CVR Birthdays this week:
Happy Birthday to: Shawn Bryan, Paschal DeBlasio, Barbara Flint, John Thornton-Sherman, Joel Thornton-Sherman, and Seth Jackson!
Hello from Montpelier,
I just got home from the first 2024 CVR picnic at the new Hubbard Park shelter – what a lovely way to spend a Tuesday evening following Fun Run! There were quite a few folks there and we had a nice time enjoying the evening breeze (which kept most of those pesky bugs away). A special thanks to Merill Creagh for making the park picnics happen – a fantastic addition to our summer and fall meetups. We will plan another picnic in June – more details to come next month!
Meanwhile, below find more updates on upcoming races, volunteer needs (Capital Stampede is still looking), details on the upcoming Birdland 5K, a shared race between CVR and ORO, as well as information about a fascinating running memoir published recently by CVR member Rebecca Wallick.
For those following along, last week I promised to send out a “special edition” newsletter with a profile of a long-running club member – I got distracted as the holiday weekend approached but I’m back on track to send that out this week. I’m hoping this can be a blueprint for periodic special profiles or stories – if you have a story to tell, send me a note! I can always be reached by replying directly to this email or you can write me at hetomlins@gmail.com. Happy running (and reading!).
Warmly,
Heather Tomlins
Volunteer Call – Capital Stampede, Saturday June 8
Jim is still looking for a few critical volunteers to make the Stampede a success. The race requires around 50 volunteers to ensure that runners and walkers have a safe and positive experience. We are on track to have an estimated 150 participants this year, a 50% jump from last year! Specific needs and timeframes are below – if you have time on the 8th to help out, please reach out to Jim directly at jimflintvt@gmail.com or sign up under the Members section of the CVR website!
Course Markers (2) – assist Peter Luyckx in putting out signs and cones, mark course with lime, set up tables for water stations (early Saturday morning)
Race Greeters (2) – Langdon Street & Main Street – greet participants as they arrive; let people know location of bathrooms/portalets (7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.)
Registration table (1) – help hand out bibs to pre-registered participants
Course Safety Monitors (2) – Langdon Street & Elm Street – first and last corner of the race (8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.)
Course Safety Monitor (1) – turnaround for the 5k power walk at the 2.5k mark in the race (9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m.)
10k Aid station – (3) – fill and hand cups of water to runners, clean up cups (9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.)
2.5k/7.5k Aid station – (4) – fill and hand cups of water to walkers and runners, clean up cups (8:45 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.)
Your help and support is vital to the success of these races – thank you for considering!
Recent Race Results – CVR Showing at the Vermont City Marathon and Relay
Re-sharing Jim Flint’s post below from the CVR Facebook group regarding an excellent showing of CVR members at this past Sunday’s Vermont City Marathon and Relay:
Hats off to the CVR runners who completed the 2024 Vermont City Marathon on a warm sunny morning in Burlington! Luke Miller led the way in 3:19:27 (29th place in the M25-29 age group). Stephen Brown was next, in 3:28:25 (20th in the M40-44 age group). Running in her first marathon, Addie Hedges crossed the finish line in 3:43:38 (21st for the F24 and under age group). CVR seniors Tim Noonan (3:55:51) and Donna Smyers (4:32:12) finished in Boston Qualifying times! Tim placed fourth in M65-69, while Donna won the F65-69 age group. Several CVR runners took part in the relay division.
(President’s note: If you want to share your VCM story, please send me an email!)
Upcoming Races and Club Volunteer Needs
- Saturday, June 8, 9am: CVR’s Capital City Stampede 10K and 5K Power Walk, Montpelier. This is a CVR/ORO race series race – the fastest 10K course in Vermont! This race is also shared with the Vermont Senior Games Association. New this year is a 5K Power Walk option that will be open to ages 10 and up. Volunteers are needed! Please see above for specific needs.
- Saturday, June 22, 9:30am: the CVR/ORO Birdland 5K is happening! Come, rain or shine, and enjoy the beauty of Montpelier’s North Branch Park as you travel across rolling singletrack, lush forested hills, and babbling brooks. Mass start for all loop distances and all categories: 9:30am. Top three finishers in each category will receive ORO gift cards and top three overall will receive a unique prize. In the spirit of conservation, this race will be cup-less. Feel free to bring your own or purchase a silicone, foldable race cup with your registration. If you prefer, you can run with your own bottle or hydration pack. Plastic free is the way to be! DAY OF REGISTRATION WILL BE 8:00-9:00AM. Pre-reg rate: $18; Day-of rate: $25.This race is part of the Central Vermont Runners and Onion River Outdoors 2024 Race Series.
Sunday, October 6: It’s a long way off, but you can never plan too far ahead, right? Just a reminder that the Leaf Peepers 5K and Half Marathonregistration is now open! Get registered here, and start your training for one of Vermont’s best and most scenic races of the year!
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CVR cannot put on races without volunteer support, and your help is needed. Please volunteer now to help the race directors fill necessary jobs and plan for full race day support. Volunteer now online using the Volunteer link on the CVR website homepage at https://cvrunners.org OR by email to the race directors above.
Fun Runs –> Trail Season!
Trail Running – Spruce-Seyon Trail, June 1
A great group kicked off the first trail run of the season this last weekend in Danville for a jaunt over Cow Hill. This weekend join host Mark Howard for a run on Spruce Mountain to the Seyon Trail (~10 miles). Meet in Plainfield at the Spruce Mountain trailhead at 7am sharp!
Want to get the details on the upcoming Trail runs? Mark has started a Google Group as a way to get information out – if you’d like to receive the Trail Running details every week (separate from this update), please email Mark. If you’d like to be a host, please take a look at the sign up sheet here, hosts still needed for later June and into July.
Tuesday Fun Runs
Tuesday Fun Runs set off every Tuesday at 5:30pm from the DoL parking lot. We have also started social meet-ups post-Fun Run on two Tuesdays per month. Stay tuned for the June meetup details and how our first Hubbard Park picnic went in next week’s newsletter!
Reminder on Membership Status and Race Series Standings
Are you curious about where you stand in the CVR/ORO Race Series so far in 2024? Well, the tallies have been updated behind the scenes and will be published at the beginning of June on the CVR website. Why not post them now? Because new members joining or current members who renew by May 31 will get credit for all their races retroactively. Someone could join at the last minute and change the standings retroactively, which has happened before, and we don’t want to cause that confusion.
So this is your friendly reminder that anybody who has not renewed by the end of May will not receive points for any races that they have run to this date. If you want to vie for the bragging rights, hit the membership renewalbutton on the website ASAP!
Next Club Meeting – Monday, June 10 in Barre
Thank you to hosts Jim and Kathleen Rohr for volunteering to have us meet at their home at 360 School Road. The meeting will begin at 6pm, with an informal potluck at 5:30. I will share out the draft agenda closer to the meeting but please continue to share with me any agenda items you’d like to discuss. So far the list includes:
- Club sponsorship of post-Fun Run picnics this year
- Social media usage
- Consideration of a chip timing system
- New race equipment/replacement of existing items
- Your agenda items!
Please reach out to me by responding to directly to this email or sending me a note at hetomlins@gmail.com for any suggested agenda items.
Member Spotlight – Rebecca Wallick’s book, Wild Running: Lessons from Dogs, Wolves, and the Natural World – a Memoir
It’s not every day that we can say that CVR’s ranks include a newly published author, but we can now with the release of Rebecca Wallick’s book, Wild Running: Lessons from Dogs, Wolves, and the Natural World – a Memoir. I have been thoroughly enjoying this treat of a book as I grab moments to read here and there, and I think it will appeal to other members who want to dive into Rebecca’s world of dogs, running, and helping de-mystify one of the most misunderstand animals in the natural world. Available via Amazon here. Let me know what you think!
| News, Races, and Updates from around the Region Vermont Senior Games State Track & Field Meet – June 15 Saturday, June 15, Burlington High School, starting at 9 a.m. Running and field events, plus 1500-meter Power Walk. Ages 50 and up. Female, male, and nonbinary divisions, with medals in 5-year age groups. Full event details and online registration are at vermontseniorgames.org. Northeast Kingdom’s “Three Great Runs” for 2024 If you’re looking for any excuse to get up to Newport, VT, this year, check out the remaining two of the NEK’s “Three Great Runs” for this year – the Harry Corrow Freedom Run (July 4), and this fall’s Fly to Pie on October 5! Details on each race can be found in the linked websites above. St Monica/St Michael 5K St Monica and St Michael are hosting their 7th annual 5k fun run/walk on May 31 to help raise funds for the school. https://runsignup.com/Race/VT/Websterville/SaintsShuffle FOR SALE Rental available in October for New Hampshire Marathon CVR Member Kari Bradley has a potential rental option available the week/weekend of October 5 in Newfound Lake, NH, which would be ideal for anyone who has plans to run the New Hampshire Marathon. If this sounds like something you may be looking for, please reach out to Kari at karibradley99@gmail.com. 10% off Opened in October 2022 in Waitsfield Vermont The Mad Rover carries lifestyle and outdoor apparel for all seasons. We carry STIO, KUHL, PRANA, JETTY and FAIR HARBOR to name a few. We stock backpacks and bags, Sunglasses, Jewelry, Socks, Hats and Hydration vessels of all sizes. All CVR members get 10% off. Owner Steve Kenny has been an avid runner for 20 years. |
| Club Needs, Opportunities, and Reminders Quarterly Newsletter Support We are cooking up some ideas on this – watch this space for more info soon! Membership Renewal – Reminder Stan is sending out a reminder to folks about renewing. Renew so you can continue to receive these amazing newsletters! It takes less than 5 minutes. Check your status! There’s a link to RunReg at https://cvrunners.org/join-cvr (“JOIN CVR”). This page also has a printable form for those who prefer to mail their renewal. Renewing with a multi-year membership means fewer year-end renewals for you and less administration for the club. CVR Equipment Use Anyone wanting to use equipment send Sal (and cc myself) a request that includes 1) Date equipment to be removed from the shed, 2) Itemized list of equipment being removed; including quantities, 3) Date equipment will be returned to the shed. Please send Sal (and cc the club president) and email to let us know when the equipment has been returned.Race SeriesThe race series is on again! ORO has updated the series poster (below) to reflect the corrected date for the Groton Forest Trail Run! ORO is also planning to update the poster to include the CVR website for more public spaces. Stay tuned!  |
Current Club Membership Benefits:
Don’t forget that you get many benefits to being a member!
- Meet, run with, and socialize with other area runners of all abilities.
- Keep up-to-date on area running races and events.
- Receive a regular newsletter with race results and club news.
- Be eligible for the Central Vermont Runners/Onion River Outdoors Race Series.
- Join a club that’s part of the Road Runners Club of America organization.
RRCA is invaluable for insuring CVR races. - Become eligible for discounts at these area businesses:
- Onion River Outdoors – 15% off all running gear, including running shoes, running apparel and socks, reflective gear, run vests, etc. Special orders of Hoka and Altra running shoes included.
- Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel — 10% off running shoes.
- Ski Rack — 15% off running shoes and running apparel.
- Mountain Valley Lotus Massage Therapy — 15% off massages
Club Info:
Elected Officers
President – Heather Tomlins
Vice President – Tim Noonan
Finance – John Valentine
Secretary – Cheryl Lasell
At Large Executive Committee: Anne Treadwell & Dot Helling
John Hackney: website and timing
Donna Smyers: timing
Sal Acosta: Equipment tracking/storage
Stan Brinkerhoff: club membership tracking
Jackie Jancaitis: Race director support
TBD: Winter Group Run organization
Mark Howard: Summer Trail Runs organization
Jeff Prescott: MailChimp Administrator
Ann Bushey: Youth Running Program Grants
Joe Merrill: Race Series Tracking and Awards Dinner MC
Darrel Lasell and Jim Flint: CVR Facebook page managers
CVR Sponsored by:
