By Dot Helling
I recently spent an afternoon with CVR “classics “Robert “Sigh” Searles (age 74) and Darragh Ellerson (age 93). Their friendship predates the startup of Central Vermont Runners and Fun Run. Many memories were shared. One tidbit I never knew was that Sigh, along with Paul Mailman and Bob Oatley, would escort Darragh to races around New England, mostly in New Hampshire with the North Country Athletic Club (NCAC) when Vermont had few running races and Central Vermont Runners did not exist.
When Bob Murphy, along with Darragh, Pascal DeBlasio and Doug Jones, formed CVR, Mailman and Oatley came along and joined. According to Murphy, the “big races of the day” were the Montpelier 10 Miler and the Littleton Road Race (9.73 miles). The Montpelier 10 Miler was originally an 11 miler which featured an annual team competition between NCAC and the Green Mountain Athletic Association (GMAA) for the coveted Sap Bucket Award. The Montpelier Ten Miler was originally run by the Montpelier Recreation Department, entry was two dollars, and there were three women’s age group categories and six men’s. Mailman first directed the Montpelier 10 miler in 1975. He ran the event that year in 1:10:42, good for third in the M30-39 division. In 1976 Mailman ran it in 1:14:09 and was 7th in the M30-39 while Darragh tied for first woman. Mailman was considered one of the most organized and devoted members of CVR. Sometime after he left Vermont, the Montpelier 10 Miler had a course change and was renamed the Paul Mailman Ten Miler. Next year will be the 50th anniversary of this event.
Each of these runners has a special place in Central Vermont running history, especially as wingmen for Darragh whose only competition at the time was Anny Stockman from New York. Last year Darragh was inducted into the RunVermont Hall of Fame as a forerunner for Vermont women in running. Despite family commitments and injuries over the years, in the words of Bob Murphy, Darragh has “continued to be a strong and active supporter of CVR, it’s fun runs and its races, and probably has more hours of volunteer support than any other member.”
