Riccardo Bambozzi, left, and Joshua Greenlaw, right, lead the pack of runners in the seventh annual Color Me United 5k Race on Saturday, Aug. 26. Greenlaw would go on to finish in first place with Bambozzi finishing in twelfth place. Brian Ponce/Franklin Journal
FARMINGTON — The United Way of the Tri-Valley Area hosted the seventh annual Color Me United 5k race on Saturday, August 26, in Farmington. The race saw over 320 community members gather in the Narrow Gauge Cinema parking lot to cover themselves in chalk paint and race through downtown Farmington.
Sponsors of the event included Randy Keach Auto, Otis Federal Credit Union, Franklin Community Health Network, Full Blown Hydroponics and Gardening Center, Poland Springs, Bangor Savings Bank and United Insurance.
The race began at 9 a.m. sharp and had numerous members of the community and organizations, including the Franklin Community Health Network which was among the biggest groups to participate, covering themselves in chalk paint to get bright and colorful for the run.
The race began at Narrow Gauge Square and the route took the runners, joggers and walkers around the UMF campus and through downtown Farmington where they would meet the finish line.
Seventeen year old Joshua Greenlaw took first place for the event, completing the race in 21 minutes and 18 seconds. Following him were Cooper Cote [21:33] and Isaac Raymond [22:29].
With Greenlaw at the top of the male runners, Samantha Bellerose, age 44, topped the female runners at 24 minutes and five seconds, finishing in ninth place overall.
Paul Mills, center, gives his all at the Color Me United 5k Race in Farmington on Saturday, Aug. 26. Mills finished in twenty-third place, coming in first in his age bracket.
The youngest runner to finished first in the age bracket was five year old Brooklyn Roy, who finished in eleventh place at 26 minutes and 50 seconds. Eight year old Walker Adams [32:00] and seven year old Jordan Hemdal [35:37] followed her shortly afterwards.
Paul Mills was the fastest runner over the age of 60, with the 71 year old finishing the race in twenty-third place at 31 minutes and 20 seconds. The oldest runner was 78 year old Mary Flint, who was the fastest female runner over the age of 60. She finished the race in eighty-eighth place with a time of 47 minutes and 57 seconds, beating out the 20 other women in her age group.
UWTVA thanked all those who participated with a swag bag. The organization has already set the date for the eighth annual Color Me United 5K Race for next year, slated for Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. For more information on the event and the results, visit the website at www.uwtva.org.
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