Calais Draws Runners with “Ghost Run” Half Marathon
Runners of all ages and skillsets are invited to participate in the second annual “Ghost Run”, coordinated by Washington County Community College’s Outdoor Adventure Center with the assistance of several Calais city departments. Scheduled to be held at 9:00 am on October 25th, the Ghost Run is a 13.1 mile half-marathon that can also be approached as a 5k team relay race, depending on the desires of participants.
“It’s set up to be four approximately 5k relay stretches,” organizer Chris Woodside of the OAC said. “That way it works well for everybody.” The first stretch is 3.24 miles, the second is 5 miles, the third is 2.4 miles, and the fourth is 2.46 miles.
The Ghost Run is the only half-marathon in the Calais area. “The idea was to bring a half marathon here to take people through the Moosehorn to get a good look at it and some of the other more beautiful areas we have in Calais,” Woodside said. Runners will travel along the waterfront before coming up Calais Avenue and ending at the Rec Center, where a banquet and awards ceremony will be held.
This year’s race offers a few improvements over last year’s, including professional timing and awards given to all individuals that complete the half-marathon. “For some people, finishing a half-marathon is a huge accomplishment,” Woodside said. Owing to the festivities of the season, participants also have the option of dressing up in a costume with the best dressed teams given a prize.
In addition to being able to register by mail, interested participants can also register online by going to www.raceit.com and entering 04619 for the zip code under search events. Though it is possible to register the day of the event by visiting the registration table in Moosehorn after 8:00 am, those that register early will save on fees. The cost to register an individual in advance is $25 and a team is $50; to register at the event, the prices are $30 and $60 respectively.
All of the proceeds of the event will go to scholarships for students at WCCC. Woodside said that two scholarships were given away last year as a result of the four teams and seventeen individuals that participated.
Some of the participants last year will be coming back, including nationally-renowned runner Gary Allen. Hailed as the “Master of the Marathon”, Allen has completed 86 marathons in his career, yet he had many great things to say following his first Ghost Run: “This kind of home grown, grass roots event is the true bread and butter of running. It’s where all the things I personally love about the sport always shines. Your volunteers were the best, your course markings were spot on. Your post-race gathering had delicious food and a wonderful vibe followed by a friendly van ride back to my car. My next race in NYC on Sunday will feature 40,000 participants but one thing they can’t touch is what you already have.”
For more information on the Ghost Run, visit www.facebook.com/events/704083949697092 or call 454-1060.