Eric Boucher, Race Director for Giddy up Productions, With his Four Year Old Dog, Django at East End Beach, July 17, 2011. Eric Was Skipping Pebbles in the Water for Django to Cool off on a Hot Summer Day!
Jeremy Lestage, of Gorham, Wearing His Medal From His First Half Marathon at the Shipyard Half Marathon on Saturday, June 23, 2018. (See note below.)
The Shipyard Old Port Marathon is returning to Portland on Saturday, June 23 with a new race course and a start and finish lane on Fore Street and Union Street.
Starting at 2:00 am various streets will be closed in the Old Port area and emergency no parking zones will go into effect. Starting at 5:00 am race organizers will need to conduct a sound-check and make noise on a public announcement system on Fore Street from Union Street to Exchange Street. Starting at 6:00 am announcements and music will begin until the race starts at 7:00 am. Music and announcement will be made continuously at the finish line at Fore Street and Exchange Street. from 8:30 am to 10:30 am. A live band will play music in Canal Plaza from 9:30 am to noon.
In previous years, the Eric Boucher race has begun and ended at Ocean Gateway. However, Boucher has expressed concern in the past that the city would ask to move the race to prevent congestion on Commercial Street. About 3,000 are expected to run the race this year.
Above left is a photo taken by this blogger back in July 17, 2011 just before the first race by Giddy Up Productions, Eric Boucher, race director. He is at East End Beach, on Munjoy Hill taking a cooling break on a hot day with his running companion, four year old Django. The first race described on this blog had 800 people register for it which Boucher thought was a good number since it was his first event as race director on his own. Previously, he’d been with Tri-Maine. Back then the race began near the East End Beach and ended on the Maine State Pier where awards were given out in different categories. In more recent years, the start and finish line was in front of Ocean Gateway.
NOTE: Jeremy Lestage, Gorham, wears his finishing medal after competing in the Shipyard half marathon today, Saturday, June 23, 2018. It was the first half marathon he has run, although he has run in Beach to Beacon numerous times. Jeremy said he could feel the difference physically in the much longer race today. The Beach to Beacon race is 6.2 miles whereas today’s Shipyard Half Marathon is 13.+ miles. Congratulations, Jeremy!
There’s more, but I’m not going to finish it because I received it so late from the city hall.