The RunVermont Pulse
In this edition of the RunVermont Pulse:
1. SB Nite Out Youth Fun Run on July 23rd
2. The Parkway Mile Recap
3. Island Vines 10K, 5K & Youth Fun Run Price Increase
4. Volunteer Spotlight: Ken Schatz
5. New Marathon State Records
6. Sponsor Shoutout: Vermont Brownie Company
Participants at The Parkway Mile (PC: Nicholas Ponzio)
RunVermont x SB Nite Out Youth Fun Run
RunVermont is excited to partner with South Burlington Recreation & Parks to bring a FREE Youth Fun Run to South Burlington's Summer series, SB Nite Out, on Thursday, July 23, at Veterans Memorial Park!
Kids of all ages are invited to run, walk, skip, or stroll a fun, non-competitive .35-mile loop (with the option to complete one or two laps) before enjoying an evening of live music, food trucks, games, and family-friendly activities at this beloved community celebration.
The fun run begins beside the pavilion, with bib pickup starting at 5:15 PM at the RunVermont tent. Advance registration is encouraged, though race-day registration will also be available. Parents and guardians accompanying a youth participant do not need to register, but must start at the back of the group.
The Parkway Mile: A Community Event
(with some support from the Universe)
I like to think that the Universe sometimes creates fortuitous outcomes, and I saw a lot of evidence of that throughout the planning for and execution of The Parkway Mile.
First, as I prepared to interview with RunVermont, adding a mile race like the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City was on my list of ideas to wow the interview committee with. I should have known that what I was really suggesting was bringing back the Pine Street Mile. In my defense, when the Pine Street Mile took place in 2018 and 2019 I was mostly running ultras on trails (far from a flat mile on the road) and had just had my eldest child (far from full-sending even a mile).
Second, if it wasn’t for a current RunVermont Board member and a former RunVermont Board member running the Fly By 5K together and then investigating when the last stretch of the Champlain Parkway would be completed, I do not know if The Parkway Mile would have happened. It certainly would not have happened without the support of another Board member who works for the Burlington Department of Public Works (DPW), or the other DPW employees (including Director Chapin Spencer) working to bring this road and The Parkway Mile to fruition.
Third, speaking of DPW, it was their scheduling constraints and our desire to have as much time as possible between the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay and The Parkway Mile that had us land on June 21, 2026, and the (catchy) slogan “the shortest race on the longest day of the year” (love a good play on the Solstice!). It was also through working with DPW that we discovered that the last divided portion of the Champlain Parkway was almost exactly .5 miles from one end of the median to the other, making it ideal for a mile-long race.
Fourth, it was the commitment of the Green Mountain Athletic Association (GMAA) and all its members, who have been chomping at the bit to race a mile in Burlington, that created the terrific opportunity for RunVermont to collaborate with GMAA on The Parkway Mile.
And so many other little things fell into place because of the community behind the completion of this infrastructure project and the celebration of it through race:
- The City of Burlington providing additional programming around learning about the Champlain Parkway and seeing big trucks up close, and bringing in delicious (and free!) creemees from Vermont Maple Creemee Company and coffee from Brio and Nomad;
- Jeff Kent designing a monochromatic logo that paid homage to the history of the Champlain Parkway (and an Atlas Obscura-worthy reference to a beloved art installation) that worked perfectly for letterpress printing by May Day Studio and live screen printing by Amalgamated Culture Works;
- Two mayors (and Chapin Spencer), all of whom also ran, being ceremonial starters;
- Vermont Brownie Company coming through in a big way with delicious brownies as awards (and go-to partners Darn Tough Vermont and Skirack as additional awards sponsors);
- Volunteers and spectators coming out in droves, despite the rain during setup (and the fear of thunder and lightning throughout);
- Local businesses, too many to list, welcoming participants (in actuality or in possibility as evacuation sites);
- National Weather Service employees, who clearly control the weather, calling me and saying, with such an apologetic tone, that thunder was 25 minutes out as I was driving off the Champlain Parkway at the end of the event, relieved that we did not need to implement our evacuation plan; and
- Being able to donate more than $6,500 to Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) thanks to selling out The Parkway Mile, the generous donations of participants, the sale of shirts, GMAA, the volunteers, and RunVermont not keeping any revenue to cover a portion of its annual overhead (a donation that we were honored to be able to make).
As the Executive Director of RunVermont, I am beyond proud of what this small staff and GMAA were able to do in a staggeringly short amount of time (we’re talking weeks, not months) because of the community engagement (and a little help from the Universe). No race or event will ever be perfect, but my memories of this one, and how I felt looking out at the Champlain Parkway filled with pedestrians rather than cars, are pretty close to it.
- Anthea Dexter-Cooper, Executive Director, RunVermont
Turnaround at The Parkway Mile (PC: Max Baron)
Island Vines 10K, 5K & Youth Fun Run Price Increase
Summer is flying by, and, as we approach August, we also approach the first price increase for the Island Vines 10K, 5K & Youth Fun Run at midnight on August 1st. We are trending about 75 registrations ahead of last year, making a sellout possible. Grab your friends, family, running buddies, neighbors (you get the idea), and close out the summer with a morning of exercise and an afternoon of vineyard vibes. Join us and Snow Farm Vineyard on September 20, 2026.
Joe Connelly at Island Vines 2024 (PC: Max Baron)
Not interested in participating, but still in the mood for a day among the vines? Volunteers are still needed and will receive food and drink tickets, as well as a piece of RunVermont merchandise, as a thank you.
Youth Bib Coloring and 2024 Island Vines Participants (PC: Max Baron)
Volunteer Spotlight: Ken Schatz
Ken (right) volunteering at The Parkway Mile (PC: Lauren Miller)
This month, we recognize an awesome volunteer and person, Ken Schatz. Ken has been a staple in the RunVermont community for more than 20 years, starting in 2005 when he ran the Vermont City Marathon in 3:06 – wow! Since then, he has run the marathon several more times and served on the RunVermont Board of Directors.
Outside of running, Ken was the commissioner of the Vermont Department for Children and Families until his retirement in 2020, where he led the department through an effort to reform the child protective system. Amazing!
"I'm particularly proud of volunteering and helping to organize course monitors for the Mini Marathon for the last several years," Ken shared.
As a volunteer at RunVermont events you can't get better than Ken. He is willing to help anytime, anywhere, and even meet you early to strategize the best game plan. He is responsive, communicative, and I will always go to Ken for advice on the best way to organize a parking lot. Thank you, Ken! And here is to many more successful RunVermont events!
- Emily Norris, Race Operations, RunVermont
State Records set at the 2026 M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon
2026 marks 55 years of marathons in the State of Vermont, with the first documented Vermont marathon being the 1971 Green Mountain Marathon in Colchester. RunVermont has been the keeper of the marathon record files for the last twenty-some years, and, with the results of this year’s M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon as well as the state’s second largest marathon (Mad Marathon) now being official for 2026, we are proud to announce that nine runners have broken or established single and age group records at this year’s VCM, which still hold after Mad Marathon. Our congratulations go out to the following marathoners:
- Ryan Smith (2:15:53) – Fastest time ever run in Vermont, and of course the new record for male 20-24 and male aged 24.
- Royal Ricklefs (2:50:50) – First 14-year-old boy to run a marathon in Vermont and first male runner under the age of 16 to run a sub-3-hour marathon in Vermont.
- Paul Crochiere (3:00:36) – Fastest marathon in Vermont by a man age 63 and older (and age 67 and male 65-69) and second fastest of any men age 60 or older.
- Liam Tilton (2:24:32) – Broke the male aged 22 record that existed for 45 years (set in 1981).
- Rachel Schilkowsky (2:35:51) – Set a new female aged 34 record (plus 30-34 female) and also currently holds the records for female aged 27 and female aged 31. She was also 10 minutes faster this year versus when she was the first female overall in 2019 at the age of 27.
- Kellyn Taylor (2:35:19) – Third fastest women’s time in Vermont all-time, but, amazingly, second fastest female 35-39 (and fastest female aged 39) time ever.
- Paula Pridgen (2:41:31) – Broke the Vermont women’s masters record by over five minutes, a record that had stood for 34 years (set in 1992), also set new record for female 40-44 and female aged 40.
- Heidi Westover (2:47:30) – Third fastest women’s masters time in Vermont history, also set a new record for female 45-49 and female aged 45. Also currently holds the records for female aged 28, female aged 29, and female aged 32; along with female 25-29. That is a Hall of Fame career!
- Celine Blais (6:35:17) – Established the female aged 78 record, oldest woman to have ever completed a marathon in the state, and also currently holds the female aged 74 and female aged 76 records.
Note that all record times are recorded as gun times in order to be able to directly compare to previous generations before chip timing was a thing.
For a complete list of the Vermont Marathon records, click here.
We get asked all the time if the VCM course is fast. It’s easy for any race to say “oh yeah, we’re fast, come race here and you’ll see.” In this case, the numbers speak for themselves. The VCM has always been a fast course. When we were the 25th-30th largest marathon in the country only about 15 marathons could boast more sub 2:30 and sub 3:00 finishers, and our median time has always been significantly faster than the national average.
If you’re chasing a Boston qualifier or your next PR, you need to be on the start line next May!
-JoeConn, Chief of Race Operations, RunVermont
All Nine New Record Holders (PC: Steve Mease & MarathonFoto)
Sponsor Shoutout: Vermont Brownie Company
One of our newer partners has quickly become a favorite, and we're excited to shine the spotlight on Vermont Brownie Company of Shelburne.
From their creative flavors and preservative-free ingredients to their colorful packaging, there's a lot to love about these delicious treats.
Vermont Brownie Company first joined us as one of the Provisions Sack Sponsors for our course monitors at the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay. These volunteers spend long hours helping keep participants, spectators, and the general public safe, so making sure they're fueled throughout their shift is important. A Vermont Brownie is the perfect pick-me-up.
More recently, Vermont Brownie Company served as an award sponsor for The Parkway Mile. Overall winners took home a box of brownies, while age group winners received one of their signature Vermont Brownies. It was a beautiful morning on the Champlain Parkway filled with fast times and smiling faces, and we're pretty sure the brownies added to the celebration.
Their support goes beyond the brownies themselves. Chris, a member of the Vermont Brownie Company team, has also volunteered at several RunVermont events, including Powered by Possibility, Half Marathon Unplugged, the M&T Bank Mini Marathon, and the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon. We always appreciate partners who roll up their sleeves and become part of our community.
Of course, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention the occasional leftover brownie that finds its way into the office. Those never seem to stick around for long, and for good reason.
Thank you, Vermont Brownie Company, for helping fuel our volunteers, celebrate our participants, and support RunVermont in so many sweet ways.
The Parkway Mile Winners Displaying their Vermont Brownie Company Awards (PC: Max Baron)