BAR HARBOR — The cross-country team at Mount Desert Island High School hosted their inaugural 5K trail race on Saturday, Sept. 12.
On an overcast morning, 60 runners, both students and area residents, sweated it out on running trails around the high school.
Brendan O’Keefe crossed the finish line first in 16 minutes, 3 seconds. Peter Philbrook of the cross-country team stood second and logged a time of 18:2.
“It was really a good opportunity for us to work with the community and not just race against people of our own peer age, but against the community,” cross-country Coach Desiree Sirois said of the event.
“It involves them in something that we love, and maybe they find out that they love it too.”
Emma Strong, another member of the school’s cross-country team, was the first female finisher with a time of 22:5.
MDI’s cross-country runners not only participated in the first edition of the event, but also helped to promote it, set up the registration tables and mark the course to allow the race to be run smoothly.
“For the athletes in our team, it was a great way to show the community what it’s like to be a cross-country runner,” added Sirois. “The ability to transcend age and ability is one of the many positive characteristics about running. You come together, you share an experience, and everyone leaves with a created bond and sense of connectedness toward one another.”
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