A sunny, but crisp spring morning greeted the field of 170 eager runners registered to participate in the inaugural Kent Island Metric (16.3 miles) Marathon and Half Metric (8.1 miles). The conditions were perfect to enjoy the beauty of Queen Anne County’s South Island Trail on Kent Island, as runners ran from the Matapeake Middle School parking lot to the Romancoke Pier and back. Delegate, Steve Hershey of Queenstown, was on hand to start the race, and met the runners at several locations along the route to cheer them on!
“The KIMM was organized by the Kent Island Running Group,” says Race Director Trudy Humphreys of Stevensville, “but its success was due in large part to our many sponsors and volunteers, and we thank them all for their support and enthusiastic help throughout the day.” All proceeds from this event benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to raise awareness and support research for a cure.
DJ C.L. Startt of Easton provided motivating music throughout the morning to inspire the runners and entertain the crowd. The five water stops were sponsored by Fitzgerald Auto Malls, Knot 10 Yacht Sales, R’s Americantina, the Island Athletic Club, and the Queen Anne’s Colony Homeowners Association. R’s Americantina also hosted a post-race party with special prices for all KIMM participants. Other sponsors were: High’s Dairy Stores, ACME, Blue Point Timing, Dunkin Donuts, Ebb Tide Tents, Edwards Printing, Food Lion, G&G Distributors, Hardees, the Kent Island Volunteer Fire Department, Mid Atlantic Cat Hospital, Queen Anne County Sheriff’s Department, Rita’s, Road ID, Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), Safeway, and Shore Health Systems.
Overall winners:
Metric Marathon Women – Lindsay Southern, Cambridge, MD Time: 2:02:54.5
Metric Marathon Men – Dana Dobbs, Queenstown, MD Time: 1:45:44.9
Half Metric Women, Brenda Simpson, Queenstown, MD Time: 1:03:08.5
Half Metric Men – Joseph Fasl, Brooklyn, NY Time: 57:08.4
A complete listing of all the winners and photos from race day can be found at www.kirg.org. “We are already in the planning stages for next year’s race,” says Trudy. “We will build on the success of this event and look forward to welcoming back many of this year’s racers.”
KIRG Board of Directors: Keely Marczyk, Michelle Whitten, Ron Bowman, Carol Britten, Trudy Humphreys, Jennifer Barnes.