Topflight field expected for Bangor 5-miler

The end of summer is drawing near, so that can only mean one thing along the local road racing circuit.

One of the state’s oldest and most recognizable races, the Bangor Labor Day 5-miler, will celebrate its 46th birthday Monday morning at 9 near the Bangor Parks and Recreation building on Main Street.

Registration race morning will take place inside the rec building from 7:45-8:45 a.m., with the fee being $15 per person.

The 5-mile course throughout the city is one of the more challenging in the state.

The first couple of miles, starting on Main Street and winding through downtown on Harlow Street, are flat and downhill for the most part, but the challenge comes in the form of the climb up Holland Street in the third mile.

After that, friendly downhills await on West Broadway, down Buck Street past the Bangor Auditorium before a turn home onto flat-as-a-pancake Main Street.

Competitive fields are expected, as Brewer native Kristine Guaraldo of South Portland, the defending women’s champ, has signed up, and Judson Cake of Bar Harbor is expected to run, according to Sub 5 track club president Ryan King, who is handling registration duties this year.

Among other registered runners include Dana Maxim, John Bapst of Bangor cross country coach Joe Capehart and Jerry LeVasseur of Brunswick, a nationally ranked runner in the 70-year-old age group.

“I think it should be right where it is every year … 120-125, that’s where we’re anticipating numbers to be,” said King.

Dave Farley, who won this race in 1962 and 1963, will also run.

Graves of Presque Isle is the reigning men’s champ, and King said there’s a good chance he could be back.

Cake, who has obliterated a number of course records throughout the record this season, owns the course record on the current layout of 25 minutes, 30 seconds, but could challenge the overall course record of 24:22 set by Gerry Clapper of Bucksport in 1988.

“Judson would like to break it right now,” said King.

The challenging course is just about ready to go.

“They groomed the trails on Holland Street, the course is painted, the course is in pretty good condition,” said King. “I can’t anticipate any roads that are torn up or anything like that.”

rmclaughlin@bangordailynews.net

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