Carol Weeks This prediction from a July-August, 1995 New England Runner magazine article on Weeks came true when she was officially inducted into the hall on November 7, 2004. Weeks has been on the Maine and New England running scene since 1978. She began her running career in Bangor and ran with the Central Maine Striders. She became one of Maine’s best female marathoners, winning the Paul Bunyan Marathon three years in a row from 1979-1981. Her best marathon time of 3:01 was run in 1981 at Casco Bay. In 1983, Weeks ran the New York Marathon in 3:11. In all, she has run 28 marathons, including Boston, New York, New Orleans, Prince Edward Island, Montreal and all of the Maine marathons numerous times. After moving to the Portland area, Weeks became a member of the Maine Track Club and joined the newly formed Run to Win Ladies Team, coached by Brian Gillespie. This was the start of a lifelong friendship with Brian and the ladies on the team. Weeks began training with the team to get off the “marathon kick” and to compete at shorter distances. She became one of the team’s best runners and was able to improve her 10-K time by over two minutes to 39:56. As a member of the Run to Win Ladies Team, Weeks was part of one of the best masters teams in New England. In 1992, they won the Sonesta Women’s 5-K State Championship and were third in the National Masters 8-K Women’s Cross Country Championship in 1992, 1993, and 1994. They won the Maine State TAC 5-K Women’s Championship in 1993. In 1994, they won the New England Masters 5-K Series Championship and the Maine Women’s 5-K Distance Festival Championship. In the New England Championship Series, Weeks finished second overall through individual scoring of three races. Weeks says that on the team, “we support each other through the ups and downs of running and training. Of course, having Brian as a coach gives me a lot of support. He has a big-picture perspective on things. Sometimes I get caught up in the smaller things.” Her favorite racing distance is 10 miles and one of her favorite races was the Bowdoin and Back 10-Miler in Brunswick. Her best time for the race was 66:05. Other PRs include: 5-K — 19:27; 5 miles — 31:45; 10-K — 39:56; half marathon — 1:29. Throughout her racing career, Weeks has ranked in the top 10 in her age group in New England numerous times. She has been the winner of countless races and age group races. She was a member of the Winnepausaukee Relay Masters record-setting team. She has also been Runner of the Year for both the Central Maine Striders and the Maine Track Club. In addition to her racing, Weeks has contributed to the Maine running community in other ways. She was co-president of the Maine Track Club in 1992. She also co-directed the Peaks Island Road Race. Carol has served on the Board of Directors of the Maine Running Hall of Fame and the Maine Track Club. She has also coached and participated at the University of New England Running Camps. To date, very few female runners have accomplished what Carol Weeks has — from the 5-K to the marathon. There is no doubt that she will continue to be an outstanding master runner in years to come, as evidenced by her recent age division win in the prestigious Beach to Beacon 10-K in August of 2004.
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