The start of high school cross country practices is just a few weeks away, and while many young athletes are partaking in summer running camps or running local road races and building miles for the fall season, the Maine Running Co. is offering the state’s runners and coaches a cross country clinic.

The clinic will take place Aug. 18 from 6-8 p.m. at the University of Southern Maine’s Gerald Talbot Auditorium at Luther Bonney Hall on the Portland campus.

The clinic is free to coaches and athletes and will feature question-and-answer sessions with some of the state’s top running coaches, along with nutritional and footwear advice.

Slated speakers include Yarmouth native Matt Lane, who finished fourth in the U.S. Olympic Trials at 5,000 meters in 2000 and 2004 and owns a personal record of 13 minutes, 25 seconds in the distance; Ellsworth native Louie Luchini, an 11-time All-American at Stanford University who finished second in the national high school championships as a senior at Ellsworth and holds PRs of 13:25 in the 5K and 28:26 at the 10K distance.

Fellow Stanford alum Lauren Fleshman, a three-time NCAA 5K champ and the 2006 U.S. champ at the distance who holds a 14:58 PR, also will speak.

Other speakers are the Maine Running Co.’s John Rogers and coaches Mark Lech of the University of Maine, George Towle of the University of Southern Maine, Falmouth’s Danny Paul and Jorma Kurry, a Bangor native, and David Weatherbie of Cape Elizabeth.

Karen Hodge Knapton, a nutrition specialist from Whole Health Consulting Inc., will also speak, along with Riverview Physical Therapy director Greg Knapton.

Local runners post speedy times

There were plenty of fast times at a couple of 5K road races in Bucksport and Farmington last weekend, with a local favorite clocking a personal-best time.

Riley Masters, a recent graduate of Bangor High, established a personal record of 15:49 in finishing second at the 28th annual Strawberry Festival 5K in Farmington last Friday.

Mt. Blue alumnus Matt Dunlap returned to his hometown and set a course record in the same race, clocking a 15:45.

A day later in Bucksport, 133 participants took part in the 11th annual Bucksport Bay Festival 5K, the sixth race in the TradeWinds Market Place/Sub 5 Race Series, and the top 10 was loaded with former local standouts and running coaches.

Bangor High alum Adam Goode took home the victory on the challenging course in 16:03, while fellow former Ram Joe Capehart, now coaching at John Bapst, was second in 16:32 and Ellsworth High coach Andy Beardsley took third in 16:40.

Mary Clapper-Buck of New York, who won Bucksport’s Tour du Lac 10-miler in 2007, was first among female finishers in 19:22.

rmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net

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