Runners from across the Island and elsewhere gathered for this year’s annual Chilmark Road Race under a clear blue sky Saturday, celebrating a tradition entering its 37th year on Martha’s Vineyard.

I ran the Chilmark Road Race again this year, and like every year, I made the same joke at the start: “I don’t care how I do, as long as I’m not carried from the finish line to the first aid tent.

David Melly, 21, of Newton won the Chilmark Road Race with a time of 15:43.31. Sheridan Wilbur, 17, of North Smithfield, R.I., won first place for the women with a time of 18:24.55.

A pair of first-timers picked up the coveted lobsters from Larsen’s at the 36th annual Chilmark Road Race.

Conor Dooney, 23, of Dublin, Ireland, crossed the finish line in 16:05:31, nearly half a minute ahead of second-place runner Corey Kunz, 32, of Hoboken, N.J., who finished in 16:30:66. Mr. Dooney raced for the Yale University cross-country team and currently competes for his home club of Backfridge in Dublin. The first three runners finished with sub-17 minute times.

“It’s become a big family tradition for a lot of people, and year after year people come back just for this week,” Mr. Weisman.

It is unknown what the winner of this year’s Chilmark Road Race — Hugh Parker of New York city with a time of 16:07:29 — did to prepare for the race. He ran fast and shirtless in the morning downpour, crossing the tape nearly 30 seconds ahead of his closest competitor, David Melly of Newton, and the women’s winner Nnenna Lynch, also of New York city, who finished with a time of 19:21.27. Perhaps Hugh woke early, stretched and ran eight or nine miles just to warm up. He looked that fit and that youthful on Saturday morning.