The Bar Harbor Bank and Trust Half Marathon and Fall 5K is the MDI YMCA’s largest fundraiser of the year. Proceeds from the Half Marathon help fund all of the MDI Y’s program. The MDI YMCA is the cornerstone of youth development and recreational activities on the island. Since 1900 the YMCA has been strengthening and enhancing the lives of island families through its programs and services. Specifically, the Y’s scholarship fund enables families to thrive with the support of childcare for the single or dual working parents, it supports young people that need a safe and supportive environment to come to after school, engages active older adults who want to maintain an active lifestyle through low-impact fitness and aquatics exercise classes, and enables families wanting to provide an opportunity for their children to compete in competitive basketball and swim team programs. Your participation in the half marathon helps the MDI YMCA keep our doors open to the public on a year round basis.
The course is a ½ marathon, 13.1 miles. It is a challenging loop course, with the start and finish at the Bar Harbor athletic field across from the MDI YMCA. Nine miles of the course are on Acadia National Park’s carriage roads, offering a car free, excellent running surface. This is the only half marathon that runs through a national park.
Water is available in 6 locations on the course and at the finish of the race. The start and finish of the race is ¼ mile from the MDI YMCA. Runners are welcome to use the YMCA to stretch, shower, relax or socialize before and after the race. The YMCA has a 25-yard, 6-lane pool, full fitness center, gymnasium, game room and a small indoor track. For Half Marathoners staying in town before or after race day, the MDI YMCA is pleased to offer a half price rate on our day usage fee, families included.
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Gorgeous
Bar Harbor is stunningly gorgeous. This race is run after peak tourist season, so it was easy to add in a few days for sightseeing. The start time was just … MORE
Bar Harbor is stunningly gorgeous. This race is run after peak tourist season, so it was easy to add in a few days for sightseeing.
The start time was just before dawn, so the sun rose as we ran along the water toward Acadia National Park. Mostly run on the Rockefeller carriage trails, the final stretch shares the road with traffic. Aid stations were well spaced, and the volunteers were supportive. The weather was cool, but not cold. There were lots of managable hills on the course. The fresh ice cream at the end was a real treat.
I would definitely love to run Bar Harbor again!
Beautiful coarse but disappointing race
Of course running through Acadia National Park was incredibly beautiful but this was one of the the most pitiful races I have ever done. First - when I went to … MORE
Of course running through Acadia National Park was incredibly beautiful but this was one of the the most pitiful races I have ever done. First – when I went to pick up my packet – there was only one person working at the pick up table. I had a few questions that I asked him and he didn’t know the answer to any of them. He couldn’t even give me the address of where the race started – just a general location. The shirt was tacky and the medal was nothing special. Also included was a $12 park entrance pass. That was it. I wouldn’t complain but this race cost much more than other races I’ve done. I realize it was a fundraiser for the YMCA and that’s good as I love my YMCA here in Knoxville. There were a few people along the course who were encouraging and friendly. Also – it was super hilly (as advertised). If you’re already planning to visit Acadia and the date matches the race date – do it but don’t make this a destination race for Maine.
More hills than expected!
This was a stunning run through Bar Harbor. Most of the run was done up in Acadia National Park. It was beautiful, but there were more hills than I expected. … MORE
This was a stunning run through Bar Harbor. Most of the run was done up in Acadia National Park. It was beautiful, but there were more hills than I expected. The hill at mile 11 was a tough one! The race ran fairly smooth, the medal was cool. Post race refreshments were good as well!
Beautiful running through Acadia!
While certainly not as well know as the other MDI race that starts in Bar Harbor and runs along the coast, the Bar Harbor Bank and Trust YMCA half marathon … MORE
While certainly not as well know as the other MDI race that starts in Bar Harbor and runs along the coast, the Bar Harbor Bank and Trust YMCA half marathon was very well run and included some nice running on the carriage paths through Acadia National Park, along Eagle Lake. Unfortunately it was pretty foggy that day (it’s foggy in Maine a lot!) so we couldn’t see the lake as we were running around it, but the terrain was good. There was a very big hill coming out of the park as you head towards a finish line, along some busy roads, but most of the course goes through the Park. If you are a slow runner (like me!) or walker, they let you start an hour before everyone else, so you all sort of finish around the same time. The technical shirts weren’t anything extraordinary, but the medal was made of wood in the shape of Mount Desert Island, which was really cool and unique. This was our first trip to Maine and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there and hiking through Acadia. You get an individual hiker pass included as part of your swag (worth $12), so if you and another person are staying extra days around Acadia, you can exchange your 2 passes for a single car pass (worth $25). Great race! Would definitely recommend.