A total of 22 central Mainers finished the Boston Marathon on Monday. While last year’s marathon was memorable for tragic reasons, this one was memorable for all the right ones.

“I ran in the 100th (in 1996), which was a really big deal, but (Monday) was the most enthusiastic cheering,” said Tracey Cote of Oakland. “It was so incredibly packed along the entire route — like there was not a spot without people. Boston’s always like that, but it seemed three times bigger.”

Cote, the Nordic Skiing coach at Colby College, finished in 3 hours, 39 minutes, and 35 seconds. She was running in her third Boston Marathon.

“I was fine with that,” she said. “I qualified with a 3:30. That’s kind of what my time has been in most marathons. That’s usually in the fall, when I’m training. I really didn’t put in the miles for this, so I was happy with it.”

Among local runners, David Currier of Sidney had the fastest time (2:46:10), followed closely by Seth Hasty of West Gardiner (2:46:12). Waterville’s David Murphy also came in under three hours at 2:51:33. Among local women, Maryanna Ray of St. Albans clocked in at 3:11:09. Cony High School graduate Anna Ackerman, who now lives in Portland, finished in 3:20:27.

Currier, a Messalonskee High School graduate, was running at Boston for the first time. He said he and a friend who had run Boston before both qualified for Monday’s race with their times in Philadelphia.

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“He tried to tell me it’s pretty different because there’s a bare spot in Philly where there are no spectators,” Currier said. “It’s completely different in Boston. Nothing he could have said prepared me for today. It was completely awesome the whole way.”

Currier said he was pleased with his time because the harsh winter kept him from training as much as he normally would. He said he went through a number of emotions in Brookline, starting with when he ran past Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where his father had been treated.

“Then of course, as you’re coming out of Brookline, there’s Boston P.D. standing at attention every 10 feet,” Currier said. “I don’t think the significance of this year was lost on anyone, to say the least.”

One of the lighter moments of the race was that some of the spectators were offering free beer to the runners as they raced by.

“Boston’s like that,” Cote said. “It’s just a big celebration. You see all sorts of things. I don’t know who in their right mind would drink any, but maybe they did.”

Other local finishers in Monday’s marathon were Mark Bonderud, Monmouth (3:38:52); Ward Boudreau, Gardiner (3:37:36); Vicki Bryant, Sabattus (4:04:30); Philip Caporizzo, St. Albans (3:36:38); Nancy Feeney, Kents Hill (3:46:06); Blane Fenderson, Jefferson (4:03:07); Gregory Hale, Waterville (3:03:34); Bob Kus, Gardiner (3:49:39); Rebecca Lancaster, Wilton (4:11:20); Andrew Maclean, Gardiner (3:43:22); Darren Matthews, Belgrade (3:24:24); Bruce Maxwell, Pittsfield (3:28:27); Brian Morin, Waterville (3:08:55); John Mosher, Waterville (3:53:02); Emil Pazdziorko, Gardiner 3:20:49 and Joseph Viselli, Richmond 3:19:44.

But the times were mostly trivial on a day like this, when everyone got caught up in the spirit of how the marathon came back, and better than before.

“There’s nothing comparable,” Currier said. “I’d love to do it a few more times — as many times as my body will let me do 26 miles.”

“You couldn’t help but feel emotional when you passed points of the course,” Cote said. “It was such a cool experience to be out here. Everyone who was out here felt like we were showing support.”


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