Nearly 600 take part in 38th Lake Waramaug Polar Bear Run
KENT — Nearly 600 runners braved the cold temperatures Sunday afternoon to run the 38th annual Lake Waramaug Polar Bear Run in Kent.
Winners were William Sanders, 35, of Marlborough, with a time of 41:25.94 for the first male and Andrea Myers, 39, of Danbury, with a time of 49:51.01.
The Lake Waramaug Polar Bear Run is the oldest winter race in the state.
Sanders said he has run the race at least eight to 10 times. However, this year the course slightly changed. The start and finish line was relocated to Hopkins Vineyard. The new route added 0.2 of a mile to the course. The new course adds a hill up to the finish and also allows for better traffic control and more parking at the start and finish area.
“It was a bit of a shocker with the way the course is laid out. I’m used to the regular part around the lake and you get different elements at different points ... So it kind of it throws you for a loop when you’ve run the course so many times but that finish is just — it’s a brutal finish up there,” said Sanders, describing the new 7.8 mile run course, which passes through Kent, Warren, and Washington.
Sanders said that unlike previous times he has run the course, this time, no one was near him throughout the entire race.
“After about the first mile, it was just me and the police vehicle,” he
said, adding he typically runs 70 to 80 miles a week.
He advises runners to maintain consistency and listen to their bodies and take some time off every once in a while.
“I took a whole month off last year. Sometimes you come back stronger if you take some time off and listen to your body,” said Sanders, who is a substitute elementary school teacher.
All proceeds from the run benefit Guiding Eyes for the Blind, which raises and trains guide dogs to partner with blind and visually impaired people.