Judson Cake and Cote Marie-Caro take 15k titles

CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine (May 20, 2012) – Blowing away a record-breaking field of 746 runners, 30 year-old Evan Graves from Caribou, Maine won the 30th Annual Sugarloaf Marathon today in 2 hours, 33 minutes, and six seconds. Thirty-three year-old Meredith Freimer from Portland, Maine took home the women’s title with a time of 3:07:59.

Graves finished nearly ten minutes ahead of his closest competitor, 43-year-old Robert Ashby of Brunswick, ME, who clocked a time of 2:43:00.5. Freimer finished nearly five minutes ahead of the second-place women’s finisher, 30 year-old Sarah Anderson of Newtonville, MA, who finished in 3:12:53.1.

This year’s event featured the largest field of runners in the 30-year history of the marathon, with a total of 1331 runners between the marathon and the Sugarloaf 15k, which is held simultaneously. The race field included runners from 31 different states and 4 countries – the United State, Canada, France, and Greenland.

In the 15k, 34 year-old Judson Cake, from Bar Harbor, Maine, crossed the line in first place for men in a blistering time of 47 minutes and 47 seconds, while 39 year-old Cote Marie-Caro from Montreal, Quebec emerged as the women’s champion with at time of 59:20.2.

Both races provided memorable moments, including 62-year-old Robert Bishton of Fort Meyers Beach, FL completing his 223rd marathon in his trademark cowboy hat. Bishton has run all 223 of his marathons in the past 7.5 years.

Not to be outdone, the 15k featured a finish-line marriage proposal. Michael Glynn, of Bangor, Maine, knelt down on knee and proposed to Mary Graziano, also of Bangor, just as the two crossed the finish line together. Glynn had strategically placed signs along the 15k route to hint at his plan, which ultimately proved successful – Graziano said “yes.”

The Sugarloaf Marathon is sponsored by Landry French Construction and is Maine’s oldest continuously run marathon. As an official qualifying race for the Boston Marathon certified by the United States Track and Field Association (USATF), the Sugarloaf Marathon is wildly popular among running enthusiasts. Despite its mountainous setting, the course is primarily downhill and ends with a gradual 16 mile descent. Marathon runners regularly record personal-best times at Sugarloaf.

All proceeds from the marathon go to the Sugarloaf Region Charitable Trust, which is a private, nonprofit trust dedicated to improving the quality of life for the communities that make up the Sugarloaf Area. Last year the marathon raised more than $14,000 for the Trust, which was distributed to deserving organizations in the Sugarloaf area.

The top three men and women in each race receive cash prizes, and all entrants receive a t-shirt, post-race breakfast, massage, and a finisher’s medal.

For more information on the Sugarloaf Marathon, please visit www.sugarloaf.com/marathon.

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About Sugarloaf- Located in Carrabassett Valley, ME, Sugarloaf is largest ski area in the East, and is home to the only lift-serviced above treeline skiing and riding in the East. and the number one golf course in Maine, according to Golf Digest. Sugarloaf is a member of the Boyne Resorts family of resorts and attractions. Follow: www.sugarloaf.com, www.facebook.com/sugarloaf, and http://twitter.com/sugarloafmaine.