Rather than traverse the accustomed Montauk Firehouse to Lions Field route along Edgemere Road, this year's Montauk Mile participants were asked to run, jog, or walk the distance wherever they wanted over a two-week period, and to submit their times to the race's sponsor, the Old Montauk Athletic Club.
The winners, Erik Engstrom, 22, and Paige Duca, also 22, ran together down Flamingo Road toward the train station, said the race director, Kevin Barry — Engstrom finishing in 4 minutes and 13 seconds and Duca in 5:00.
Erik's younger sister, Ava Engstrom, last year's female winner, was the runner-up to Duca, in 5:31. Kiernan Kelly, who is 42 and lives in Port Jefferson, was the male runner-up, in 4:52.
As a result of their wins, Engstrom and Duca's names are to be engraved on the John F. Conner Cup.
"There were also 10-and-under and 50-plus divisions," said Barry, who coaches the East Hampton High School boys cross-country team. The winners of those were James Bahel, age 5, in 9:28, and Aria Dean, 6, in 10:29, and Gary Baddeley (5:25) and Sharon McCobb (6:33).
"We also had results from Florida, Colorado, California, Mexico, and Canada," said Barry, who added that the $1,500 raised — $500 of it having been donated by Truth Training — would be split evenly between Bonac's cross-country teams, which, "fingers crossed," are to run at the Ocean State cross-country invitational in Warwick, R.I., at the end of September, and local food pantries.