The Back Cove weekly series capped another stellar season with an 86-degree broilfest on Sept. 1, as Noah Schoneberg, 20, of Falmouth and Erin Lane of Portland won the 17th and final edition of 2010 in 18:25 and 19:15 respectively, and also finished as series victors. Schoneberg averaged 17:12 for seven races, and Lane averaged 19:35, also for seven events.

Each champ won a year’s supply of shoes (four pair apiece) from Mizuno. The community spirit award, courtesy of sponsor Maine Running Company, went to series officials Diane Fournier and Stu Palmer for their huge contribution in conducting this event for years. Each gets two pairs of shoes. The final race saw “only” 120 finishers in the extreme heat and humidity, but the biggest event, on the evening of Aug. 11, got 267 finishers.

Fastest times for the year were Matt Lutzke’s 16:13 and Erica Jesseman’s 18:55, Palmer noted, adding that two guys — Richard Dawson and Harry Hunt — ran all 17 races. That’s out of 1,245 runners who registered overall, and a grand total of 3,344 finishers.

“We had a 27-degree difference in start time temperature between the final two weeks,” Palmer said. Sure sounds like Maine.

“We’ll be back for the ninth year next May,” Palmer promised, and concluded with “many thanks to John Rogers and the Maine Running Company, who put so much time, manpower and effort into this event to make it happen.”

 

A KIDS 1-MILE race is being held at the Waynflete athletic fields on Saturday. The location: the Fore River fields off Hobart Street, which is off outer Congress just past the Italian Heritage Center. The course is two loops, mostly on grass, explains Waynflete AD Ross Burdick.

The girls’ mile starts at 10 a.m., boys go off at 10:15, and awards (there will be trophies for the top 25 finishers in each race) are scheduled for 10:30. The registration fee for the event, which is for ages 14 and under, is $15. The event is being organized by the school’s cross-country teams as a benefit for their overnight stay in Belfast at state meet time the last weekend of October. You can sign up beginning at 9 a.m. at the field and contact Burdick at 233-6122 or at rburdick@waynflete.org for more information.

 

HERE’S A PERFECT pre-Maine Marathon quick-turnover tuneup: the third Mustang 5K Run-Walk-Jog-Crawl, at 10 a.m. Saturday at Massabesic High in Waterboro. The event benefits the Mustang cross country teams.

Registration begins at 8:30 at the school; the fee is $15; T-shirts go to the first 100 to register; the flat, fast course finishes on the Ronco Stadium track. A free kids’ run follows the 5K, and race director T.J. Hesler promises prizes and refreshments. Last year’s winners were Andrew van Hoogenstyn in 16:10 and Rosalea Kimball in 19:29. For more info, contact Hesler at 247-3141 or thomas_hesler_@fc.sad57.k12.me.us.

 

THE 48TH BANGOR Labor Day 5-Miler was won by Jeff Jones, 40, of Farmington in 27:14 and Brewer native Kristine Guaraldo, 34, of South Portland, ninth overall in 30:15. Second-place woman Elizabeth Brunton (30:49) of Birch Harbor leads Guaraldo 50-47 in the women’s overall Tradewinds/Sub 5 race series standings; Adam Goode of Bangor is up 43-41 over men’s 5-miler second-place finisher Joe Capehart (28:03), also of Bangor.

Thanks to the indefatigable David and Katherine Wilson for the stats, and please note that the next race in the series is the Great Pumpkin 4K — yes, 4K — in Blue Hill on Oct. 3.

John Rolfe of Portland is a staff writer and a road runner. He can be reached at 791-6429 or at:

jrolfe@pressherald.com