(Note:  All of the photos taken on race day were taken by other people.  My phones, and my fake GoPro, all froze.  Many thanks to you who took photos – other runners, and Photography By Mike and Far North Photography – for the beautiful photos.)

You know the story of Stone Soup?  Where there’s this genesis of an idea, but how?  Implementation seems so hard when you have an idea.  How do you make it a Thing?  How do you make a marathon and half marathon in rural, northern Maine in December a Desirable Thing?  Gary Allen made it free, and asked that everyone participating spend the money they would have spent on the race, on local things.  Meals, tipping, buying local things, supporting Millinocket.  Not asking one single thing of the town.  Like Stone Soup, so many people decided they wanted in, and wanted to contribute to make it…