Kyle Rhoads, the principal of Windham Primary School, is an educator by day. But by night – and sometimes early in the morning – he’s a runner.

And, according to local race results, he’s a good one. Family, friends and colleagues can also attest to his tenacious running talents.

“He is a familiar face in local and southern Maine road races, and has been for quite a few years,” said Linda Berry, an academic support coach at Windham Primary School who has participated in races with Rhoads. “What I find fascinating about his running is that as busy as he is, he makes his running a priority and somehow manages to schedule it into his day.”

On Saturday, Rhoads, 45, plans to participate for the third time in the fourth annual Moose Pond Half Marathon at Shawnee Peak in Bridgton. The race benefits the Shawnee Peak Adaptive Ski Program.

Along with supporting the cause, Rhoads said he looks forward to the course and the opportunity to compete.

“It’s a beautiful time of year to be up there,” he said. “You still have some foliage, and it’s not too hot. It’s a really hilly course. I tend to do better on hilly courses.”

In 2012, Rhoads earned first place in the inaugural Moose Pond Half Marathon, a distance of 13.1 miles, with a time of 1:22:56, and took second in 2013. A hamstring injury that Rhoads sustained while running since that time prevented him from competing in the 2014 race.

But this year, he feels ready, though it’s hard to predict how he’ll do, he said. Plus, being an elementary school principal, as well as a father to a 2-year-old, he said, can also pose “a little bit of a challenge,” especially when it comes to squeezing in his runs.

“I’m running every day,” said Rhoads, whose father was a similarly passionate runner.

“I have seen him out running with reflective gear and his headlamp during all seasons of the year,” said Berry. “It’s great for students to see that he has healthy interests outside of school.”

Running is also a time for Rhoads to decompress after work, reflect on his day, and to satisfy his own fitness goals, he said.

“It’s a good stress reliever,” said Rhoads, who lives on Meyers Farm Road in Windham with his wife, Carrie Rhoads.

She said she admires her husband’s dedication, and she can always tell when Kyle is itching to go for his run, which usually lasts for 1 1?2 hours to 2 hours a day.

“Running is definitely a huge part of his life,” she said. “We have been together for 12 years. I don’t recall a day that he’s missed of running.”

The Moose Pond Half Marathon, which is expected to draw 400 runners, is just one of the several races Rhoads has competed in within the last 20 years. Rhoads ran on his high school track team, but took some time off from the sport until he graduated from college, he said.

“I got back into running in the early ’90s and have been running ever since,” said Rhoads.

The injury has not stopped Rhoads from running for fun and to stay in shape after school, but throughout the last year he’s been more selective about the races he participates in due to the setback. The last race he ran was the Naples 5K in August, where he came in third place.

This summer he also took part in the U CAN 5K in Raymond, held in honor of former Windham Primary School teacher Candace Woolston, who died of cancer in late 2012, and the Casco Days Road Race. Every year he runs a 4-mile road race in Bridgton, the Four on the Fourth. In February he plans to run in the Disney Princess 5K at Epcot Center in Orlando with his daughter, and in the spring he’ll participate in a color run at the primary school.

“Back in the late ’90s, early 2000s, I won the Thanksgiving (Day) 4-miler, which is a pretty popular race, three years in a row,” Rhoads said, of the Portland event. “No one else has ever done that.”

However, in his fourth year of running the race, he lost to Ben True, a world-class runner, he said.

When school is not in session, Rhoads can often be seen training at the Windham High School track or running on the side of the road, mostly in the evenings. As an educator, he said, he hopes to act as a role model for his students and send a positive message about running.

“It shows them I have to train, stay focused, be resilient, and stay healthy,” he said. “Those are all good lessons for kids to hear about, and see.”

Carrie Rhoads said she is looking forward to cheering on her husband this weekend near the finish line during the half marathon in Bridgton.

“I have been watching him run for a while, but I still get excited,” she said. “I am definitely proud of all his accomplishments.”

Kyle Rhoads, principal of Windham Primary School and a devoted road racer in his time off, runs at the Windham High School track last week. Rhoads plans to run in the Moose Pond Half Marathon at Shawnee Peak in Bridgton this weekend. He took first place in the inaugural race in 2012 with a time of 1:22:56.Rhoads right on track

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