HOULTON, Maine — The 37th annual Moosestompers 5K road race drew a much smaller crowd than usual Saturday morning, despite ideal weather conditions.
Joshua Way was the top runner in the race, finishing the 3.1-mile course in 17 minutes, 7 seconds. Teanne Ewings was the first female runner, crossing the finish line at 19:39.
Joshua Way was the top runner in the Moosestompers 5K race Saturday, finishing the 3.1-mile course in 17 minutes, 7 seconds. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
Teanne Ewings was the first female runner to cross the finish line of Saturday’s Moosestompers 5K Road Race. She was third overall with a time of 19:39. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
The race got its start at Katahdin High School, where it started as the Wild Katahdin Trust Snow Run. The race eventually relocated to Houlton and was added to the slate of winter carnival activities for Moosestompers.
Last year, Katahdin Trust stopped sponsoring the race and the Houlton/Greater Houlton Christian Academy Track and Field program took over as the organizer. Proceeds from the race benefit the high school program.
Daniel Ross was second in Saturday’s Moosestompers 5K Road Race in Houlton. He finished in 18:49. (Joseph Cyr | Houlton Pioneer Times)
The race marks the official start of the Aroostook Musterds race season, with runners able to score points at various road races throughout the year in Aroostook County.
“The last few years, numbers have trended down (for the race),” organizer Chris Rines said. Rines is also the track and field coach for Houlton Middle-High School. “I think the pandemic has some people worried. Plus running in the winter is not always the most popular.”
Complete results were: 1, Way, 17:07; 2, Daniel Ross, 18:49; 3, Ewings, 19:39; 4, David Rowe, 22:49; 5, Angela Ewings, 24:35; 6, Andrea Ross, 24:40; 7, Evan Lewis, 25:37; 8, McKenna Phillips, 26:31; and 9, Justin Barry, 29:55.
Winners in each age category received a hand-crafted metal award, donated by the Region Two School of Applied Technology. There were no walkers participating in the event this year.
