Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 9 J U LY 2 3 , 2 0 1 8 35 Airport Road Brewer, Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 www.facebook.com/NickersonODay/ , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 , Maine 04412 (207) 989-7400 Building, renovating and preserving our communities for over 65 years! Beatham, Bernier, r, r Seekins & Colpritt Certif tif ti ied P fied P f ublic Accountants ts t - Brewer, r, r Maine Millinocket Marathon looks at the long run as it organizes as nonprofi t B y M a u r e e n M i l l i k e n MILLINOCKET — The Millinocket Marathon, which started as a spur-of-the-moment idea by Mount Desert Island runner Gary Allen to help boost the town's economy, has been organized as a nonprofi t to ensure it grows and remains sustainable, "The idea is still to have something very unstructured," John Hafford, a Millinocket business owner and president of the marathon's newly formed non- profi t, told Mainebiz. "We want to keep that unstructured, spontaneous open vibe, we still want people to do cool things while they're here, but we also want to build resilience into the event." Much of the race will look the same to runners and fans — Allen will remain the race director, it will still be a qualifi er for the Boston and New York marathons — but the added structure will help organizers to ride herd over promotions, sponsorships and all the details that go into hosting a marathon. Runners will still run for free. Part of the idea behind the marathon is that there is no registration fee and runners are instead asked to spend an equiva- lent of that fee in town and the Katahdin region while they're there. More than 1,100 runners finished the marathon and half-marathon on December 9, its third year. In its fi rst year, a bare bones unoffi cial run, the race drew 52 runners. In 2016, it drew 552 and got national attention, including an article in Runner's World magazine. In 2017, 1,856 runners from around the world registered for the race. A nontraditional experience Allen said from the beginning that "a traditional race wouldn't work" in Millinocket in December. "It would be a burden. As soon as people pay entry fees, they expect things," he said. At a typical marathon, entry fees pay for things like timing services, portable toilets, fencing, shuttle transportation, municipal services and other incidentals. Many of the services for the Millinocket race were donated or covered by a variety of supporters, including more than a dozen local businesses. About $30,000 was also raised with donations from runners and others who'd heard about the race for the race's two offi cial donation causes last year, Our Katahdin, a nonprofi t that funds microgrants as well as takes on some projects of its own, and Friends of the Millinocket Memorial Library. Haffner said that incorporating the race as a nonprofi t will give it the struc- ture needed to allow it to continue to be a credentialed marathon, handle it as it grows, and track its impact on the community as well. While no fi gures are available, those in town say the race has boosted the area economy. Jessica Masse, Hafford's wife and co-owner with him of the graphics design fi rm Designlab, said she visited the craft fair that's held race weekend and bought two knit hats for her children. "The woman I bought them from said, 'You're putting oil in my barrel,'" she said. B R I E F P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F J E S S I C A M A S S E More than 1,100 runners fi nished the Millinocket Marathon and half-marathon on December 9, its third year. Its fi rst year drew 52 runners. In 2016, it drew 552 and caught the attention of Runner's World magazine.

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