It was a Saturday in September, and somehow Hugh Weisman persuaded Priscilla Cohn and Morgan Shipway to enter his race down Middle Road. They weren’t competitive runners, but this was just five kilometers. Do it and spend the day recovering at Lucy Vincent Beach.

 

The sun made a rare appearance, an Oak Bluffs man blazed to a course record and a jumbo lobster stuffed the consequences Saturday at the 19th annual running of the Chilmark Road Race.

 

Art Smith, 28, of East Chop and Cambridge ignored soaring summer temperatures en route to winning the five-kilometer (3.1-mile) race down Middle Road by a wide margin in a record 14 minutes, 38 seconds.

 

It was Mr. Smith’s second straight victory at Chilmark and - as is the custom - received to cash prize, but instead a large, Island-caught lobster.

Two course records were broken, but the Chilmark Road Race on Saturday was more a celebration of community and health than a contest.

 

Many of the fastest runners turned around after the finished the five-kilometer route and walked back up Middle Road to cheer on their slower comrades. Neighbors along the race route came out to the end of their driveways and others say on their lawns to greet the runners. Even a cow looked on, half amused, at the sweaty commotion in the road.

 

Youth and age were served in the seventh annual Chilmark Road Race on Saturday - both in the same Chilmark family.

 

One voice in the throng at the race awards ceremony at the Chilmark Community Center asked the age of the winner.

 

“Oh, 20,” replied David Alden of Chilmark and Brookline.

 

The First Annual Chilmark Road Race is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Saturday morning rain or shine. At least 200 runners of all ages are expected to participate in the five kilometer run (3.05 miles) along Middle Road. One hundred and fifty entries have already been received and processed, and at least 50 more are expected by race time.