Amanda Bartolomei, from Worcester, Massachusett
Aaron Murray, of Saco, Works Out at the Orange Theory Gym, Portland.
Will Lee, Showed up at Rsing Tide for On-Site Registration today.
This Group of Seven Runners Came from the New York Matro Area for the Road Race. Sarah Decas, from Cape Cod., is Seated on the Right in the Above Photo. Peter Westcott is Standing on the Far Right.
“Our races always start on time. It’s important. Runners have planned their hydration and eating schedules. They are ready to go,” said Matt Gray, co-owner of Grey Matter Marketing, this afternoon at Rising Tide Brewing Company. Portland. “Portland is a destination city. A lot of people come here for the weekend,” said Katie Gray, co-owner of Gray Matter Marketing with her husband, Matt.
The occasion was a pre-road race afternoon that gave runners an opportunity to pick up their race bibs in advance and enjoy a beer at one of Portland’s most popular brewing companys’ outdoor seating locations; Rising Tide Brewing Company on Fox Street.
Will Lee, a Portland resident, showed up this afternoon to register on-site for the 10 mile race that starts tomorrow at 8:00 am in Payson Park. From Connecticut, he and his wife moved to Portland three years ago because they like the coastline and small city living,” he said. Although the road race was not extensively advertised, Lee learned of it from Fleet Feet, on Marginal Way, where he runs several times a week. “Running is a good excuse to stay in shape. It’s a fun way to get outside, explore a new city and meet new people,” he said. He has run in the Maine Marathon since relocating to Portland three years ago.
A group from the New York Metropolitan area arrived for the race based on the recommendation of Sarah Decas, the mother of one of the runners. She ran the same course back in 2018, the first year of the Gray Matter Marketing produced road race in Portland. “We don’t run a lot of road races, but we try. We have fun,” said a grinning Peter Westcott, of Ridgewood, New Jersey. (See Westcott on far right in the striped sweater in left photo).
Amanda Bartolomei, of Worcester, Massachusetts was picking up bibs for eight of her friends who are running tomorrow. They all belong to a work-out group in Worcester – November Project. “We are going to do a lot of eating this week,” she said laughing as she looked forward to lots of lobster for lunch and dinner tonight. Amanda is a seasoned runner having raced in Keene, New Hampshire and upstate New York. (See above right photo of Amanda).
Aaron Murray, of Saco, was sipping beer at a table with a friend and her black lab. “This is the first time I have ever run a 10 mile race – EVER,” he emphasized..”But I’m not concerned. I just ran a marathon on a treadmill for the Maine Heart Association as a fundraiser. That went well so I feel pretty confident.” (See above left photo of Aaron).
About fifty percent of the 1,000 registerd runners picked up their bibs this afternoon between noon and 3:00 pm at Rising Tide Brewing Company, according to Gray. “We do this so people don’t have to feel rushed in the morning before the race,” Matt said. On-site registration is also available between 7:00 am – 8:00 am, just before the 10- mile race on Sunday.
Gray expects that awards will start to be awarded shortly after 9:00 am tomorrow, Sunday, April 24, 2022. Gary Matter Marketing is based in Newport, Rhode Island. It produces a wide range of activities including road races, festivals and more.
Please see previous post herein for more background information on the 10-mile race.