6/15/2026
 Central Vermont Runners |
| President’s NoteElsewhere in this issue of CVR News and Notes, you will find an announcement for the Nathan Suter Track Celebration on Friday, June 26, at Montpelier High School. There are a number of reasons I encourage you to participate as a volunteer and/or participant in this event supported by CVR. First, it is a fine way to honor Nathan for the huge contributions he made to developing Montpelier’s middle school track and field program. Second, the fun activities for young kids during the early part of the Track Celebration are similar to those offered at the Kids Track Meet put on by CVR for over 20 years beginning in the mid-1990’s. Many CVR members who volunteered at the Kids Track Meet reported that it was the most fun event they volunteered for during the year. It is a pleasure to see the joy kids and their parents experience through the various activities. Third, older kids and adults get to run at various distances in the latter part of the Track Celebration. Hope to see you there!- TimNewsletter Highlights and Contents: June 14 – June 27Recent events recapWeekly summer events- road, trail, and track!CVR birthdaysMember Special EditionMember benefit highlightOther news, opportunities, and classifieds |
| Recent Events RecapCapital City Stampede: The weather held out for a nice 10k run and 5k power walk last weekend. There were 96 finishers for the run, and 3 in the power walk. Weekly Runs: Members are out on the roads and trails multiple times a week again as the good weather comes back. Tuesday nights at DOL have had great turnouts, with the high school team back out there with us. We are aiming to have a post-run meal the last Tuesday of every month, so stay tuned for that. Wednesday trail runs have been great, but could use some more smiling faces! Race Series Standings: Find out where you are in the race series competition following the Birdland 5k here. |
| Upcoming CVR/ORO Race Series RacesBear Swamp Run: Join us for the 46th annual hilly 5.7 mile race on July 11th from the Rumney School in Middlesex. Details and registration here. Additional EventsNathan Suter Track Celebration: Kick off summer track at Montpelier High School on Friday, June 26th, with an event honoring Nathan Suter. Expect track events, food, and music, something for everyone to enjoy! Find the full size flyer here. Onion River Outdoors Montpelier Mile: Kick off Montpelier’s Independence Day parade! This classic one-mile race runs in front of thousands of spectators. Stick around after the race for the parade and fireworks! The race starts at 6pm. All ages welcome – kids encouraged to run! Register here. |
| Calls for Volunteers Nathan Suter Track Celebration: Volunteers needed to support track events Friday, June 26. Various positions open, register here! Bear Swamp: We could also use some volunteers for Bear Swamp. Email Mark Howard (howardms@gmail.com) or Manny Sainz(mannypsainz@gmail.com) to find out how you can help! CVR cannot put on races without volunteer support, and your help is always needed. Please volunteer now to help the race directors fill necessary jobs and plan for full race day support. |
| Summer Fun!Official Fun Runs: back on from DOLTuesdays at 5:30!Saturday Trail Runs: Saturday trail runs are on! Email Mark (howardms@gmail.com) or Heather(hetomlins@gmail.com) to be added to the mailing list. We could really use some hosts, these runs only happen if there are folks willing to coordinate a route!Wednesday Trail Runs: Meet at the North Branch Nature Center for a run through North Branch/Hubbard trails. Get there 5:20 pm for a little orientation, depart at 5:30 pm. All Comers’ Track Meets: Thursdays at U32 this summer, we will be having the All Comers’ track meets again! Visit the website here for the full size poster. |
 CVR Birthdays!  Happy birthday to members with birthdays June 14 – June 27!- Helen Bryan– John Hackney – James Eikenberry – William Biediger – Tim Lamson (new age group!) – Kathleen Humphrey (new age group!) – Gary Furlong – Merill Creagh – Myles Thornton-Sherman – David McMath – Dick Ferno – Jeff Shedd – Megan McConville |
Member Special Edition: Jessica BallHi friends, it’s me, Jessica Ball — your friend from run club. I want to tell a love story — about how a sport and a community transformed my life. It started when I noticed a pair of Hoka Speedgoat 5s on sale under the tent at ORO. I liked that they were purple. At checkout, I made small talk with Patrick, and he invited me to join the CVR Fun Run. The interaction went something like this:Me: “Sounds fun, but I am not a real runner.”Patrick: “All paces are welcome.”Me: “I have two babies at home. I can’t get out in the evenings.”Patrick: “You could bring them if you have a running stroller.”And so, I showed up on a Tuesday evening pushing my older toddler in the stroller. Since the Montpelier Mile was still a fresh memory for my then-2-year-old, I told him that run club was a parade. Thankfully, many fun run participants played along. So it began — every Tuesday, I would bring one or both of my kids to fun run for the workout, camaraderie, and parade. The following October (2024), I signed up for my first 5K, Leaf Peepers. I remember feeling imposter syndrome, surrounded by athletic, brightly colored people. That first road race was an aha moment, as I somehow strung together three of the fastest miles of my life, crossing the finish line a good six minutes faster than expected. I clearly had no idea what I was capable of, and from then on, I was hooked. Over the next year, I kept showing up. Road races, fun runs, winter runs, trail runs, volunteering, cheering from the sidelines, cheering mid-race — of course I loved running, but I quickly learned that my love for the sport and community came in many forms.Surrounded by the winter fun run crew at the Bear Naked Growler, I registered for my first marathon, the 2026 Vermont City Marathon. Up until that point, I was the running buddy of several friends actively training for the race. With equal parts friendly peer pressure, a relentless drive to succeed, and a life-is-short mentality, I entered my info and hit submit. In that transformative moment, I went from “running buddy” to “teammate”. Over the following months, I intensified my training. I found that long, cold-weather miles went by faster with friends. Coordinating the winter group runs gave me an opportunity to explore new routes and plan for multiple distance options, with my longest WGR run capping at 15 miles. Cue the spring race season. I approached Paul Mailman and the Adamant Half with a fresh mindset — don’t suffer, race smart, and have fun! Both races felt easier than the previous year, and both were PR efforts.Training for the Vermont City Marathon came at a challenging time. I am a parent of two preschoolers, and I work a full-time job with 75% travel. Because my schedule was hectic, I didn’t follow a formal training plan. Instead, I increased my weekly volume, peaking around 55 miles, and divided them across a hodgepodge of short, medium, and longer efforts. There were a lot of hotel treadmills, run club visits in new cities, early mornings on Lake Michigan, and even running circles around a Dave & Buster’s parking lot in Tennessee. On marathon day, I was soaked, but happy — and unlike my first race, I felt an overwhelming sense of belonging and purpose.The other day, my soon-to-be 3-year-old daughter said, “Mom, I really like the kids in your class.” She was referring to you — my running companions. Thank you for being so awesome to my kids. Xander and Eliza grew up at CVR runs and events. Many of you have pushed their stroller, shared snacks, played I-Spy, sang B-I-N-G-O, accepted waters from them at aid stations, and let them feed your dogs 100 treats. They recently crushed it at their first (1K) race! Thank you for becoming my friends. I started this journey at a vulnerable time: a new mom, new to running, and a flatlander, with very few acquaintances. I immediately felt welcome at CVR and kept showing up. There is so much joy in this community – I love running into you around town, following your training, giving Kudos, and frequent flybys. The other day I was asked if I was the “Mayor of the Co-op?” I replied, “Nope! Just a member of CVR, come run with us!” In a recent turn of events, our family will be relocating to Rockport, MA this summer. I love Vermont, the decision was a heartbreaking call – my role based in MA needs me in person. If you want to see a friendly face in the Boston area, run a race, or casual fun run, please reach out to me. I will do my best to visit but want you to know that my door is open. I am forever grateful for the kindness and generosity you have shown me, please stay in touch!      |
| Thank you to our community partners!Don’t forget about the awesome benefits that you receive with your CVR membership from our community partners! See all benefits here! |