Great Cranberry Island (GCI) has a long and storied history of producing runners and of supporting and creating great running events. In the 70s and 80s. The GCI 5K was named one of the top 25 races in the US by Runner's World Magazine. Per capita, GCI has arguably had more runners qualify and compete in the Boston Marathon than from any town or city on earth. Many who run here speak of an almost palatable energy in the air, similar to what they describe at Eugene Oregon's famed Hayward Field, but we like to say it's in the water!

The GCI Ultra is co-directed by Gary Allen and Mary Ropp, who are also responsible for creating the award winning Mount Desert Island Marathon. It is hosted by Crow Athletics, a local running club that has steadily grown to now include members coast to coast.

Gary's family roots go back to the first settlers on Great Cranberry Island. Below is the opening paragraph of a recently published book, Chasing the Runners High by Ray Charbonneau.

"I have run most of my life on a small offshore Maine island where the main road is only two miles long. I estimate I have covered around 75,000 miles on that single piece of broken road. When you have absolutely no option of running a different or varied loop the only decision is whether you will run or not, and how far you will go. Running out on Great Cranberry Island made me at times feel like a caged lion and when I got out into the world to run a race it felt easy simply because I felt free" - Gary Allen

Mary is relatively a new runner, having finished two NYC marathons, but her passion for the sport extends far beyond the roads to her amazing organizational skills, her inspiring graphic design eye, and her cutting edge web site construction skills.

Co-Race Directors Gary Allen and Mary Ropp at the NYC Marathon.