Martha Stewart News

Martha backs MDI marathon
By Craig Crosby
BAR HARBOR — The Mount Desert Island Marathon has already been recognized by national and international publications as one of the most beautiful courses in the world.

Now domestic-diva and part-time Seal Harbor resident Martha Stewart plans to lend her own good housekeeping seal of approval and time to the race.
Marathon founder and director Gary Allen announced this week that Ms. Stewart will be the honorary race starter and crown the champions at the finish line at the Sunday, Oct. 16 race.

“I’m absolutely thrilled,” Mr. Allen said. “Whatever Martha Stewart is involved in, even if it’s in a small way, gets a lot of attention. She brings a reputation for doing things well and doing things right.”

But Ms. Stewart plans to give the marathon more than cursory attention. She will address the runners after they have assembled at the starting line at 8 a.m. on Main Street in Bar Harbor. Ms. Stewart will then fire the signal to start the race.
Roughly two hours and 30 minutes later, Ms. Stewart will greet the runners at the finish line on Main Street in Southwest Harbor and crown the men’s and women’s champion.
“We encourage spectators and fans to join us at the starting line in downtown Bar Harbor and the finish line in Southwest Harbor to welcome her and to cheer on our runners,” Mr. Allen said.
Ms. Stewart also plans to have a crew on hand to film a segment for her television show.
And, Ms. Stewart’s magazine, Body + Soul, has signed on as a race sponsor.

“Running as a sport has made a real difference in the health and well-being of thousands and thousands of people,” Mr. Allen said. “We are proud to announce that Body + Soul magazine, one of Martha’s newest ventures, has become a welcomed and well-fitting sponsor of our event.”
Ms. Stewart’s endorsement is just the latest in a litany of praise the marathon has garnered since it was first run in 2002. “Eco-Marathon” has called the race — run at the height of the foliage season with a route that includes Somes Sound and Cooksey Drive — one of the most scenic in the world. In the marathon guide it published this year, Rainmaker Publishing, Inc. named the marathon as one of the top 50 in the nation. The race also has been highlighted and received favorable reviews in a number of publications geared toward marathon runners.

But Ms. Stewart’s involvement could bring the race out of the exclusive world of hard-core marathoners and into the general public. That could mean more runners and more corporate sponsors to build an even better race, Mr. Allen said.

“I think what it means for the marathon is more recognition,” he said. “The implications can’t be overstated.”

Though Mr. Allen had been exchanging e-mails with Ms. Stewart’s publicists, plans have really developed during the past three weeks.
“I think the defining moment came when I bumped into Martha on Main Street in Northeast Harbor,” Mr. Allen said. “I mentioned the marathon and she told me to email her the details. It’s been a flurry ever since.”
Mr. Allen was hoping Ms. Stewart would fire the starting signal, or maybe just wave to the runners. Mr. Allen is thrilled Ms. Stewart has decided to devote substantial attention to the race.

“It’s more than I could ever wish for,” he said. “I’ve met her several times and I think she’s a really great person. If she were just involved in a small way I’d be thrilled. The fact that she’s involved in a deeper way is just awesome.”
Best known for teaching her audience the best way to hang curtains or present a Thanksgiving feast, Ms. Stewart may seem an unlikely candidate to support a marathon, but that is not how Mr. Allen sees it.

“I believe Ms. Stewart may be the perfect candidate to represent what marathon running is all about,” Mr. Allen said. “The peaks and valleys of running 26.2 miles is never easy, but with good planning and hard work, the ability to survive and to excel is within reach of all who attempt to cover this grueling distance.”