Welcome to the Bar Harbor Bank and Trust Half Marathon and Fall 5K! This event is one of our largest fundraisers of the year. The money raised through your entry fees support the Mount Desert Island YMCA, ensuring that individuals and families have access to the care, services, and programs …
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Welcome to the Bar Harbor Bank and Trust Half Marathon and Fall 5K!
This event is one of our largest fundraisers of the year. The money raised through your entry fees support the Mount Desert Island YMCA, ensuring that individuals and families have access to the care, services, and programs that can help them improve their lives through healthy living and community activities.
In 1913, John Rockefeller Jr. built a series of carriage roads so he could avoid cars in the Acadia National Park. Nine miles of the Half Marathon run on that still-existing system of hard-packed trails. The hilly course starts in the small, picturesque town of Bar Harbor, then climbs away from the harbor into the National Park. Dense forest engulfs runners as they cross several old granite bridges before looping back to town.
This half marathon is fortunate to be one of only a couple of races of its kind held in Acadia National Park. Walkers are able to enjoy the beauty of Acadia at a slower pace and are encouraged to participate! Walkers are able to enjoy the beauty of Acadia at a slower pace and are encouraged to participate!
Environmental Statement
The Mount Desert Island YMCA is committed to environmentally conscious and sustainable racing, as our course travels through Acadia National Park. A large amount of our waste is paper cups, in fact over 6000 cups per race! We are making steps over the next few years to move to “cupless” events.
We are encouraging participants to bring their own reusable cup, handheld water bottle, or hydration pack. We will still have paper cups at all 6 water stations this year, but with your help, we can start reducing our water and impact on our sensitive environment.
Thank you for helping us protect and maintain the natural beauty of Acadia National Park!
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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.