Clapper-Buck wins in homecoming Bucksport native more than familiar with Tour du Lac race course

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BUCKSPORT – Mary Clapper-Buck certainly has running in her blood.

Nobody has run a faster Tour du Lac 10-miler time than her brother Gerry. Her twin sister Margaret (now Margaret Jones) co-directed Saturday’s 32nd annual race along with husband Chris and both run many local races. Father Charlie has been running for nearly 30 years.

The 48-year old Clapper-Buck, who hadn’t run this classic 10-mile race since 1979, returned to her roots to win the women’s division with a time of 1 hour, 8 minutes, 32 seconds on a picture-perfect morning for running.

Thanks to some good sisterly advice from Jones, Clapper-Buck and her family decided to make the seven-hour drive from Altamont, N.Y., to Bucksport for not only the race, but a vacation.

“She wanted me to come back and do it this year,” Clapper-Buck said. “It just worked out this year, this year was a good year to do it.”

Samantha Matoush of Bangor finished second in the women’s race, clocking a 1:12:19 while Bucksport’s Katrina Bisheimer was third in 1:13:02.

Erik McCarthy of Orono cruised to a time of 56:19 to win the men’s division. He was followed by Joe Capehart of Bangor in second (57:29), Andy Beardsley of Surry in third (57:35), Perry LeBreton of Kenduskeag in fourth (1:02:28) and Austin Townsend Jr. of Perry (1:02:38) in fifth.

In the women’s race, Clapper Buck, who grew up in Bucksport, was relaxed throughout the whole race and didn’t have any troubles with the hot sun or challenging course.

Hills and a blazing sun don’t faze her.

“I like the heat so I like the sun, I actually run well in it,” Clapper-Buck said.

“I’ve run it growing up here, we used to train on it so I was used to it,” Clapper-Buck added, acknowledging she did many training runs on the Tour du Lac course when she was younger.

“It’s not too bad,” she said about the tough hills in the last few miles. “The hills at the end are the worst. I think those are the toughest.”

Rounding out the top five in the women’s race were Kathleen Bell of Orono (1:16:55) and Melissa Burns of Winterport (1:17:08).

In the men’s race, McCarthy, 26, ran uncontested the whole way, widening his lead over Beardsley and Capehart with every passing mile.

After a rainy day on last year’s race, the running gods finally blessed McCarthy with an ideal day for running.

“It was a beautiful day, a nice cool day,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever run it on such a nice day.”

He fell short of his 10-mile personal best, saying he “missed my PR by about 15 seconds.

“I ran my PR last year,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy, running his fourth Tour du Lac, is attracted to the race because “it’s a challenge, a good distance, a good course, an honest 10-miler,” he said.

He added that his times tend to be faster when he’s not running alone yet doesn’t mind flying solo.

“I generally run faster when I have somebody to push me, but I like running alone, too,” he said.

Capehart, a running coach at John Bapst Memorial High School and Beardsley, a coach at Ellsworth High School, went back-and-forth for second throughout the race.

Capehart was in second through the early miles, while Beardsley moved into second in the middle portion, before Capehart took over in the stretch portion of the race.

Road racing

LOCAL

Tour du Lac 10-Miler

At Bucksport

Top 50: Erik McCarthy 56 minutes, 19 seconds, Joe Capehart 57:29, Andy Beardsley 57:35, Perry LeBreton 1:02:28, Austin Townsend, Jr. 1:02:38, Tim Tunney 1:02:59, Chris Jones 1:03:35, Glendon Rand 1:05:02, Michael Stanton 1:06:14, Ryan King 1:06:27, Peter Lodge 1:06:41, Tom Stone 1:08:31, Mary Clapper Buck 1:08:32, Mark Wanner 1:08:42, Larry Deans 1:08:56, John Peckenham 1:09:36, Chris Almy 1:09:47, James Burnett 1:11:18, Rick Roussell 1:12:10, Samantha Matoush 1:12:19, Katrina Bisheimer 1:13:02, Nick Hubbard 1:14:10, John Tjepkema 1:14:31, Paul Baillargeon 1:14:59, Paul Josephson 1:15:23

Kevin Johnson 1:16:47, Kathleen Bell 1:16:55, Melissa Burns 1:17:08, Amos Almy 1:17:15, Nicole Brooker 1:17:42, Julie Ginn 1:18:06, Micah Pawling 1:18:25, Sam Casey 1:18:32, Johanna Szillery 1:18:35, Chose Hintz 1:18:36, Kevin Dow 1:18:53, Amy Tunney 1:19:04, Stanley Pelletier 1:19:10, Vern Demmons 1:19:19, Sue Coleman 1:19:53, Jeff Preble 1:20:36, Michele Gagnon 1:21:00, Nichi Farnham 1:21:02, Kate Dzurec 1:21:27, Jonathan Rubin 1:21:50, Brecht Merrill 1:22:09, Annie Seekins 1:22:28, Robert Bachorik 1:24:13, Sally Peckenham 1:24:20, Paul Tormey 1:24:32

Age Group Results

Overall, female: Mary Clapper Buck 1:08:32; male: Erik McCarthy 56:19; 1-18, female: Chloe Hintz 1:18:36, Annie Seekins 1:22:28, Sally Peckenham 1:24:20; male: Nick Hubbard 1:14:10, Amos Almy 1:17:15; 19-29, female: Kate Dzurec 1:21:27, Erin Doherty 1:47:26; male: Joe Capehart 57:29, Michael Stanton 1:06:14, Tom Stone 1:08:31; 30-39, female: Samantha Matoush 1:12:19, Kathleen Bell 1:16:55, Melissa Burns 1:17:08; male: Perry LeBreton 1:02:28, Tim Tunney 1:02:59, Ryan King 1:06:27; 40-49, female: Katrina Bisheimer 1:13:02, Sue Coleman 1:19:53, Michele Gagnon 1:21:00; male: Andy Beardsley 57:35, Chris Jones 1:03:35, Glendon Rand 1:05:02; 50-59, female: Betty Rines 1:26:19, Judith Blake 1:26:46, Cindy Pare 1:27:05; male: Austin Townsend, Jr. 1:02:38, Larry Deans 1:08:56, Chris Almy 1:27:05; 60-69, female: Rene Collins 1:39:31, Robin Emery 1:41:57; male: Rick Roussell 1:12:10, John Tjepkema 1:14:31, Vern Demmons 1:19:19; male, 70-79: Charlie Clapper 2:39:10