After partying and watching the fireworks the night before, hundreds of Marbleheaders showed up early Saturday morning to take on some challenging road races in the summer heat.
The Marblehead Festival of Arts Road Races included a one-mile Fun Run, as well as 5K and 10K races. Nearly 500 from Marblehead – and around the country – participated. The runners gathered at the Marblehead Post Office at 7:30 a.m., and lined up to start their races. At the sound of a gunshot, they took off. Guided by MFoA volunteers and the cheering of their neighbors, they ran through the course along Atlantic Avenue, Seaview Avenue and Pleasant Street.
The overall winner of the 10K race was Jonas Hampton (39) of Swampscott, with a time of 31:05. He was followed by Jameson Maynes (21) of Milford, Ohio, with a time of 34:35, and Jonah Potatch (18) of Marblehead, who finished with a time of 35:51.
The top women’s division runner was Kristine Gendron (37) of Marblehead, who finished the 10K with a time of 38:03. Carrie Furnari (43) of Marblehead finished next, and Amy Wachler of Boston was close behind.
Marblehead runners swept the top three spots of the 5K race. Dan Donato (44) won the 5K race with ease, crossing the finish line with a time of 17:32, and out-hustling the nearest competition by more than a minute. Next was Christopher Furnari (39), who was closely followed by Ashley Sanderson-Snyder (39).
The winner of the 1-mile Fun Run was Maxwell Schaffner (8) of Marblehead, who ran a 7:08 mile. The second-place finisher was Marblehead runner Tyler Hogan (8), who was followed by Julien Cohen (6) of Ithaca.
The runners were happy to get outside and support the festival, while also staying active and spending time with their community.
“I wanted to run today to support the Festival of Arts, and spend time with friends doing what I love,” said medal-winning Marblehead High runner Nate Assa, who just graduated. “It was a super fun experience to run in a small race in my own community, especially after a long month of intense racing.”
