whoopie pie mile
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At Least Four Whoopie Pies. One Mile. Zero Vomiting Allowed.

The World’s Possibly Messiest Mile Returns to Bar Harborm July 3.

Group of people enjoying baked goods outdoors, with a focus on a man in sunglasses eating a cupcake and holding a coffee cup.

BAR HARBOR—The runners plotted out strategies. Maybe they should split the bun and shoot the cream. Maybe, instead, they should dunk the whole pie in water? Maybe they should gulp? Slowly chew. Should they sprint? Run? Just walk really fast and try not to vomit? Each of the dozens of contestants in the Whoopie Pie Mile World Championships had their own plans.

“I wanted the dog to be our designated eater,” one runner said of his lab as it rolled around on the grass back in 2024.

Sadly, that was a no-go for the team. The dog did, however, get a lot of belly rubs and before the event was over, so did some of the runners.

The Whoopie Pie Mile World Championships are back this year. Hosted by Move Free at the College of the Atlantic, the event is set for July 3.

“Get your costume prepped and your stomach ready!” the organization’s Facebook post reads.

Every 0.25 miles runners eat a whoopie pie that is supplied by Move Free. Pies must be fully eaten before starting each lap.

Participants can “run for fun, run for speed, or run for endurance! throwing up = disqualification, so save that for after!”

There are three divisions:

  • Solo mile division: 4 laps (1 mile), 4 whoopies, winner is fastest time
  • Relay Division: 4 laps (1 mile), 4 whoopies, 2-4 team members, winner is fastest team time
  • Solo Endurance Division: (1 lap + 1 whoopie) x infinity, winner is last person standing (with mile times under 10 mins)

Prizes are given for costumes, top team name, and more!

A group of young adults are participating in a messy eating contest, with one woman in a yellow tank top displaying cake crumbs on her face and hands, while others look on with full cheeks. The background features greenery.
A list of records from the 2024 Championships, including times for the Solo Mile Division, Relay Division, and Solo Endurance Division.
Current records
A group of people, including children and adults, socializing outdoors. Two young girls in athletic clothing are engaged in conversation with a smiling man, while a woman in a plaid shirt looks on. A friendly white dog is in the foreground.

Back in 2024, the runners stretched as much as they could. They stretched their arms. They stretched their legs. They stretched their bellies.

They created cheers. Some made no sense to anyone but the team itself, like “cheddar on three” and “cheesy popcorn!” That didn’t matter.

What mattered was that eventually a whole lot of runners ate a whole lot of whoopie pies and had a whole lot of fun.

How many? And why?

As Patrick Caron, organizer, wrote on Facebook, “Just picked up 84 whoopie pies for tonight’s Whoopie Mile World Championships!

“Cashier: ‘Is it for charity?’

“Me: ‘No it’s for stupidity’”

It might be silly every single year, but it is always a messy and glorious event full of joy, camaraderie, and stickiness.

It’s not every event where you begin at the College of the Atlantic’s whale skull, shove a whoopie pie through your own gullet, and then run .25 miles before doing it again. The entire race is one mile with the possible exception of the solo endurance division.

A group of smiling people walking together in a park, some wearing matching shirts with a logo, while others are casually dressed. The background features green trees and a relaxed outdoor setting.
A man wearing an orange shirt and a light blue cap holding a piece of dessert while looking down. In the background, there are several people, including another man and a woman, also engaged with their food.
A man with a tattooed arm running and smiling in a park setting, wearing a black shirt and shorts. In the foreground, another man partially obscured by focus.

2024’s endurance winner Chris Manwaringtook the glory with seven whoopies after succumbing to a moment of vomit last year on his fourth. It was a bitter sweet victory as he took that last bite and then did the final lab, groaning a bit. But, he said, it was worth it.

“He’s been training all year,” Caron had said.

Poster for the Bar Harbor Music Festival featuring Aljoša Jurinić's Piano Recital, highlighting concert details and the program including works by Chopin, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, and Hensel.
Paid advertisement.

The record had previously been held by Devon O’Connor who completed five laps and five whoopie pies. That had earned O’Connor the 2023 championship.

The burps usually arrive as runners head up a small hill at the back side of the quarter-mile loop. That’s the danger zone that takes out most competitors.

Vomiting, by the way, is an automatic disqualification.

“Really,” one member of the JPH Bathroom Cleaners said of their 2024 win and trophy. “This is something greater than ourselves. We should sell it on Ebay.”

One dad described the winning 2024 team, all employees of Jordan Pond House as a “killer team.” And they were. The team members devouring the Boston Cream Pie’s previous record of 13 minutes 39 seconds with their time of seven minutes 34 seconds.

The 2024 solo winner Ethan Bruce methodically and quietly also consumed Francis Meisenbach’s record of 13 minutes 16 seconds with his own time of 10 minutes and 18 seconds.

In 2025, Solo Mile Division winner was Mack Taddy (17 minutes 53 seconds).
Whoopie Goldber took the 2025 Relay Division (8 minutes 42 seconds). The 2025 Solo Endurance Division: winner wasCory Diemler with five laps (33 minutes 50 seconds).

ABOUT MOVE FREE

A group of four young individuals, dressed in pirate-themed attire with bandanas and fake mustaches, flexing their arms and showing off temporary tattoos. The text overlay reads 'move free whoopie mile run hard, get whooped.'
Via Move Free

The event is organized by Move Free.

According to its website, “Founded by free spirit, adventurer, and professional mountain ultra trail athlete Patrick Caron, Move Free was born out of a love for the natural world. Time spent outside has given us a deep appreciation for this planet we all inhabit, and we are determined to share this passion for movement and nature with others.

​”Headquartered on Wabanaki land, in Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, Maine, our mission is to inspire adventure and give back to the planet. We design consciously crafted activewear for outdoor athletes and adventurers that is both environmentally and socially responsible, and provide curated running and travel experiences exploring the landscapes we love.”

The organization is involved in multiple coalitions, sells items, and also gives back in multiple ways. It also hosts running retreats on Mount Desert Island.

It’s about running, community, connection, nature, and the planet. And sometimes to spread that mission, you create an event like the Whoopie Pie Mile World Championships.

THE WHOOPIE PIE CONTROVERSY

A table displaying various wrapped items resembling cookies, labeled with names such as 'Whoopie Warriors' and 'JPM Bathroom Cleaners'.

The whoopie pie may be Maine’s official state treat, but its origin is a bit controversial. Both New England and Pennsylvania claim to have birthed the tasty treat.

Most food historians believe that the pies, made of two pieces of cake (typically dark, usually chocolate) and that are pressed against a center of sweet, white frosting, first hit mouths in the 1920s, give or take a few years.

Advertisement for Berwick Whoopee Pie, highlighting it as the largest selling 5 cent cake with a variety of other cakes including Devil Dogs, by Berwick Cake Co. in Roxbury, Massachusetts.

The Food History Timeline writes, “Whoopie pies descend from cream-filled sandwich cakes popular in the Victorian era. Delicious recipes graced most European countries. Chocolate cake variations became popular in the late 19th/early 20th century when advancements in food technology made this ingredient available to the masses. Contemporary products are typically composed of chocolate/devil’s food and vanilla cream. Sizes, thicknesses, and cream textures vary according to region. Some American culinary pundits tout Amish origin but offer no supporting historic print evidence for this claim.”

It was first advertised in New England in 1931 from the Berwick Cake Company, which is in Roxbury, Massachusetts.

Closer to Mount Desert Island, Lewistons’s Labadie’s Bakery has made the pies for almost a full century. Jennifer Smith-Mayo and Michael Mayo write inMaine Icons: 50 Classic Symbols of the Pine Tree Statethat the company began producing whoopie pies in 1935.

For one of last year’s runners it was the first time eating a whoopie pie and it turned out? She didn’t actually like it. She made it through anyway and did her lap.

Other runners had a different take.

“It’s delicious!” one woman shouted. “Bring them on!”

THE THRILL OF VICTORY

Four young men celebrating together outdoors, wearing matching polo shirts and smiling. One holds a trophy, while another wears an orange headband.
A young man with curly hair is running along a gravel path surrounded by greenery. He is wearing a gray shirt and black shorts, displaying an energetic expression.
A smiling young man holding a golden trophy while standing outdoors. He is wearing a light-colored shirt, and there are people in the background, one taking a photo.
A man in a blue shirt is standing outdoors, reaching his hand to his mouth as he eats something. He has a beard and appears to be enjoying the moment.
A smiling man wearing a blue shirt holds a gold trophy in an outdoor setting, with trees and picnic items in the background.

THE AGONY OF DE-TREAT

A girl with curly hair and a large blue bow leans forward, appearing focused or concerned, while standing next to a person wearing a dark blue shirt. In the background, several people are seated, partially out of focus.
Four girls posing outdoors in casual summer outfits, smiling and making peace signs with their hands. The background features greenery and a nearby structure.
A man in an orange shirt eating cake, with a crowd in the background.
A person bending over while standing next to a stone structure in a grassy area.
A young boy lying on the grass, looking up with a smile, wearing a yellow shirt and blue shorts.

OTHER PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT

A group of people interacting in a park, including a few children and adults. A woman in a yellow shirt is talking to a man in a black and yellow life vest, while a small white dog is present. The scene is set outdoors with greenery in the background.
A man running on a gravel path alongside a white labrador dog wearing a red bandana. The man is wearing a black shirt and green shorts, and is smiling while holding the dog's leash.
A person wearing an orange shirt with a humorous sign on their back that reads 'DANGER PIE VOLTAGE' inside a warning triangle.
A woman with red hair kneels to pet a laying yellow Labrador dog, surrounded by people in a park setting.
A group of people standing on the side of a road, watching and chatting while one male runner jogs past them. The scene is set in a green, park-like area with trees in the background.
Group of runners lined up on a street, wearing colorful athletic clothing and holding items in their hands, surrounded by trees.
A young person in a black tank top taking a bite of a dessert, surrounded by a group of smiling individuals at an outdoor event.
A man in a sleeveless gray shirt is joyfully eating a chocolate dessert while holding a coffee cup in his other hand, with other people in the background.
A group of people enjoying an outdoor event. One person, wearing an orange shirt, is carefully placing cookies on a tray, while others in the background are laughing and engaging with each other. Three golden trophies are displayed on the table, indicating a competition or celebration.
Two men engaged in conversation outdoors, one holding a clipboard and a phone, wearing a black hoodie with a mountain graphic, while the other wearing a plaid shirt listens attentively.
A group of people at an outdoor event, with runners passing by and others gathered around a table providing refreshments. A person is seen energetically running in the foreground while others drink and socialize in the background.
A smiling woman in a yellow tank top and pink shorts with a banana print interacts with a man in a black shirt while another woman is taking a photo. The background shows a group of people and greenery.
A group of people engaging in an outdoor activity near a large building, with a dog in the foreground. Some individuals are stretching or preparing for an exercise while others watch. There is a swing hanging from a tree in the background.
A young girl with long hair wearing a pink dress adorned with animal prints, smiling and clapping her hands joyfully outdoors in a green, park-like setting.

Unless otherwise specified photos: Shaun Farrar and Carrie Jones/Bar Harbor Story

LINK TO LEARN MORE

Move Free Designs

Pieces of this article were repurposed from an article in 2024.

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