The RunVermont Pulse
In this edition of the RunVermont Pulse:
1. Fast Times on a Wet Day: Connelly's Corner
2. Where Lifelong Running Journeys Begin
3. Expo: The Letter of the Year is “C”
4. Learning the Ropes, One Race at a Time
5. The Symphony of Race Morning: From Stillness to Crescendo
VCM Finish Chute, PC: Lee Krohn
Fast Times on a Wet Day
Connelly's Corner
Church St on Race Day, PC: Lee Krohn
I need to kick off this issue of Connelly’s Corner by letting you all know how impressed I was with all the fast times run at this year’s M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon. Going into Marathon Sunday, I knew this year’s race had the chance to be fast, but I wondered how much the south/southeast wind might slow things down. We were setting up to have a tailwind in the middle miles, mostly all the way from Oakledge Park to Leddy Park. But a headwind the last 2.5 miles can make for quite a challenge.
Going back to 2010, I’ve tracked marathon finishers and I built what I call a “marathon speed rating,” which is based on actual finish times in different races. My rating ignores how much downhill any course might have - it’s all based on how many finishers a race has, what the winning times are, what the median finish time was, and how many sub 2:30/2:45/3:00 finishers. The VCM has always stacked up well. In 2010 we were the 35th largest marathon in the USA, but we had the 17th fastest winning time and we had the 18th most sub 2:20, sub 2:45 and sub 3:00 finishers.
This year’s VCM was significantly faster than usual. Our median finish time was 4:03. The average finish time globally is often quoted as 4:22, but I have seen studies showing as slow as 4:32. That kind of statistical analysis is way above my pay grade, but in any case, the VCM would seem to be on the short side of the bell curve.
14 finishers under 2:30 this year, that’s only 1 off last year’s record high of 15. 10 women under 3:00 ties our all-time high established in 2013.
Congratulations to Ryan Smith and Paula Pridgen who broke our 2 longest-standing race records. Ryan’s 2:15:53 was 1:10 faster than our men’s open record which had stood since 2001. Paula’s 2:41:31 was a whopping 5:57 faster than our women’s master record, which was set way back in 1992 in the 4th VCM. Since we went to the 2-loop course all 4 of our major race records have been broken.
107 finishers under 3 hours, that has got to be a record here. Back in the early-mid 2010s when we had our highest total number of marathon finishers, we had a few years that we got close to 100, but I don’t think we’ve ever had over 100. Congratulations to everybody else who showed up and did your best on not the most glorious Vermont spring day. We had a bunch of Vermont single-age and 5-year age group state records broken... more on that next month!
- Joe Connelly, Chief of Race Operations
Where Lifelong Running Journeys Begin
Saturday Youth Participants, PC: Stephen Mease
On Saturday morning of Memorial Day Weekend, Waterfront Park was filled with the kind of youthful energy that can barely be contained behind a starting line, quite literally. The excitement and joy were contagious, creating an unforgettable atmosphere for everyone in attendance.
Across all three youth events, the M&T Bank Vermont City Two Mile, the M&T Bank Mini Marathon: 1 Mile, and the Mini Marathon: ½ Mile, we welcomed nearly 700 registered participants. This incredible turnout reflects the growing enthusiasm for youth running and reinforces our mission of supporting running as a lifelong activity. Many participants even told us they hope to compete in all three events next year, and we love hearing that!
In just its second year, the Vermont City Two Mile experienced an impressive 72% increase in participation. The event gives young runners a taste of the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay experience, complete with race bibs, medals, and awards modeled after those earned by marathoners and relay participants. With such strong momentum, the race is well on its way to becoming a cherished tradition in Vermont's youth running community.
We were also thrilled to host another Mascot Dash. We are always eager to see which mascots can overcome their personal obstacles, often their own balance (so many tumbles!), to make it through the finish chute. We hope it brought you laughter!
2026 Mascots, PC: Stephen Mease
Thank you to everyone who participated, volunteered, cheered, and supported these events. You helped make the morning a tremendous success. We look forward to seeing you at future RunVermont youth events, which take place throughout the year!
- Lauren Miller, Director of Youth Programs
Expo: The Letter of the Year is “C”
Sesame Street style, we had a letter of the year for the Sports & Fitness Expo
C is for:
- Couscous, that we gave away for free with the shirts and backpacks;
- Community, that we were able to highlight with presentations from organizations like the Equal Distance Project (still time to sign the petition if you know what it feels like to race an equal distance alongside everyone else and think it is time to change that in NCAA cross country, where men race 10K while women race only 6K);
- Comedian, that we hosted and had perform Laugh and Run Burlington with Tommy McClellan-Willard; and
- (12ˈ inflatable) Colon, that the University of Vermont Cancer Center brought in with poop-emoji stress squishy giveaways to educate people on the importance of cancer screening and prevention.
We did not set out to have a fun letter theme, but, in saying “yes” and finding ways to work with exhibitors and partners, we had a more engaging and experiential Expo this year than we have since COVID-19 made those sorts of in-person gatherings indoors problematic. It was so much fun to wander around the exhibition hall seeing people complete Expo Bingo, stopping by to hear one of the panels, attending a screening of Best Day Ever, engaging with the exhibitors, thanking volunteers, and taking pre-race photographs in front of a (not so rainy) backdrop of the Burlington Waterfront.
Race Committee Member, Patrick Henry, and Couscous, PC: Lee Krohn
C is also for Cim (err, Kim), who kept things organized. To all of the volunteers, exhibitors, sponsors, attendees, and everyone that participated in live programming, “thank you, and we cannot wait to do it again next year!”
- Anthea Dexter-Cooper, Executive Director
Learning the Ropes, One Race at a Time
Emily at VCM, PC: Lee Krohn
Hi! I’m Emily and I’m the Seasonal Race Operations Assistant (Whew, that’s a mouthful of a job title) and this was my first VCM! I started as the seasonal race operations assistant for RunVermont in March to help with the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay and what a journey it was! To get my running feet wet, first, I saw RunVermont through the final race of its winter series, Freezy Cheeks. Then came Half Marathon Unplugged, which I had only seen from the runner’s side of things, so it was fun to experience it from the operations side. Then, came the preparation for the big event, VCM, and what an incredible event! Dozens and dozens of people coming together to put this on and me in the middle of it all was just awesome (and I didn’t even run).
My duties during race preparations ranged from printing projects, laminating just about everything in the RunVermont office, re-labeling signs so they could be used year after year (we don’t like to waste), setting up barrier bars & banners along the finish line (while the sun laughed at us) to bagging snacks & shirts for the amazing volunteers. Race day arrived and the weather called for rain (told you the sun was laughing at us) and for once, the forecast was right. It rained! My tasks were both glamorous and not so glamorous. They ranged from driving water, medals, and pillars for the Main Street Relay Exchange Zone to Skirack and a very soggy executive director to her pre-race interview with Channel 5 at 5:30 AM (multiple alarms there to make sure I didn’t botch that one) to restocking the porta-potties (hey someone had to do it).
Then, before you knew it, it was over. Records were set, friends were made, and, hopefully, RunVermont was happy with their choice in me because I am so happy to have been chosen by them. The running community is an amazing group of people, and I was honored to help plan this fantastic event. See you in 2027!
- Emily Norris, Race Operations
The Symphony of Race Morning: From Stillness to Crescendo
On Sunday, May 24th at 3:00 AM, I stood at Burlington’s Waterfront Park in complete darkness. Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks were invisible, and despite the activity that would soon fill the park, everything was remarkably still.
That quiet moment is one of the rewards of race day setup. While most runners pick up their packets at the Sports & Fitness Expo, race morning bib pickup is available for those arriving late or traveling in that morning. To be ready by 5:00 AM, I arrive hours earlier to set up tents, organize bibs and shirts, prepare the check-in system, and train volunteers.
As dawn breaks, the park gradually comes to life. Vendors arrive, volunteers prepare, and runners begin appearing one at a time. Then, almost suddenly, a line forms as if out of thin air.
From there, it's all-hands-on-deck. Volunteers check in runners and relay teams, distribute bibs and shirts, and answer questions as excitement steadily builds. By 6:00 AM, the park is buzzing with runners warming up, spectators gathering, and last-minute race day preparations underway.
The contrast between the peaceful early morning hours and the energy just before the start is one of my favorite parts of race day. Like a symphony building toward its crescendo, the excitement grows until the race begins at 7:15 AM.
As the race starts and runners head out onto the course, I take a deep breath, knowing the morning rush was a success. The activity at the park decreases, but as soon as those runners return, so will the excitement.
The symphony continues.
- Moe Brown, Direction of Registration
The Crescendo at the Start Line, PC: Stephen Mease
Vermont City Marathon: My first 26.2
Molly Volunteering at the Saturday Youth Event and Celebrating post-VCM with her Husband
May 24th, 2025, was my son's due date, and, one day later, I stood at the Vermont City Marathon finish line watching my husband cross it, very pregnant, promising myself that VCM would be my first marathon. Being a born and raised Vermonter, there was something magical about watching my husband run up Church Street that was so compelling to me. One year later I made that promise a reality, and being a RunVermont Ambassador meant I got to experience every single aspect of it along the way. From the Freezy Cheek 5Ks, to Unplugged, volunteering at the Expo and the Mini Marathon, there was so much build up to the main event. Getting to experience the race from all of these angles truly made my first marathon an incredible experience.
Watching my four-year-old run the Mini Marathon on Saturday and passing out medals to those kids was one of the most special moments of the whole weekend. I remember standing there with my fellow Ambassador, Erika, tears in our eyes, talking about how full my cup felt from being there as a volunteer. I went into Sunday with a full heart and that feeling continued on race day. There were people cheering along every single stretch of the course. Live bands, maple syrup shots, popsicles, people handing out beers. The crowd never let you forget that you were doing something worth celebrating. I met Patrice, a 13x marathoner, working bib pickup at the Expo the Friday before, and she promised to cheer for me on race day. Seeing her scan the crowd and find me at mile 2 and again at mile 15 made me burst into tears both times (I am a smiling, happy, emotional runner!). You can show up to any RunVermont race and immediately find your people.
That energy carried me through every mile on Sunday. Race day went pretty much perfectly to plan and I crossed the finish line strong and with a smile (my ultimate goal for any race). My husband texted me at mile 25 to make it my fastest mile yet, and it was. This running community, these amazing events, this beautiful state. There is nothing quite like it. If you have ever thought about running a RunVermont race or volunteering at one, do it. It will be a memory that will last a lifetime.
- Molly Bond, RunVermont Ambassador
Sponsor Shoutout: Skirack
I don’t love calling sponsors “sponsors.” I much prefer calling them “partners” because, for the most part, that’s what they are.
Yes, RunVermont is very fortunate to receive cash and in-kind sponsorships from some entities, but we also get so much more beyond that. M&T Bank, for example, provides hundreds of volunteer hours and is a key partner in some of the logistical planning behind so many parts of M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay Weekend.
Skirack is another one of those partners where it would be impossible to value what it, and its employees, bring to RunVermont and, I like to think, what RunVermont brings to Skirack. We partner with Skirack for multiple bib pickups. In the case of Freezy Cheeks, this usually involves a member of staff and a volunteer or two behind a table, joking around and taking a few minutes to speak with participants who come in early for their bibs. But in the case of Half Marathon Unplugged, we fully took over part of the store, brought in multiple other partners with demos (Altra), giveaways (Darn Tough), and samples (UnTapped All Natural Athletic Fuel), and hosted a Meet the Pacers pre-Half Marathon Unplugged shakeout run. Skirack was not only on board with our being there but also welcomed us with open arms.
For the biggest event, the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay, Skirack decorates the store, exhibits at the Sports & Fitness Expo with Darn Tough (complete with sheep to pet for Expo Bingo), puts together a relay team, hosts another shakeout run, let’s us use their electricity to inflate pillars at 6:00 AM on race morning, and is a wonderful hub of activity all day with the Altra Cheer Zone Hosted by Skirack.
Skirack on Marathon Sunday, PC: Lee Krohn
This year, one of the Skirack owners was also the person who picked up the phone (a rarity these days) and called me to tell me that something was off with the shuttle buses back to the DoubleTree. Skirack employees didn’t have to field questions from tired, damp, and frustrated participants and spectators who just wanted to get back to a warm shower. And Skirack employees didn’t have to try and fix the shuttle bus problem by letting RunVermont know that there was an issue. But they did, because they are our partner (and a great one at that!).
I somewhat returned the favor a week later by giving Skirack’s Store Manager some extra sleeves of cups for a water stop at a 5K. This is Vermont after all.
- Anthea Dexter-Cooper, Executive Director