to Maine a little more than a year ago to take a position as a professor in the department of resource economics at UMaine.

She said her goals were modest.

“Today I just wanted to go in and feel good,” Bell said. “I raced yesterday.”

Bell said Richardson quickly ended the women’s competition.

“I saw her at the beginning, and then she did her own thing,” Bell said. “She’s amazing. She’s a good person to have up front. A good goal.”