The 10th annual Dole 3 Miler is scheduled for 8 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, on the Mountain Division Rail Trail in Fryeburg.
It begins at the western terminus directly across the street from the Fryeburg New Church Assembly grounds, where George Dole of Fryeburg attended camp yearly every summer from the age of one month until well into his 80s, when failing health prevented it, according to a news release from Jonathan Crowe, race director.
Dole placed fifth with a time of 4:25 when Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile in Oxford, England in 1954. Dole had won a place in that historic race as Oxford University’s top miler. Each person on the team had a job to do; Dole’s was to push everyone along at the beginning of the race, after which a different runner did the pace setting.
Sixty years later, members of the assembly family camp established the Dole 3 Miler road race to celebrate Dole’s life. In that inaugural Dole 3 Miler in 2014, Dole wore the same pair of running shorts as in the historic 1954 race. He finished first in his age group and in 37th place with a time of 30:06.
“Better than I thought I’d do,” he said in the post-race interview. Dole died in 2021, just 10 days shy of his 90th birthday. One of the last things he said was, “I cannot wait to run again.”
This race supports the Fryeburg New Church Assembly, the Fryeburg New Church, and the Mountain Division Rail Trail.
For more information and to register, visit dole3miler.com.
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