In this edition of the RunVermont Pulse:
2. Freezy Cheeks 5K Series Kickoff
3. Looking for Mini Milers Coaches
Start Line of Light Up the Night Fun Run & Walk and Lighted Tree
Recap December Events
And They're Off: Participants Starting Light Up the Night Fun Run & Walk
For many years, the RunVermont office was hopping throughout the holiday season as we prepared to produce FirstRun Burlington on New Years Day. That was a great way to kick off the year on the run. These days we’re still busy this time of year bringing community fun runs to you. This year, we were super sad to have to cancel the Run/Walk to Highlight, a fun run and walk that we have produced as part of the City of Burlington’s Highlight celebration on New Year's Eve for the last two years. The heavy rains on December 22nd followed by cold temperatures froze the bike path like we haven’t seen in a long time (look for videos of people ice skating from downtown to Oakledge Park on the bike path). Every race we produce, we assess the weather and surface conditions as our #1 goal is to produce safe events. We hope to be a part of Highlight next New Year's Eve.
On Friday, December 19th, we were able to produce a new night event on the Church Street Marketplace. The challenge with trying to produce a run/walk at that location is that the Marketplace is only about 3/10 of a mile long. We thought about sending participants up and down the street 10 times to make a 5k, but didn’t have any confidence in being able to keep track of the laps, so we came up with a mile course that was a lot of fun–all of Church Street twice plus a loop around City Hall Park and a loop around Center St. The Marketplace team had themed Festive Fridays throughout December and the one we tacked on to was called Light Up the Night, and it included a lighted trucks parade. Almost 100 people signed up to run or walk. It was a windy night, but the lights of Church Street (and the trucks) were beautiful. Keep this one in mind for 2026, it’s a lot of fun.
These low-key events give us the chance to say Thank You to our community. We appreciate your support throughout the year as we produce our three core races, plus the winter and summer series, plus a number of youth events.
This time I’ll end my column with a question to you – What race would you like to see us produce? Could be a distance, could be a place, could be a format we’ve done before or something new, could be a return of something we used to do. Send me an email and let’s get a conversation going!
JoeConn
Participants and RunVermont Chief of Race Operations, Joe Connelly
Freezy Cheeks 5K Series Kickoff
It's Freezy Cheeks time!
The new year is here! Why not start it with some positive momentum and have some fun at the same time?! How do I accomplish this? The answer: participate in a Freezy Cheeks 5K!
The first event in our popular 3-race winter 5K series will be held this Sunday, January 18th. This fun, flat course starts and finishes at Black Flannel Brewing Co., located at 21 Essex Way in Essex Junction (aka The Essex Experience). The open start format from 11am-12pm is ideal for all regardless of running pace, or if walking is your preference.
A big thank you to Black Flannel for hosting this first race in our series. We held one of our Freezy Cheeks races and one of our Summer Series races there last year and it’s always been a fantastic experience!
Registration for this event is $30 through January 15th and increases to $35 on the 16th, so be sure to register today to save $$.
Also, be sure to stick around for a little while after you cross the finish line because your registration will include one limited beverage (including beer (21+) and N/A option).
Our other Freezy Cheeks 5Ks in the series will be:
- February 8th at Zero Gravity Brewing in Burlington; and
- March 15th at Switchback Brewing Co. in Burlington.
Special pricing is available at each event when registering with a friend. Interested in all three events? Register for the full series and receive a discounted rate AND a Freezy Cheeks buff featuring our friendly snowperson mascot Winston Windchill (can also be purchased separately for $5, along with the Winston Beanie and vintage buffs from prior years). For full details and to register visit here.
We hope to see you on Sunday!
Looking for Mini Milers Coaches
Mini Milers is RunVermont's Youth Running Program and it is about to kickoff, but, to do so, we need coaches! The program gives elementary school children access to fitness, nutrition, community service, and goal setting, all while having fun and being safe!
The program is led by volunteer coaches (YOU!), but we provide the materials to make it happen while coaches decide on the logistics (i.e. how many children can participate, when and where to meet, etc.)
If you would like to be a coach and/or learn more, reply to this email contact youth@runvermont.org
From the Blog
If you’re craving a little motivation for 2026—whether that’s to train smarter, show up for your running community, or bring the whole family along—our recent blog posts deliver plenty of inspiration.
From celebrating the people who make race day magic possible in Run, Cheer, Volunteer All Year, to reflecting on milestones, memories, and momentum in RunVermont’s 2025 Year in Review, these stories highlight the heart of our running community and why those of us at RunVermont love what we do.
In The Joy of the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay, we spotlight a relay team of Arctic Foxes—err, friends—from Huntington who took an idea formed over a frigid February river plunge and turned it into their own race-day memory, and then there is the band of friends and neighbors from Burlington who has, for years, made race-day memories for thousands when they perform as Sciatica.
Arctic Foxes Relay Team Jump Shot
Sciatica, the Band Rocking Out
For those of you looking to level up your miles, Rdy2Run Marathon Training Coach Sam Davis walks through the Rdy2Run Marathon Training Program and the approach that he has taken to getting people to enjoy the process of getting to the start (and finish) of the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon in Your Path to the Vermont City Marathon Start Line.
It’s not too late to join Sam for 2026! You can learn more about Rdy2Run and access RunVermont’s training plans on the RunVermont website. Even if you already registered for the Vermont City Marathon, you can still add on the Rdy2Run coaching through your RunSignup registration platform until February 15, 2026.
Please email registration@runvermont.org if you are having difficulty accessing the platform and want to sign up for Rdy2Run Marathon Training.
Rdy2Run Marathon Training Coach Sam Davis Running
Whether you’re chasing a goal, supporting others, or simply enjoying the journey, we hope there’s something on the blog to keep you moving forward.
Race Lodging Options
A reminder that we have great lodging options on our website for both the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay and Half Marathon Unplugged. This month, we’re giving a shoutout to Green Mountain Suites Hotel, lodging partner for both races, and, in honor, RunVermont Executive Director, Anthea Dexter-Cooper, is sharing one of her most vivid memories of running and Vermont:
“When I came home from law school for winter break 2009/10, less than two months after running my first marathon, I had two requests. One, I wanted to run Hudson Mohawk Road Runners Club’s Hangover Half Marathon in Albany (a no-nonsense race where you run in circles around SUNY Albany without mile markers), and two, I wanted to go to Magic Hat Brewing Company (the first Vermont craft beer that I encountered, while living all the way in Minnesota). My parents were happy to oblige, and, after my mom beat me by six minutes at the Hangover Half, we headed to the Green Mountain Suites Hotel . . . and straight into a blizzard (no joke, Burlington got 37” of snow January 1–3, 2010). The lobby the next morning was total chaos, but, after a quick breakfast, we made it to Magic Hat (which was open) and then south to my grandmother’s house in Shaftsbury to hunker down for the night. It was a quick trip, but it laid another brick on the road to my moving to Vermont a few years later.”