BELFAST — Thousands of participants in the 34th annual Trek Across Maine rolled into Belfast June 16, marking not just an end to the 180-mile journey they began two days before, but also an end to the Mountains to Sea Trek route, which will be replaced with a new course starting next year.

The three-day race saw almost 2,000 riders start in the mountains at Sunday River before working their way toward Belfast’s waterfront via the challenging course.

This year marks the event’s last year following the original Mountains to Sea route, with next year’s Trek set to traverse a brand new path. The 2019 race, which will kick off at Brunswick Landing in Brunswick, will mark the Trek’s 35th anniversary and will bring riders through cities including Augusta, Auburn, Bath, Belgrade, Freeport, and Lewiston.

The Trek Across Maine is the largest fundraising event of its kind in the United States for the American Lung Association (ALA) and the annual event has raised over $24 million since 1985, according to their website. Over 750 volunteers are required to run the event effectively each year.

With the event open to everyone aged seven and above, the Trek draws cyclists from all over Maine and New England. Those between the ages of seven and 12 are required to ride a tandem or tag-a-long bike with an adult guardian when participating in the event.

The event kicked off June 15, with riders biking approximately 67 miles the first day, from Sunday River to the University of Maine at Farmington, where they rested for the night. Day two lasted for approximately 57 miles when riders reached Colby College and their second overnight stop. The third day of the race is approximately 56 miles from the start to the Belfast Boathouse, where cowbells and cheers of encouragement awaited the riders, along with a sizeable buffet and a shady place to enjoy it.

This year the Trek raised $1,071,325 for the ALA, which is “the leading organization working to save lives by improving health and preventing lung disease,” according to their website.

Athenahealth and L.L. Bean were the two teams who raised the most funds for the organization, with $78,652 and $72,118 respectively. Shawn Sabine was the top fundraiser for single riders with $12,090, while Patti Lane was the second highest with $10,115.

The ALA’s work focuses on “four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer; to improve the air we breathe; to reduce the burden of lung disease on individuals and their families and to eliminate tobacco use and tobacco-related diseases.

For more photos click here and here. 

Erica  Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com