In this edition of the RunVermont Pulse:
1. Reflections on a Year of Blogging
2. Kid Powered Fun Run Coming Up!
3. Rosy Cheeks to Freezy Cheeks: Sponsor Spotlights
4. Vineyard Vibes at Island Vines
SB Nite Out Youth Fun Run on July 23 (PC: Max Baron)
Reflections on a Year of Blogging
When I started at RunVermont in November 2024, it had been a while since the website had gotten much attention. This included the blog. So, last summer, we started blogging more consistently. I have heard that it takes three weeks to create a new habit (debunked!), and I feel like over the last year we have created some good habits when it comes to blogging.
We try and get a new blog post up each week (on Wednesday).
We try and highlight the especially interesting ones on social media and in newsletters.
We try and have a mix of informational blog posts (like the blog post on winter running from Sam Davis that I always think of when my fingers are cold at the start of a run), historical blog posts (like Joe’s annual update on state records), and ones that are truly random (like the one that I wrote about Strava art, comparing running routes to office supplies—not necessarily an edge-of-your-seat read).
Occasionally, we get a bit outside of our comfort zones and blog about something especially personal, as I did in Reflections on a Year of Running.
What started as a chore has become, I think, something fun. An avenue to be a bit creative and maybe a bit vulnerable. I used to love reading running blogs in 2010. I was never going to be able to create the habit of blogging once a day (let alone three times a day), but now I get the honor of tending to this one.
If you haven’t been keeping up with the blog recently, I would suggest:
- The Symphony of Race Morning: From Stillness to Crescendo – Director of Registration, Moe Brown’s observations of race morning at the 2026 M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay;
- M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay by the Numbers (part 1 of ???) – A deep dive into some of the amazing female and Vermonter performances at the 2026 M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon; and
- A pair of posts on running through the summer (from the perspective of managing the heat and striving for speed).
~ Anthea Dexter-Cooper, Executive Director
Kid Powered Fun Run Coming Up!
Burlington Electric Department is working toward a Net Zero Energy future by eliminating fossil fuel use in heating and ground transportation. The Net Zero Energy Festival on Saturday, August 22, brings this vision to life by celebrating the ways our community can move toward a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future.
And what better way to be part of that celebration than by having kids create their own energy through movement?
The Kid Powered Fun Run puts a youth spin on the Net Zero Energy Festival, celebrating the power of human energy and active transportation. The course is a 0.35-mile loop along the bike path, and participants can choose to complete one, two, or three loops at their own pace. Plus, CHAMP from the Vermont Lake Monsters will be there to kick off the fun run at 12:30 PM and cheer on our young runners! Registration is required for all youth participants, but not accompanying adults.
After crossing the finish line, stick around for an afternoon of family-friendly activities, including games, electric vehicles and e-bikes, fossil fuel-free food trucks, interactive exhibits, and more.
Athlete Spotlights
We have spotlighted some awesome athletes on social media over the last couple of months in our “Meet the Athlete” series: Patrick Standen; Emily Corley; Sera Wideawake; Adele DeRosset and Dan Gavin (BHS Heroes); Corey Burdick; and Jack Pilla.
A lot of these athletes are known members of the RunVermont community (like Jack and Patrick, who are in the RunVermont Hall of Fame), but some we found through a fortuitous sign from the universe (like Sera Wideawake, the closest marathon finisher to 5:24:26).
With thousands of participants and hundreds of volunteers each year, we know we are missing opportunities to share the stories of the participants and volunteers that make RunVermont races so special.
So, toot your own horn (or the horns of your neighbors, family, friends, co-workers, etc.) and drop us a line at info@runvermont.org to tell us about the beautiful stories and moving accomplishments that are part of the RunVermont patchwork.
Click the image above to watch the Meet the Athlete: Patrick Standen reel on Instagram
Rosy Cheeks to Freezy Cheeks: Sponsor Spotlights
It is difficult to fathom when we are in the middle of summer, but planning has already started for the next Freezy Cheeks 5K Series.
With Half Marathon Unplugged, we have a long-time partner in Switchback Brewing Company, but we’re also so fortunate that we will be back at all three of our 2026 locations, including Black Flannel Brewing Company and Zero Gravity Brewery.
One of the best parts of the Freezy Cheeks 5K Series—and this is not just our perspective, but confirmed by post-series survey responses—is the community atmosphere and that the races give people a reason to get together in a really cold state during the coldest months of the year. We literally could not produce the Freezy Cheeks 5K Series, in its existing iteration, without these partners. Raise a glass to our amazing hosts and think freezy thoughts.
Psst. Stay tuned for registration opening in the fall and hopefully the addition of a fourth race to the series!
Freezy Cheeks Participants at the Black Flannel Starting Line in 2026 (PC: Joe Connelly)
Vineyard Vibes at Island Vines
Island Vines 2024 (PC: Max Baron)
We know it is cliché to say, but it feels like summer is flying by and fall will be here in the blink of an eye. That also means that we are just about a month out from Island Vines 10K, 5K, and Youth Fun Run.
The next price increase is at the end of the month, and we still have plenty of opportunities to volunteer.
As we finalize our food truck, entertainment, and awards for 2026, we will send out an email with all the fun details, but when lots of boxes start to show up at the RunVermont offices—in this case, hundreds of commemorative glasses (with a fun new design) for finishers—we know that the vibes are about to get good.