Last Saturday morning, more than 160 runners and walkers gathered at Southport Yacht Club for the inaugural Rock the Boat 5k Race. Of the 160 people, we counted 41 families, many sets of cousins, and a few families with three generations represented.

The feeling of camaraderie and community spread through the group as the racers attached bib numbers and prepared for start. The race started with a series of whistles much like the beginning of a sailing race. Soon participants were greeted along the course by neighbors and community members serving as marshals along Pratt’s Island Road. The sound of clapping and cheering echoed through Cozy Harbor.

As the course unfurled, there were smiles and high fives, especially on the challenging hills: up to the Southport General Store, and up Beach Road. Grant Auber, 15, and a member of the Jr. Sailing Program, set a record with a time of 18:40 for the 3.1 mile course. Soon after, runners began to stream the Yacht Club lawn with determined effort. After enjoying freeze pops and water, there was a Kids Fun Run, where even the youngest got involved. At the awards ceremony afterwards, each first place winner was given a homemade pie for a prize and there was much celebration of the accomplishments of all.

The Southport Yacht Club wishes to thank the following people and organizations for their help in making the event possible: Jody Lewis and Boothbay Harbor Public Works Department, Meagan Hamblett and the Boothbay Region YMCA, Adam Harkins and Gerry Gamage of the Southport Fire Department, Rosalie Baker, Woody, Sawyer and Elsa Bates, Jen Britton, Liz Brown, Donna Climo, Nancy Custer Carroll, Nancy Cole, Austin Curwen, Christa Donellan, Kerrin Erhard, Carol Fisher, Tom Frields, Elisa and Alex Goldsmith, Susan Goodell, Deb Grimes, Bob and Tessa Houston, Nick and Joan Hurd, Rebecca Hutchinson, Anne Jacobs, Will Jacobs, Betty Kershaw, Sarah Khetani, Susan Lloyd, Kristen Lorentzen, Jane Lunt, Nancy McCann, Denis and Callie McWhan, Bill Messmer, Linda Murphy, Susannah Parker, Jennifer Peterson, Lynn Schafer, Diane and James Smith, Meghan Thress, and Luanne Webb, and Jennifer and Jim Wickline.