'Bug Run' 5K turns into exciting, fast-paced push to finish - Courier-Gazette & Camden Herald

BELFAST — After essentially being grounded previously due to the pandemic, the in-person “Bug Run” 5-kilometer run/walk made a triumphant return to the city’s downtown and waterfront areas with electric performances and an incredible push for first among several runners, including a former professional triathlete and recent Olympic Trials participant.

Ultimately, Ryan Callahan, 28, of Castine, and Lauren Hurley, 33, of Belfast pushed the top group of runners hard over the tough, hilly course on Saturday morning, Aug. 14 in the Rotary-sponsored event before the two pulled away down the stretch.

Kimberly Sholes, with a young passenger along for the ride. Ken Waltz

In fact, both elite runners finished with blistering-fast times, as Callahan outsprinted Hurley in the final downhill portion of the 3.1-mile course to win the event — which had 85 registrants and 72 finishers — by five seconds.

Callahan finished in 15:54 and Hurley in 15:59 (not far from her best 5K time of 15:45).

Hurley, a former professional triathlete, and her husband, Matt, 37, a native of Belfast (who finished fourth on Saturday), were visiting the area and decided to participate in the race.

Lauren, who competed in the 10,000 meters (6.2 miles) on June 26 at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., where she finished 17th, said she thought she would sign-up and was enticed by winning pounds of lobster.

Caitlin May, left, among others, climb an initial hill. Ken Waltz

“I actually felt pretty good,” she said, adding she has not “properly” trained since the Olympic trials in June. “I have been enjoying some down time, so I didn’t know if I would be good and I was really surprised to see two fast guys here racing. It was a great course. It was really fun, actually. One my more enjoyable races.”

Lauren, who has a one-year-old son, Wilder, said she had a solid performance in the Olympic qualifier, but it was hot. She was ranked 38th in the 10,000 meters and placed 17th, but did not qualify for the Olympics.

Lauren, who attended Clemson University and is from Charleston, S.C. originally, was a professional triathlete 10 years, and had a strong background in swimming before entering the distance running game. She, Matt and Wilder live in Boulder, Colo.

She said her final professional triathlon was in China in August of 2019. She competed in more than 100 triathlons around the world, including in Europe, Asia, South America and Canada.

Lauren said she and Matt plan to buy a house in Rockport to spend summers in the Midcoast, and they hope to help bring “competitive racing back to Waldo County” because the two have a passion for endurance sports, including open-water swims and distance running.

Matt graduated from Belfast Area High School in 2003, where he was a standout athlete in swimming, cross country and track and field. Matt, who won individual state swim titles and helped the Lions to three straight team state swim crowns, said he and Lauren do not often run in races together, but they do a lot of “fun things” together, and running in a local race where his family could come watch was wonderful.

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Matt swam competitively in college and did well in high school in all his sports, and said he is grateful for his Lion coaches, Bob Winslow and Dale and Jo-Ann Nealey, who guided him, help him improve and sparked his interest in sports. “In a lot of ways, sports and athletics were something I could come back to later in life and really helped me kind of figure out my path and just life in general. It has just become a part of what I do and it is how I met my wife.”

He said the events like the “Bug Run” help keep the community united and connected. He added he would like to challenge his friend, Levi Miller, to come back and race him in the 2020 “Bug Run.”

Melora Norman. Ken Waltz

The “Bug Run” 5K run/walk results were: 1, Ryan Callahan, 28, Castine, 15:54; 2, Lauren Hurley, 33, Belfast, 15:59; 3, Carl Hartford, 36, Wilmington, Mass., 16:34; 4, Matthew Hurley, 37, Belfast, 16:45; 5, Rob Fowler, 44, Morrill, 19:35; 6, Jackie Varney, 30, Dalton, Mass., 20:02; 7, Jeff King, 40, Morrill, 20:09; 8, Jay Nutting, 45, Vassalboro, 20:17; 9, Rachel Levin, 47, San Francisco, Calif., 20:26; 10, Michael Glessner, 46, Portland, 20:44; 11, Sean James, 44, Monroe, 21:13; 12, Caitlin May, 33, Belfast, 21:20; 13, Tom Barrows, 57, Winthrop, 21:37; 14, Tara Zayac, 33, West Hartford, Conn., 21:38; 15, Rachel Tulchin, 39, New York, N.Y., 22:19; 16, Kash Jason, 37, Hampden, 22:22; 17, Faith Mitchell, 15, Milford, Del., 22:25; 18, Ed Hughes, 67, Bangor, 22:32; 19, Ethan Merrifield, 24, Belfast, 22:36; 20, Katie Buckley, 42, Searsmont, 22:47; 21, Dren Riehter, 9, San Francisco, Calif., 24:23; 22, Adam Prokosch, 36, Boothbay Harbor, 24:23; 23, Peter Heslam, 54, Belmont, N.H., 25:05; 24, Jon Marcus, 60, Boston, Mass., 25:14; 25, Benjamin Hartford, 8, town unavailable, 25:30; 26, Jorja Willey, 15, town unavailable, 25:47; 27, Alexander Zayac, 35, Longmeadow, Mass., 25:55; 28, Cambelle Nutting, 19, Vassalboro, 26:30; 29, Maryann Knight-Ekbug, 59, Northport, 26:42; 30, Mollie Roque, 33, Plainville, Mass., 27:15; 31, Erik Perkins, 45, Belfast, 27:34; 32, James Sowell, 56, Lincolnville, 28:29; 33, Katie Glessner, 47, Belfast, 28:39; 34, Ellissa Koskela, 40, Belfast, 28:44; 35, Timothy Graf, 59, Bangor, 28:52; 36, Timothy Griffin, 55, town unavailable, 28:52; 37, Tanner Tanter, 45, Warren, 28:56; 38, Morgan Diederichs, 33, Georgetown, 29:00; 39, Michael Yoshiyama, 69, Rockland, 29:32; 40, Kristen Brewer, 34, Augusta, 29:55; 41, Daniel Selmi, 70, Balboa Island, Calif., 30:01; 42, Eric Keppel, 48, Winterport, 30:24; 43, Gabriel Austin, 14, Caribou, 30:50; 44, David Lindquist, 61, Chapel Hill, N.C., 30:51; 45, Jason Burnette, 48, Caribou, 31:17; 46, Paula Herron, 64, Merrit Island, Fla., 32:00; 47, Marybeth Moreno, 50, Toms River, N.J., 32:04; 48, Steven Haskins, 58, Augusta, 32:31; 49, Samantha Robinson, 31, Morrill, 32:34; and 50, Wilder Hart, 54, Augusta, 32:44.

Wilder Hart, front, among others. Ken Waltz

Also, 51, Reade Brower, 64, Rockland, 32:59; 52, Susan Lazor, 59, Bucksport, 33:07; 53, Chris Doire, 45, Northport, 33:12; 54, Mara Gallagher, 35, Northport; 33:18; 55, Georgena Stephes, 59, Zepherhills, Fla., 33:25; 56, Daniel Selmi, 70, Balboa Islands, Calif., 33:41; 57, Jodie Hart, 41, Augusta, 35:10; 58, Charles Barbers, 58, Wyomissing, Pa., 35:31; 59, Stephanie Doire, 46, Frankfort, 35:35; 60, Scott Schroeder, 64, Wedgefield, S.C., 35:57; 61, Charlotte Moreno, 16, Toms River, N.J., 38:34; 62, Kimberly Sholes, 30, Swanville, 40:13; 63, Sadie Doire, 13, Brooklyn, N.Y., 40:38; 64, Anne-Marie Boger, 41, Belfast, 42:44; 65, Greg Demeritt, 13, Jefferson, 42:52; 66, Martha Currier, 42, Jefferson, 48:27; 67, Wendi Venditti, North Smithfield, R.I., 52:57; 68, Name of runner unknown, North Smithfield, R.I., 52:29; 69, Melora Norman, 61, Belfast, 52:14; 70, Ash Inglenook, 33, Santa Cruz, Calif., 53:41; 71, Kerry Studwell, 66, Pittsboro, N.C., 54:44; and 72, Therese Lindquist, 60, Chapel Hill, N.C., 54:44.