News and Notes

CVR Birthdays this week:

Happy Birthday to: Helen Bryan, John Hackney, and James Eikenberry!

Hello from Montpelier,

Last night I got to preside over my first club meeting as President (helpfully, there were several past presidents in attendance so I felt very supported!). There was a great turnout (by my count at least 15 in person and 5 more online), and we were able to discuss many key issues, including race report outs, the current standings for the CVR/ORO race series (more on that below), planning for the club’s 45th birthday in 2025, and consideration of a new logo/”brand” re-fresh. Stay tuned for more information on needs for volunteers for various committees and other initiatives (I couldn’t get my act together enough for those ideas to make this newsletter). Meeting minutes are usually posted on the website within a few days if you’d like to read up further. I appreciate so much the participation of members in these meetings, and a special thanks to Jim and Kathy Rohr for opening up their beautiful home in Barre for us – thank you!

Meanwhile, below find more updates on a race report from this past weekend’s Capital Stampede,upcoming races, a link to the CVR/ORO race series standings (long awaited by many!), continued recruitment for a volunteer coordinator and event MC for the Leaf Peepers Half Marathon in October, a reminder about the Hoka demo at the upcoming Birdland 5K on June 22, among other items. A lot is going on in June, and don’t forget about another CVR Hubbard Park picnic June 25th.

Warmly,
Heather Tomlins

Recent Race Results – Capital Stampede

Thanks to a huge volunteer effort, and with help from the weather, the 46th Capital City Stampede went smoothly. The field of 112 runners for the 10k race was the largest since 2011. In addition, the 5k Power Walk race debuted at Capital City attracting 11 competitors. Overall 10k top finishers for the male, nonbinary, and female divisions were Daniel Moncada (36:57), Matthew Powers (40:37), and Kaylee Gladu (41:02), respectively. Overall 5k power walk top finishers for the men and women were Vawn Edele (33:41) and Martha Deiss (38:15). The full results provided by John Hackney can be found here.

The 10k road race did double duty as the Vermont Senior Games Association’s state championship event. VSGA gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded to 31 runners who placed first, second, or third in their five-year age groups. CVR and VSGA volunteers worked side by side on the finish line crew, as course marshals, and at two water stations along the course. Race co-director Peter Luyckx put in a tremendous effort with race logistics, including orchestrating an 11th hour course reroute due to construction. Runners and power walkers made a sweeping scenic curve in front of the State House on the way out and back.

Volunteers were at the heart of the race, coming early for setup, providing accuracy in timing and results, ensuring safety on the course, and staying on through cleanup. Partnerships with VSGA, GMAA, and the New England 65-Plus Runners Club brought new participants to the race. CVR members still gave the biggest cheer at the start!

Photos: (1) And they’re off! CVR Peter Maurais (green shorts, white singlet) was one of the first runners out of the 10k race gate on Langdon Street – by Jim Flint; (2) George Ferron, 12, from Montpelier, who is always smiling on race days, was the youngest 10k finisher. George ran the race with his mom, Maggie Ferron – by Barb Flint; (3) Bob Murphy and Peter Mitchell were the most senior 10k finishers, at age 84. Peter won the VSGA gold medal, while Bob was the silver medalist, for the M80-84 age group – by Barb Flint.

Upcoming Races and Club Volunteer 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. New detail: Come demo some HOKA trail runners at the upcoming CVR/ORO Birdland 5K race on Saturday 22, mass start 9:30 at North Branch Trails. We will have HOKA Speedgoat and ATR Challengers so don’t miss this chance to trial a pair of these awesome trail runners! This race is part of the Central Vermont Runners and Onion River Outdoors 2024 Race Series.

On Deck for July:

Wednesday, July 1st, 6pm: Sign up for the Montpelier Mile, put on by CVR longtime sponsor and partner Onion River Outdoors!
Saturday, July 13, 9am: Registration is open for Bear Swamp, a rugged but fun 5.7 mile romp through Middlesex. Pre-register for lowest costs!
Saturday, July 27th, 9am: Registration is now open for the Barre Heritage Trail 5K in Websterville, VT. The course travels around historic granite quarries on rugged challenging trails. Registration at RunSignUp.com (see link here). Early registration $5, but fees increase as we get closer to race day. New this year under 19 years old $5. Age group and fun prizes!
Mark your calendars for other summer races, including Berlin Pond (August 15th) and the Northfield 5K (August 31), more information can be found on the website and will be provided here as those races get closer. However, it’s never too early to sign up to volunteer! 🙂

Start Training for a Fall Race:

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 Marathon registration is now open! Get registered here, and start your training for one of Vermont’s best and most scenic races of the year! See below for more info on a need for a volunteer coordinator and event MC!
Look for more info in a coming newsletter about a coached training program that CVR is going to sponsor – stay tuned!

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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!

Little River State Park, Waterbury – June 15th, 9:15am
A great group came out for the Seyon Pond/Spruce Mountain trail run hosted by Mark, and this weekend Host Matt Dugan will meet other runners at the Stevenson Brook parking area in Litter River State Park in Waterbury this Saturday the 15th at 9:15am for a “magical history tour” of stone walls, foundations, and artifacts will give you the excuse to take a breather. Meet at Stevenson Brook parking lot for a variety of loops to suit all ambitions. There is a fee to access (and support) your state parks.

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 late 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. For June, we will plan on meet-ups as follows:

June 25 – Hubbard Park Picnic (this time at the Old Shelter) – more details on this picnic to come!

CVR/ORO Race Series Standings
Updated race standings are here! Series coordinator Joe Merrill is tracking all of your successes at our race series races and is ready to start publishing the standings going forward. Please find the current standings here on the website. Joe encourages everyone to take a look and reach out to him if you think something is amiss, including whether your volunteer status has been accurately recorded. Shoot him an email at roadduck99@yahoo.com and let him know!

CVR Special Edition – Did You Miss It?
Last week we published a “special edition” story by Dot Helling, profiling CVR club legend Darragh Ellerson (see website link here). We are hoping to continue sending out these short stories and profiles as we receive them from members – do you have a story to tell or a profile you’d like to have featured? Please reach out and send details to Heather. You could be our next special edition! Stories could cover anything running or club related, such as:

Club history – how races started or stories from past decades of members’ accomplishments
Your achievements – did you tackle your first marathon? Your 15th? Your first 10k? Race stories are inspiring, whether you triumphed, set a personal record, or did not finish but learned a lesson. Tell your fellow members about it!
Personal history – how did you get into the sport of running?
Other ideas!

All stories welcome – pitch me or just send something along with a picture or two to go with! Deadline is rolling!

Volunteer Coordinator and Event MC Needed for Leaf Peepers!
Leaf Peepers is the biggest race CVR puts on and this year we are looking for a volunteer coordinator and an event MC to ensure the event goes on without a hitch. The volunteer coordinator would ideally be able to start helping recruit volunteers this summer, assign roles, and manage volunteers on race day, working closely with Race Director Will Robens to identify volunteer needs. The event MC would call results and be available on the event day to help make the pre-race, start, and finish a fun event for all. Some preparation time required, but overall time commitment is the event itself. If interested in either role or if you’d like more information, please reach out to Will directly at rd@catamountultra.com.

News, Races, and Updates from around the Region

Vermont 100 Needs Volunteers! July 18-22
The Vermont 100 race is in need of volunteers for varying shifts over the race weekend of July 19-21. Prospective volunteers can check out the sign-up website here and see what kinds of shifts you may be able to work. The sign up is broken up into about 5 hour time blocks: Thursday & Friday 9am-7pm(ish) and then Saturday from 3am – 3pm(ish) on Sunday non-stop as runners will be running through the night. Monday is also an option for clean up. Signing up for one of these shifts, volunteers will get a t-shirt and a free catered meal on Friday night and/or Sunday afternoon. Particular needs: the volunteer coordinator is looking for a group to take the charge at 2 aid stations, Pollys ~mile 96 which is open from 4pm on Saturday – 9am Sunday and the finish line from about 6pm on Saturday – 10am on Sunday. These can be broken down into multiple shifts. For a group that adopts an aid station, they will receive a $300 stipend to purchase a signature food, decorations, etc. and will be able to nominate someone from their club/group to bypass the lottery for the 2025 event. Use the link here to sign up!!
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.

FOR SALE

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!

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.

Race Series

The 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 Birthdays this week:

Race Series

CVR Sponsored by: