Hundreds participate in second annual Black Bear Marathon, media report

WLBZ (Channel 2) and WABI (Channel 5) reported on the second annual Black Bear Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K held at the University of Maine. Almost 600 runners from more than 25 states and Canada participated in this year’s event, WLBZ reported. “The university does a really nice job with this event — plenty of water stops; signage; folks out there are cheering you on; and I mean it’s just kind of a no-brainer to come back,” half-marathon winner Rico Portalatin told WABI. He added he was impressed by how much the race has grown in one year. “It looks, sounds much larger this time,” Portalatin said. “It sounds like they bumped it up quite a bit, reaching out to runners around the country, which is really nice. It makes it more competitive. It really makes it a fun event.” The Black Bear Race series is run by the Student Wellness Resource Center with support from Campus Recreation and several sponsors. This year’s race was presented by the University of Maine Alumni Association.