Over the hills and through the mid-August heat, familiar faces won out at the 46th annual Chilmark Road Race on Saturday.
Charlie Ortmans, 18, won the Chilmark Road Race for the second year in a row with a time of 15:14. Marian Johnson was the first female finisher for the sixth time, crossing the line at 17:42.
About 1,600 runners lined up at the starting line on Middle Road at 10:30 a.m.
Mr. Ortmans’s time didn’t come as close to the course record as he did last year, when he finished 18 seconds shy of Art Smith’s 1996 road race record of 14:38, but his win was still satisfying.
“It was fun to be out there,” he said. “But this year was a bit warmer.”
Mr. Ortmans’s second win wasn’t certain from the beginning. Chilmark local Jack Lionette, 18, led the race for the first quarter-mile with Mr. Ortmans and Will Whelan only steps behind him. As the first mile ended, the three had a solid lead on the other runners and were all running below a 5-minute mile pace.
Mr. Whelan, 24, came in second place with a time of 15:38. He said he didn’t remember the course being quite as hilly as it felt on race day. The last time he ran the Chilmark Road Race was in 2015. The terrain and the temperatures got to him around two miles in as Mr. Ortmans pushed ahead, leaving him behind.
“It was so much fun — but it was a hot day and the course really got me,” Mr. Whelan said. “I was with him for the first two miles, and then I just wasn’t anymore.”
By the time he began the last half-mile, Mr. Ortmans had about a 20-second lead on Mr. Whelan. Trailing the pair of frontrunners were Michael Schroeder and Mr. Lionette, who finished third and fourth places respectively.
The race brought people together from across the Island and the mainland.
Sarah Tully, the second female finisher, said her race day was ruled by one thing — seeing her dad on the side of Middle Road.
After having a liver transplant two and a half weeks ago, he hoped to make it back to the Island for the day of the Chilmark Road Race to cheer her on.
“His whole goal was to get back here in time for the race,” Ms. Tully said.
His presence along the course and his excitement for the event is what makes the race the “best day of the year,” she said.
Hugh Weisman, the founder and director of the Chilmark Road Race, said the race’s status as a summer tradition is what makes it special.
“Most of our runners return year after year,” he said. “Some of them ran it as kids and probably have grandchildren running it now.”
For Mr. Ortmans, who spends his summers on the Island, the race fulfills the same purpose each year.
“It’s always a fun way to end my summer here,” Mr. Ortmans said. “It’s a great atmosphere, and I always have a lot of fun on the course.”
Full results from the Chilmark Road Race are available online at runsignup.com/chilmark.
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