Maine Needs - A Community Walk & Race
About this race
Join us around Back Cove for our 2nd Annual Maine Needs Community Walk & Race presented by Maine Beer Company!
This event is a family-friendly community effort that brings together students, families, local businesses, and community members to do what's right for a morning of fun, fitness, and fundraising. The event features a 5K run combined with a 3.5 mile run and 3.5 mile walk. Attendees will also enjoy visiting with local non-profits and event sponsors, face painting for kids, a DJ, Maine Needs merch for sale, coffee, snacks and more!
All proceeds help support Maine Needs mission of providing basic material goods for individuals and families throughout Maine.
Each week, Maine Needs receives 1,000+ requests from caseworkers, teachers, nurses and street outreach teams for basics, such as; sneakers, boots, clothing, outdoor gear, socks, underwear, diapers, bedding, towels, kitchen basics, baby gear, tents, sleeping bags, soap, deodorant and cleaning products. These items reach individuals and families all over Maine that are going without these essential items.
Over 6,000 volunteers support the work of 523 providers from 265 organizations across Maine. Support our mission and enjoy a morning along Back Cove. You don’t want to miss it!
Do what's right. Essential needs for all.
Pick your distance
Running
Community Race
Timed 5K and 3.5 mile run. Awards will be given in the following categories: 5K Top 5 male, female and non-binary finishers who complete the 5k portion of the course in under 21 minutes. 3.5 mile Top male, female and non-binary finishers Plus top finisher in each age group: 10 to 19 years old 20 to 29 years old 30 to 39 years old 40 to 49 years old 50 to 59 years old 60 to 69 years old 70 to 79 years old
Virtual Community Walk or Race
Join in on the fun from afar with our virtual run/walk option. The virtual option will be untimed and participants will not receive the custom Maine Needs socks.
Fundraiser: Community Race
In person participation with fundraising required. Enjoy the morning on Back Cove all while raising money for Maine Needs. Once the $200 fundraising minimum has been reached, the event fee will be refunded. Team Fundraising also available! When you complete your individual registration you have the option to set up a Fundraising Team. Get your friends, families, colleagues, and peers to join you on the run and in raising money for Maine Needs! --------------- Timed 5K and 3.5 mile run. Awards will be given in the following categories: 5K Top 5 male, female and non-binary finishers who complete the 5k portion of the course in under 21 minutes. 3.5 mile Top male, female and non-binary finishers Plus top finisher in each age group: 10 to 19 years old 20 to 29 years old 30 to 39 years old 40 to 49 years old 50 to 59 years old 60 to 69 years old 70 to 79 years old
Walking
Community Walk
Untimed, fun, and family friendly charity walk around Back Cove
Typical race-day weather
Based on 2 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Portland, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 5:08 AM and sets at 8:07 PM local time (EDT) in Portland on May 23, 2026 — 14h 59m of daylight.
Course
No course map published yet.
The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.
Reviews
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2026 results — Maine Needs - A Community Walk & Race
Community Race · 361 finishers
| Place | Name | Time | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ben Lanza | 5:22 | 1:32 /mi |
| 2 | Matthew Lambert | 5:38 | 1:37 /mi |
| 3 | Brian Way | 5:41 | 1:37 /mi |
| 4 | Sean Fitzgerald | 5:49 | 1:40 /mi |
| 5 | Kyle Simmons | 5:52 | 1:41 /mi |
Every finisher is on the results page, filterable by distance, gender and age group.
All results by year
Other races near Portland
Different organizers, within 40 miles, in the next three months
Turkey Trot Tune Up and Kid's Turkey Dash
Portland Thanksgiving Day 4 miler
Portland Waterfront 5K
Kick Out Mesothelioma 5-Miler & 2.5 Mile Walk In Memory of John W. Griffin (1941-2003)
🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Portland
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Portland 5K Races 17 races
- 10K Run Events in Portland 3 races
- Portland Half Marathons 2 races
- Marathons in Portland 2 races
- Portland Running Calendar 2026 23 races
Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.
- Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
- Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
- Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
- Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 25 Portland events
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