The University of Maine Division of Student Affairs hosted the sixth annual Healthy High 5K/10K race April 20, or “4/20,” a day associated with smoking marijuana.
The race originated as a way to provide students with an alternative activity to participate in at 4:20 p.m., when “4/20” participants traditionally begin to smoke marijuana. The event has gained traction each year, with approximately 750 runners registered for this year’s event.
“It was a great turnout; it was the highest ever,” said Ian Jesse, graduate assistant in the Student Wellness Resource Center and organizer of this year’s event. “It continues to grow every year. Last year, they ran 513 [participants], so we’re at 200 over that. It just grows every year. It really has a life of its own, so it’s just interesting to watch it all unfold.”
Runners had the option to participate in a 10- or 5-km race, both of which began on Rangeley Road and ended at the New Balance Student Recreation Center. Participants could also participate in a mile “fun run” for no charge.
The first 600 runners who registered received free T-shirts. All proceeds from the race went to benefit the Heroes, Hope, Healing Campaign, which funds Eastern Maine Medical Center’s Raish Peavey Haskell Children’s Cancer & Treatment Center. At press time, a figure for how much money the event raised was not available.
Race-day registration was held in the New Balance Student Recreation Center, where local business sponsors such as University Credit Union, Verve and The Grove tabled. Eastern Maine Medical Center also hosted a table to provide more information about the Raish Peavey Haskell Children’s Cancer & Treatment Center. Other sponsors for the race included Woodman’s Bar & Grill, Cadillac Mountain Sports, Spandits and My Happy Pace.
Jesse said that the process of organizing the growing race has to begin early.
“It starts with getting registrations and advertising online and then getting sponsors, which starts to happen right after winter break,” Jesse said. “[We send] out letters to random companies in the area, sports-related companies, trying to get them interested, [and] restaurants in town and businesses in town who are always willing to help out.”
This year’s Healthy High 5K/10K also paid tribute to the victims of the April 15 Boston Marathon bombing and manhunt, which claimed the lives of four people and injured over 180 others.
“[W]e started to advertise for people to wear blue and yellow in support of the victims of the Boston Marathon [bombing],” Jesse said. “We have a big banner that we’ve asked people to sign that says, ‘UMaine loves Boston.’
“There are a couple safety precautions we needed to take,” Jesse continued. “It definitely was in mind, and we hope that a lot of people kept them in mind as they were running today.”
Caleb Cander of Brewer finished first in the 10-km race, with a time of 39 minutes, 26 seconds. Sarah Mulcany of Baring finished first in the female division of the 10-km race and fourth overall, with a time of 41:18. Wes Danforth of Winthrop finished first in the 5-km race, with a time of 18:31. Kayla Schneider of East Waterboro finished first in the female division of the 5-km race and ninth overall, with a time of 19:05.