Hugh Parker, a 29-year-old runner from New York city, won the 42nd annual Chilmark Road Race with a time of 15:40:20. Mr. Parker refers to himself as a casual runner, though his previous Chilmark Road Race victories in 2012 and 2015 say otherwise.
“I didn’t do a lot of speed work,” Mr. Parker said after the race. “But I kept my pace, and I guess it paid off.”
Fifteen-year-old Zoe Edelman, from Washington D.C., took first place in the women’s division, crossing the finish line at 19:15:42. Ms. Edelman will be a junior at the Washington Latin Public Charter School, where she runs cross country, indoor track and outdoor track.
“I love the feeling of accomplishment in finishing a race,” she said. “There’s no feeling like it.”
Both Mr. Parker and Ms. Edelman were awarded ceremonial lobsters, as per tradition. The other 1,598 runners gorged themselves on bananas and granola bars to replenish themselves after the race, while cheering on the other runners in the many age brackets.
Eight-year-old Elliot Kunkel, from Chilmark, finished at 26:26:15, just ahead of 72-year-old Paul Bloom from North Carolina, who finished with a time of 26:37:51.
Chilmark chief of police Jonathan Klaren stood with the crowd of smiling and sweaty faces gathered in front of the time-sheets posted on the shingling of the fire station.
“To sum it up in one word, it’s about tradition,” he said. “It’s a great tradition for the department, the town and the community.”
Founder and director of the race Hugh Weisman felt the event went smoothly. “We did start three minutes late, which in Chilmark is right on time.”
After the last runners and walkers had crossed the finish line and the lobsters were awarded, many said they were headed to the beach. But Mr. Parker had other plans — an eight-mile jog back home to continue his training for the New York Marathon.
And then, he said, probably the beach.
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