The RunVermont Pulse
In this edition of the RunVermont Pulse:
1. Connelly's Corner: Half Marathon Unplugged Turns 20
2. Serendipitous Snack-Sack Sponsors
3. Happy Earth Day! Plog & Sustainability Panel (4/29)
4. Volunteer Spotlight: Whitney Widger
5. One Month Out from Our Biggest Youth Event of the Year!
6. Last Chance for Race Guide Business Promotion
9. Find Your Next Race on Our Event Calendar
Bananas Recovering with Bananas after Half Marathon Unplugged, Champlain Productions
Connelly's Corner
Half Marathon Unplugged Turns 20
Joe Connelly and Half Marathon Unplugged Participants, Lee Krohn Photography
I’d like to wish the Half Marathon Unplugged a Happy 20th Birthday! One day your kids are toddlers, and you turn around and they’re adults.
Late 2006 or very early 2007, the RunVermont staff was having our weekly staff meeting and our Director at the time, Andréa Sisino, asked us “what do you all think about adding a half marathon this spring?” Back then we were producing the marathon, the FirstRun Burlington 5k on New Years Day, the Basin Harbor 5k in June, and doing some subcontract work for other races. I think we had tried the Burlington Urban Adventure at that point. Andréa was teaching a running class at Champlain College and the final exam was that the students ran in the Vermont City Marathon. I hope I have all the details right, 20 years can create some legends out of facts.
Andréa told us that for a lot of the students in her class, the VCM was not just going to be their first marathon, but it was going to be their first running race period. She was worried about all the little things veteran runners take for granted – how to drink at a water stop, what to do with your sweats before the race, even things as basic as how to pin your number on. Oh yeah, and “don’t wear your new shoes on race day!” Her idea was that Unplugged would take place about 6-7 weeks before the marathon, a great time in most training plans to get a long up-tempo run in, and that it would be a “basic services, no frills” kind of race that her students could learn from. The course would be accurate. Timing would be accurate. We’d have a couple water stops and they’d have water and portos. But, otherwise, none of the bells and whistles the VCM or any larger race has like awards, finisher medals, chip timing, Gatorade/gels, bands along the course, fancy food at the end (although our friend Leslie Myers at Smokejacks whipped up a nice spread that first year). If you wanted a shirt to commemorate your race you had to buy a shirt, because we heard from so many of our runners, “I already have so many shirts I don’t need another one,” so keep the cost down and let those who want a shirt buy one.
We wanted this to feel like a real race, so it wasn’t just for the class, it was a regular race anyone could sign up for. That first year I think we charged $12 or $15. 265 people signed up. My notes say it was 28° that day, cloudy. Brrrr!! We ended up with 216 finishers. Mark Churchill won in 1:13, Jess Cover was our women’s champion in 1:28. Looking through the results is a blast from the past, so many people I trained with or saw at our races.
Over 20 years, a lot changes. After two years, we moved the race to a week later because we dealt with snow on the course the first two years. We definitely plugged the race in a whole bunch – chip timing, food and beer at the finish, finisher medals. Even things like Course Monitors, we didn’t have them the first couple years. A real finish line – the early years we just plopped a couple cones down at the finish line. We always provided buses to the start, but in the early days we didn’t have enough runners to worry about parking issues at the finish. Flynn Ave was so industrial back then, no Switchback, none of the other beverage companies, no City Market.
The Half Marathon Unplugged is the only race we produce that we have produced every year since it was founded. Even 2020 when we were all going through COVID, we moved Unplugged from April to October and we changed the course to get way from busing, but we were still able to produce the race. I’m really proud of that. And I’m proud of how hard our staff has worked for 20 years to make this race happen. I’m grateful for the thousands of hours our volunteers have dedicated to making this race happen. To all our sponsors who have come onboard over the years - Thank You for your tremendous support. And lastly, to the 16,000+ finishers of the Half Marathon Unplugged over its first 20 years, cheers to you on a job well done!!!
~JoeConn
Serendipitous Snack-Sack Sponsors
One of my favorite initiatives that we have implemented over the last two years to show extra appreciation for the course monitors at the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay is dropping off Provisions (or Snack) Sacks with their volunteer shirts and bright orange reflective vests on the morning of the race.
These volunteers are on their feet as long as, if not longer than, the majority of marathoners on race day. Not only are they directing participants, spectators, and the general public (including those in cars), but they are also cheering, high-fiving, and bongo-playing for hours. The least we can do is to provide them with some snacks. And not just any snacks, but VERMONT snacks, provided by our wonderful Provisions Sack sponsors, who are showing up as members of the community with generous in-kind donations.
And this really is community (sponsors), supporting community (course monitors), supporting community (participants, spectators, and the general public). It’s also usually an enjoyable ask as the person recruiting these sponsors. Which brings me to my fun story.
I had to go to Costco on Friday, April 10th to buy, among other things, 45 bunches of bananas for the finish of Half Marathon Unplugged. I pulled in at about 8:50 AM (thank you, Executive Membership!) and parked by the flatbed carts, next to the most delicious-smelling vehicle. It was the Cole’s Cookies van. I’ve had Cole’s Cookies before because they are sold at my local grocery store, and I took the opportunity to, somewhat awkwardly, slide into Cole’s Cookies’ DMs and then immediately booked it for the entrance so that I could be in and out and at Skirack for bib pickup by 10 AM. Nicole herself responded almost immediately, and it turns out that she used to volunteer at the Vermont City Marathon before the cookie business took off! And that’s how a little bit of serendipity got us our last 2026 Provisions Sack sponsor.
I’m not saying you should sign up to volunteer just for the snacks, but I’m also saying they'll be good!
~ Anthea “I could go for a snack” Dexter-Cooper
Logos of the 2026 Provision Sack Sponsors
Happy Earth Day! Plog & Sustainability Panel (4/29)
Flyer for the Group Run/Plog and Sustainability Panel
Join us and host Switchback Brewing Co. on April 29, 2026, for a special group run or walk/plog* and sustainability panel. We'll be meeting at the Switchback Tap Room at 5:15 PM and heading out for a four-mile group run with optional plog* (two miles out and two miles back going north on the bike path). After the group run/walk/plog, and a chance to purchase a beverage and food (beer, wine, cider, N/A options, and hot dogs in the Tap Room; to-go food orders from the Beer Garden), we'll hear from our amazing panelists:
- Kristen Graff, Global Director Environmental and Social Responsibility, Cabot Hosiery Mills (Darn Tough Vermont);
- Rachel Binstock, Chief of Staff, Wasted*;
- Sarah Weihman, Founder/CEO, Paradis Sport; and
- Robby Ringer, Co-founder, Bivo.
Volunteer Spotlight: Whitney Widger
Coach Whitney with Smugglers Notch Ski Club
For more than 15 years, Whitney Widger has been an energetic and reliable presence at RunVermont events. She’s jumped into just about every volunteer role imaginable—Expo packet pickup, bib lookup, bib pick-up, Marathon Day Info Booth, course monitoring, and even finish line timing. After realizing how much behind‑the‑scenes effort goes into putting on a race, and as her own running days wound down, volunteering became the perfect way for her to stay connected to the community.
Whitney’s parents like to joke that she’ll do anything for a T‑shirt or a free banana, but it’s really the unmistakable race day energy that keeps her coming back. Watching runners embark on their 26.2, 13.1, or relay journey—and then seeing them hit that finish-line high a few hours later—never gets old. Outside of RunVermont, Whitney stays just as active in the community: coaching U14 alpine skiers at Smugglers’ Notch, refereeing soccer, and mentoring new refs as they take on their first season. If she’s not at the mountain, you can probably find her on a soccer field.
We feel very fortunate that Whitney also chooses to spend time sharing her energy and enthusiasm at RunVermont events.
One Month Out From Our Largest Youth Event of the Year!
What makes Memorial Day Weekend so special is that there is something fun happening every single day. We want to take a moment to highlight all of the excitement that will take place for our youth community at Waterfront Park on Saturday, May 23rd.
Mini Marathon Participants, Lee Krohn Photography
The morning kicks off with the M&T Bank Vermont City Two Mile (VC2M), which is a timed two-mile race for youth age 9-14 with awards for the top female, male and non-binary finishers. These runners get their own unique shirts, bibs, and medals.
Following the VC2M, is the M&T Bank Mini Marathon and Mascot Dash.
The Mini Marathon consists of two events, a 1/2 mile and 1 mile. Adults may accompany young runners in the 1/2-mile event but not the 1-mile event. Registration includes a Mini Marathon shirt, bib and medal.
Get excited for the 2026 Mascot Dash, where local mascots line up to race, or sometimes roll, through the finish chute. We are expecting quite the showing so be prepared to laugh with and cheer on your local mascots. You might even have the chance to get your favorite mascot's autograph!
Food trucks and local vendors will also be joining us at Waterfront Park, offering plenty of great options to enjoy between events. From young runners on the course to spectators cheering them on and volunteers making it all happen, there are so many ways to be a part of the morning.
Mascots Dashing and a Volunteer Giving out Medals, Lee Krohn Photography
LAST CHANCE for Race Guide Business Promotion
As mentioned in our last newsletter, we're looking for local businesses to list participant and volunteer deals in the 2026 Digital Race Guide for the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay. This is a great opportunity to reach thousands of runners (many that are coming to Vermont for the first time), volunteers, and spectators with YOUR local businesses during race weekend. Learn more about how to highlight your business and list by April 28, 2026.
From the Blog
Ben Ogden Competing at Nordic Cross
The blog has recently been full of musings from our Executive Director. From her solo adventures on foot in St. Louis, MO, and Magog, QC, in Exploring on Foot: From Vermont Running to City Streets, to her family adventures in and around Vermont to expose her young children to athletes like Olympians Ben Ogden, Jessie Diggins, and Ryan Cochran-Siegle and Paralympian Noelle Lambert in Exposing Kids to ‘lympians, to local Strava routes named after their shape in The Shape of Your Run: Creative Vermont Running Routes.
The blog gives us space to (hopefully) be funny, creative, and informative in a more long-form medium. Check back on Wednesdays for the weekly installment!
Last Chance Lodging
Photograph of the Front of the Holiday Inn Express South Burlington
Now is the perfect time to lock in your lodging if you have not already done so. Our lodging lineup makes it easy to plan, and our map makes it easy to orient yourself.
Among our trusted partners, Holiday Inn Express South Burlington is a standout option if you are looking to stay out of the hustle and bustle of Burlington, but still only a few miles (and just two turns, one being to get out of the hotel parking lot) from peaceful slumber to race-day bustle.
Find Your Next Race on Our Event Calendar!
Flyer for the Colchester Causeway Race
Vermont's running community comes alive every spring and summer, and the RunVermont Events Calendar is your one-stop hub for finding races and events happening all across the state.
Whether you're chasing a PR at the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon in May, lacing up for one of three distances at the Colchester Causeway Race this June, or tracking your fitness across Green Mountain Athletic Association’s calendar, our consolidated events calendar is full of opportunities to run, cheer, and connect with fellow Vermonters who share your passion for the sport. Browse what's coming up at the RunVermont Event Calendar and find your next great reason to get out and run.