enlarge Doug Jones/Staff Photographer

Jon Padwe and Jenny Grimm of Falmouth use a BlackBerry Curve to lure their son, 17-month-old Charlie Padwe, to a first-place finish in one heat. Nine-month-old Reece Cyr of New Gloucester, behind Charlie, got distracted and lost the second-place spot.

enlarge Doug Jones/Staff Photographer

Parker Jones, 28 months, claims his rewards, Thomas the Tank Engine and a half-eaten cookie, from mother Tiffany’s hands at the finish of his heat.

enlarge Doug Jones/Staff Photographer

Parents try to direct their infants to crawl toward waiting relatives at the finish line of the annual Diaper Derby at the Yarmouth Clam Festival on Sunday. First- and second-place finishers received a $50 U.S. Savings Bond and a copy of “Clam-I-Am!,” a children’s book by Tish Rabe.

YARMOUTH — On her father's command, Harper Jowdry ran across the grass and beyond the red tape. On the other side of the finish line, the 27-month-old girl clapped for herself before returning to give her dad a high-five.

Harper's trial runs were just part of her preparation for the Yarmouth Clam Festival's annual Diaper Derby. The Portland toddler was also carbed up for the event, having eaten some french fries just a little while before.

"I think she can win if she keeps her focus," said her dad, Mike. "She's pretty fast."

Dozens of children competed in the event this year, cheered on by hundreds of onlookers. Multiple heats were required for each of the three categories: Crawlers, up to 12 months; New Walkers, up to 18 months; and Runners, up to 36 months.

It's mostly all in good fun – first- and second-place finishers get a $50 U.S. Savings Bond and a copy of Tish Rabe's children's book "Clam-I-Am!" – but parents came prepared nonetheless.

They brought some of the competitors' favorite things to entice them toward the finish line. A plush penguin, a toy lawn mower, a banana and sippy cups were among the items parents used as lures.

To head off any overzealous parents, the announcer, WCSH-TV sports reporter and anchor Lee Goldberg, reminded them that they must not reach over the finish line to get their children. If they did, their children would be disqualified.

"It will be all your fault and years of therapy," he warned.

The crawlers turned out to be some of the most unpredictable competitors. The children stood on their marks, supported by a parent who put them on all fours when Goldberg cried, "Go!"

Some of the racers made their way toward the finish line – and the assorted treats – while others meandered around the grass or stayed put. Electronic gadgets turned out to motivate more than a couple of the racers.

"And the remote control/cell phone kid is in first place! What's wrong with you people?" Goldberg said during one heat.

A BlackBerry Curve helped bring 17-month-old Charlie Padwe of Falmouth to victory. He practically sprinted – as much as a crawler can sprint – toward his father, Jon, and the device.

Charlie's mother, Jenny Grimm, explained its allure: "It has so many buttons!"

Two-year-old Brady Martin of Gray won in his division – for the second year in a row. His parents say he seems to be a natural racer.

"He was walking when he was 9 months old. He never stopped," said his mother, Ashley Hallett.

Madeline Case of Quincy, Mass., was crying at the starting line. Madeline, who's nearly 3, had gone two days without a nap and had to take off her yellow tutu before racing. Despite these disadvantages, Madeline came away with a second-place finish.

"She ran with tears streaming down her face," her mother, L.K., formerly of Yarmouth and Cumberland, said after the race. Madeline by then was ambling about with tutu restored, happily chomping on blue cotton candy.

There also were some tears from 23-month-old Sofia Pattershall.

Although the Freeport girl had raisins and dried cranberries to motivate her, she also had a lot to live up to. Her father, Brad, was 9 months old when he won the first-ever Diaper Derby in 1973.

But Sofia seems headed down a different path. During her heat, she decided to stay with her dad at the starting line.

"The pressure got to her," he said.

Staff Writer Ann Kim can be contacted at 791-6383 or at:

akim@pressherald.com