PORTLAND – Kenneth N. Flanders, age 72, peacefully passed away on October 21, 2024, at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine after a brief illness.
Kenny was born in Portland, Maine on December 31, 1951, a son of the late James and Evelyn Flanders. After graduating from Deering High School 1970 where he was celebrated as a repeat state champion distance runner in track and cross country for 3 consecutive years, he completed a year of prep school at North Yarmouth Academy and then attended Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts where he majored in Physical Education on a full 4 year track and cross country scholarship. While attending Northeastern University, Kenny set many university records and was the 1973 New England Division 1 indoor track 2 mile New England champion in 8:50 and the outdoor track 6 mile New England champion in 28:45. Kenny also ran 13:48 for 3 miles on the track that season making him the first runner from Maine to ever break 14 minutes on the track at that time. While in college, Kenny raced in the 1973 Division 1 NCAA Cross Country Nationals in Spokane, Washington against the legendary Steve Prefontaine. Kenny averaged 4:56 per mile over the hilly 6 mile course placing 42nd behind “Pre” while beating many future Olympic runners in the process.
After finishing his collegiate career in 1975, Kenny returned to his home and favorite city, Portland, Maine, where he worked for Olympia Sport Center and later LL Bean for 30 years where he retired. From 1975 to 1982 Kenny dominated the Maine road racing scene with countless wins and records. Many good and even great runners considered Kenny to be the standard for distance running excellence in Maine. Lots of runners in Maine would purposefully go to the Olympia Store in the Maine Mall where Kenny worked in management to be fitted to new running shoes by him and get his expert running advice. For a time in the late 1980s Kenny had his own weekly newspaper column in the Maine Sunday Telegram where he offered running and training advice. In 1978, in perhaps his greatest race, Kenny led #1 World Ranked runner Bill Rodgers for over 4 miles in the 7 mile Heartbreak Hill Road Race in Boston before finishing in 2nd place. Kenny also was the proud 7 time winner of the annual Portland Boy’s Club 5 Mile Race where he routinely ran at or just under 24 minutes flat for 5 miles.
Kenny was inducted into the inaugural class of the Maine Running Hall of Fame with such running luminaries as 1984 Olympic Marathon Champion Joan Samuelson, 1988 10,000 meter Olympian Bruce Bickford, the legendary Ralph Thomas, and 1912 Olympic Marathoner Andrew Sockalexis. One running friend aptly described Kenny as “Maine’s Prefontaine.” Most runners in Maine from his era which coincided with the “Running Boom” would heartily agree with this assessment.
Despite his stellar running career, Kenny was so much more than a runner. If he was a national class athlete, he was most certainly a world class person and comedian. Kenny has been described by friends as the wittiest person who could have a room full of people laughing on the floor in seconds at any given moment. Kenny’s keen sense of wit and stories will be especially sorely missed at his favorite watering hole, Forest Gardens in Portland.
Kenny was the “favorite uncle” of his many nieces and nephews. Kenny inspired us to strive to be the best that we could be in sports and other endeavors. His family loves him and will miss him terribly as will so many of his friends…and Kenny loved his family and friends and spoke of them all often.
Kenny is survived by nephews – Brian Flanders, Daniel Flanders, Bruce Turner, Jim Flanders, JJ Flanders, and nieces - Catherine Alexander, Sharlene Bolia, Sherry Norton, Colleen Somma, Colleeta Higgins, Samantha Flanders, and Monica Henderson, and many grand nephews and grand nieces. He was pre-deceased by his parents Judson and Evelyn Flanders, and brothers Brian Flanders Sr., Marvin Flanders, and Darrell Flanders, and sisters Sylvia Lussier and Joyce Cook.
A celebration of Kenny’s life will be held at a later date and place to be announced in the coming weeks. Kenny’s final resting place will be in Blanchard Cemetery in Falmouth at the family gravesite with a gathering in the Spring.
Online condolence messages can be submitted at the Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service website, www.mainefuneral.com