Runners from ages 10 to 78 — and one dog — hit the trails of Mitchell Field on Saturday, June 21, for the annual Run by the Bay 5K.
The race has been put on for nearly a decade by the Harpswell Nature School, a preschool that prioritizes connecting children with nature. The proceeds from the race go into the school’s scholarship fund.
“We’re here raising money for scholarships for kiddos because early childhood education is notoriously expensive and we want it (to be) accessible for everybody,” said Lauren Akeley-Taylor, director of the school.
This year’s race was run in memory of John “Jock” Davis, who died in April. Jock Davis and his wife, Elizabeth Davis, helped to establish the school in 2003, when it was called the Harpswell Community Nursery School.
Heather Merriman, chair of the school’s advisory committee and parent of a former student, organized the race. “It’s a lot of fun,” Merriman said.
The 5K saw 72 participants, while more than a dozen children completed a 1K loop. Runners braved temperatures climbing to 80 degrees, despite the seaside location. Some even went for a dip after the race to cool off.
Grady Satterfield, 21, of Bowdoinham, was the overall men’s winner with a time of 15:14.09, while Alexa Davis, also 21, a Bowdoin College student from Minnesota, was the women’s winner, finishing in 20:57.12.
Both Alexa Davis and Satterfield received Garmin running watches for their first-place finishes. Winners from each age group received $10 gift certificates from Brunswick’s Marathon Sports, formerly Fleet Feet Maine Running, while winners under 19 got LED armbands.
Alexa Davis, who is no relation to Jock and Elizabeth Davis, decided to race because of encouragement from Rodney Kelshaw, her supervisor at the Yarmouth-based environmental consulting firm Flycatcher. Kelshaw also raced and placed second among men ages 50-59 with a time of 24:22.98.
“It was fun. It’s beautiful,” Alexa Davis said. “Definitely hard. Sneaky hot, but it was good.”
After the 5K runners finished the course and prizes were awarded, younger children took to the pavement to run the 1K loop. As they blazed across the finish line to cheers, Akeley-Taylor rewarded each runner with a pair of colorful sunglasses and a coupon for a free cookie from Wild Oats Bakery & Cafe.
After the race, some participants headed to the water for a swim, while others made their way to the nearby Pammy’s Ice Cream Parlor for a post-race treat.
Full race results can be found at runinarace.com.
