SOUTHWEST HARBOR — As Steve Cartwright, of Tenants Harbor, ran toward the finish line of the 2019 Mount Desert Island Marathon, October 20, spectators performed double takes and gasped. 

Cartwright had just run 26 miles on pavement without wearing shoes. 

“I feel a real connection to the ground, being in such close contact with it,” he said in a follow-up interview. 

Two hundred and fifty marathon runners, 250 half-marathon runners, and another 48 relay teams crossed the finish line in Southwest Harbor on a day that started with frost on car windshields. (Click here for race results.)

“I've often started off with chilly feet, but nothing warms you up like running hard.”

The marathon runners ran pavement the entire way, starting in Bar Harbor, yet basked in the autumn temperatures and colors that keep tourists returning year after year. They climbed over the ridge between Champlain and Dorr Mountains, warmed up in the shadow of Cadillac Mountain, and viewed the ocean, the cliffs, and headlands along the peaks and valleys of rolling hills. The challenge for most lay in the up-hill climbs, including the miles between mile 20 and 25.

Many finishers were celebrated for being returning MDI runners or for being first-time marathoners. Cartwright continued growing his legacy of a sneakerless warm-weather trekker.

Included in the journey are the reactions of others who may silently envision bloody feet and stinging pain. Vocally, however, comments vary from enthusiastic to sarcastic. 

“I enjoy reactions to my barefoot running such as ‘wow, way to go, awesome.’”

On the flip side, Cartwright has grown tired of  "you forgot your shoes."

“No.” he said. “I didn't.”

In barefoot marathon running, his feet can feel sore and sometimes pebbles get stuck to his feet. Yet, the benefits continue to motivate.

For him, connecting with the ground and knowing that his feet will carry him onward produces a tactile satisfaction. He also believes he runs better, with fewer cramps or strains.

In trying to encourage understanding to those who question his methods, he urges runners to try a mile on grass, or some other easy surface. See how you like it.

He does not believe, however, that his encouragements have inspired anyone the way he was inspired by a young Vietnamese man running barefoot in a 5K race in Friendship years ago.

“This guy seemed to fly over the course to victory,” he said. Upon seeing this, he thought, “I can't be young, but I can be barefoot.”

Cartwright ran his first marathon approximately 12 years ago, wearing shoes. Nowadays, his shoes come off in the spring when the ground temperature is well above freezing, and usually the sneakers return after the annual Pen Bay YMCA Turkey Trot, the day after Thanksgiving. 

In no way did he go barefoot for last year’s Millinocket Marathon when air temperatures ranged around 7 degrees – not counting wind chill. 

Cartwright’s feet toughen up to some extent, but they aren't leather-tough, according to him. 

“Barefoot running is partly a state of mind,” he said. “Physical pain is something you can adjust to...after all, running a marathon is hard work no matter what.”

Continued inspiration, coaching and encouragement comes from another barefoot marathoner, Theresa Withee, of Hope, who also ran MDI this year, though not barefoot this time.

“Running keeps me fit and it reduces stress. It's a meditative experience when I'm alone, and a pleasant social experience when running - and often chatting - with others. It's all good, whether you jog a mile or tackle an ultra-marathon, whether you're an elite runner in first place or the last one over the finish line.”

To do so with only one blister in the past decade, and no cuts or bruises?

“Happy feet!” he said.

Cartwright is race director for the benefit Blueberry Cove half marathon in St. George, and registration is open for the August 30, 2020 race, which is the event’s 10th anniversary.