CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine — As September turned to October, the Sugarloaf ski resort roared with life.
The reason for the gathering is part of a larger plan to attract people, and their money, to Maine's small towns year-round.
Hundreds of the world's most elite offroad runners raced in the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship. It was a big win for Sugarloaf, which attracted the premiere race away from its previous home in Hawaii, inking a two-year deal with the self-described global lifestyle brand, which has been hosting races and events for nearly its entire 25-year history.
Patrick Caron is a professional runner who lives in Bar Harbor and spent the weekend as a quasi-ambassador.
"We have so much to offer as a trail running destination, so I really love that runners from all around the world are coming to visit and enjoy our trails," Caron smiled.
The early-fall commotion also fits into the resort's plan to mold itself into an all-season destination. Sugarloaf is in the middle of a $104 million, 550-acre expansion, which will extend its massive ski footprint and also feature mountain biking in the warmer months, as well as slope-side real estate which, marketing director Jessica Sechler said, was already beginning to sell.
"The economic impact of having a four-season operation is substantial for local area businesses and even for staffing year-round," Sechler said.
Leaders with the state office of tourism and Maine Sports Commission who attended the race weekend believed Sugarloaf's evolution is just one of many examples of how towns across the state had recently found creative ways to drive visitors and revenue year-round.
"There are these pockets of people who see the opportunity in their own communities," Maine Sports Commission Strategic Director Sheila Brennan Nee said.
She praised long-standing events like Camden's U.S. Toboggan Championship as examples of traditions that the town and residents had elevated to new heights. She also lauded newer ventures, like a recent announcement that the United Soccer League would launch a Portland-based club beginning in 2025; and the Millinocket marathon, which attracts thousands of runners to the once-booming mill town in brisk December, and has become a Boston marathon qualifier.
"There are places within each region of Maine where there are dedicated communities who put on these unique-to-Maine events that continue to grow," Nee added.
She said she met many international first-time Maine visitors over the weekend who praised the spirit and warmth of Mainers they came across. Most importantly, Nee said, they told her they would return home, tell their loved ones of their experiences, and bring them along on return visits.