LONDONDERRY — Runners of all ages and abilities started the year off on the right foot Sunday afternoon, making their descent down Mammoth Road in the 13th annual Millennium Mile road race.

This year's Millennium Mile, now a New Year's Day tradition, drew about 1,153 runners and walkers, from the most conditioned athletes to mothers pushing infants in strollers. Thousands of onlookers lined both sides of the street to catch a glimpse of the runners.

Winning this year's race was Derry resident Peter Najem, 25, who completed the course in 3 minutes, 57 seconds.

Sunday's race marked Najem's sixth Millennium Mile. The Pinkerton Academy graduate won the race in 2009, when he completed the course in 4:04.

Kara Haas, 40, of Chelmsford, Mass., was the top female runner, completing the race in 4:45.

Haas placed second in last year's race and was the top female in 2001, when she completed the course in 4:41.

Prior to the start of the race, event organizers had touted Colorado resident Sam Horn as a strong contender. Horn took second, five seconds behind Najem, in 4:02. Justin Lutz of Framingham, Mass., placed third, in 4:03.

Lowell, Mass., resident Brian Gagnon, the defending Millennium Mile champion who once completed the course in 3:53 minutes, was unable to compete in this year's race due to a recent injury.

Placing second and third in the women's category, respectively, was Pennsylvania resident Liz Haglund, in 4:46, and Jennifer Donovan of Brighton, Mass., in 4:52.

Awards were also given to the top men and women in age groups 13-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70-99.

Londonderry's first Millennium Mile race was held on the last day of the millennium, Dec. 31, 1999, after event founder John Mortimer and a few friends, all professional runners, pondered a unique way to ring in the New Year. Around 120 runners participated, making a mad mile-long dash from Londonderry High School, just past the Mack's Apples farm store.

Last year, 1,115 runners participated and this year, more than 900 runners had registered for the race as of 6 a.m. on Sunday, according to Mortimer. By race time on Sunday, over 200 more runners had decided to join in the fun, with last-minute participants encouraged to register inside the high school gymnasium during the final hours before the race.

Proceeds from race registrations will be used toward a college scholarship Mortimer founded in memory of his parents, Jack and June Mortimer. June Mortimer lost her battle with cancer in 2004, while Jack Mortimer died of cancer just two and a half years later.

Since 2004, the scholarship has been awarded each spring to one deserving, college-bound student athlete.

For more information on this year's race, visit target="_blank">www.millenniummile.org.

Results for the 2012 Millenium Mile