Getting Ready for Fall
I won’t take up too much of your time with a long-winded introduction today, I will however leave you with a lovely quote from Haruki Murakami, courtesy of Bob Murphy:
People sometimes sneer at those who run every day, claiming they’ll go to any length to live longer. But I don’t think that’s the reason most people run. Most runners run not because they want to live longer, but because they want to live life to the fullest. If you’re going to while away the years, it’s far better to live them with clear goals and fully alive than in a fog, and I believe running helps you do that. Exerting yourself to the fullest within your individual limits: that’s the essence of running, and a metaphor for life—and for me, for writing as well. I believe many runners would agree.
— Haruki Murakami
Happy running,
Heather
Newsletter Highlights and Contents – Aug 24-Sept 6
- Save the date! We have scheduled our next club meeting for Monday evening, September 22, at the Adamant Community Club. Agenda items welcome!
New apparel and kits – Look for more info soon on pickup options for the new singlets!
Trail Run Season is in Full Swing – check out the details below on Wednesday evening trail runs and at the North Branch Nature Center! No scheduled trail run this weekend, go do the Northfield 5K!
Leaf Peepers Registration is OPEN! More details below. Volunteers always needed too, so if you’re interested and available, please sign up today!
Newsletter Contents
- Race Updates and Volunteer Needs
- Northfield 5K and Kids Mile Details – August 30
- Save the Date – next Club Meeting September 22 in Adamant
- CVR’s Birthday Party a Success!
- Data Call! Help Bob Murphy Collect Info
- CVR/ORO Race Series Standings
- Trail Runs – Wednesday Trail Runs; last Trapp 5K Thursday Trail run on 8/28; no Saturday run 8/30
- Fun Run – Positive Pie meetup on August 26
- Other News, Opportunities, and Classifieds
- CVR Birthdays
Race Updates and Volunteer Needs
August and September Events:
- **THIS WEEKEND!** Northfield 5K, Power Walk, and 1-Mile Kids Race – August 30 – sign up today for this fast and fun 5K over Labor Day weekend! Volunteers also welcome, sign up below. See more details below as well!
- Groton Forest Trail Races – September 6 – our sponsor ORO took over this race and we are thrilled to support them. Sign uptoday or reach out to ORO if you’re interested in volunteering!
- Sodom Pond – September 17 – Registration is now open for this fun late summer evening run in Adamant!
On Deck for October/November
- Leaf Peepers – October 5 – Registration is now open, and you still have time to start training for the half marathon, so think about signing up! This is a large and complex race that is only successful due to incredible volunteer support. If you’re interested in volunteering (you can volunteer AND run if you like! We have jobs for all types of volunteers) – please send an expression of interest through the Contact Us link on the webpage so we can figure out our needs. THANK YOU!
- November Fallen Leaves 5K Series – keep these fun and fast (but casual) races in mind as you head into the fall season, happening at Montpelier High School every Saturday in November before Thanksgiving (November 1, 8, and 15). No pre-registration, just show up with cash or check and see how you go!
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. Volunteer now online using the Volunteer link on the CVR website homepage at https://cvrunners.org OR by email to the race directors above.
Northfield Footraces – A Labor Day Weekend Tradition – August 30!
Saturday, August 30, is the 46th Annual Northfield 5k race. The event also includes a one-mile kids run (age 5-11) and a 5k Power Walk. Since 1978, the foot races have kicked off the Northfield Labor Day Weekend Festival.
Last year’s Northfield footraces attracted 181 participants, ranging in age from Elizabeth Bales (6) to John Pelton (85). Elizabeth and John are back again this year for the kids mile and 5k power walk.
John Valentine (75) and Bob Murphy (85) are two of the longest term Northfield 5k entries. In 1983, John finished second in the M30-39 age group, with a time of 17:20. Bob was not far behind, winning the M40-49 age group in 17:32. They were among the 320 finishers that year!
Fast forward to 2025, and all eyes will be on Bob. He has a chance to break Jean Bernaquez’s M85-89 age group record of 31:21, set in 2017. Bob raced last year’s Northfield 5k in 30:21. In July, he finished the National Senior Games 5k road race in 32:32, on a warm day in Des Moines, Iowa. We’ll all be cheering you on, Bob!
The Northfield long range weather forecast for Saturday looks ideal – partially sunny, with temperatures in the high 50s and calm winds. Whether you are running, walking, volunteering, or spectating, come on out to Northfield on Saturday. Online registration is open at www.cvrunners.org until August 28 at 11:59 p.m. Day of registration opens at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday. See you at Depot Square!
Save the Date! Next Club Meeting – September 22
We will be meeting in Adamant at the Community Club the evening of September 22 – come up and hang out with your fellow members at the potluck prior to the meeting, and stay for the fun (meeting will start around 6pm and last one hour). There will be a remote option for those who can’t make it in person. Send any agenda items my way, the draft agenda can be found here.
Note that this fall, we will be starting to recruit for new board members to take over in the spring, and in particular will be (for the first time in many years) looking for a new club treasurer! John Valentine is gracefully retiring from this role. If you are interested in learning more about what being the club treasurer entails, please reach out!
CVR Birthday Party a Success!
We didn’t let a little rain get in the way of a great birthday party last week, even if it did dampen some of the festivities a bit! Thank you to Donna, Tim, Sue, and Merrill for their expert organization of this wonderful gathering, and here’s to 45+ more years of running fun in Central Vermont! A few pictures below courtesy of Anne Treadwell.
Data Call! Help Bob Murphy Out!
From Bob Murphy: I am in the process of compiling (again) a list of single age and age group records for the 10-miler. That was done in the past but with a lot of good records omitted simply because I could not determine the age at which a particular person ran that time. Age groups sometimes included everyone from 14-29, for instance. I am making an effort to get better information this time. One problem that has arisen is that there are three years for which I have little or no records. For 1977 and 1979, I have brief newspaper results (very skimpy, ages often not given, and times not always given), and for 1994 I have nothing. I would like to have anyone with information on any of those years to sent their information to me at rmm.vt@charter.net.
2025 CVR/ORO Race Series Standings
We are rounding into the home stretch in the CVR/ORO Race Series! The updated standings through Barre Heritage 5K are here (check the main website over the next week for updates as Joe will likely have the Berlin Pond results factored in prior to Northfield this weekend, if you want to check on that before racing!). There are still opportunities to claim a title for this year with 4 races left between now and early October, so sign up for Northfield 5K, Groton Forest, Sodom Pond, or Leaf Peepers TODAY! And don’t forget one requirement is to volunteer at least once – plenty of opportunities to do so this summer and into the fall so sign up today to help!
Coordinator Joe Merrill works to update these as frequently as he can, so we update on the website whenever possible. Be patient as results can sometimes take a few weeks after races to reconcile.
A sincere thank you to our sponsor Onion River Outdoors and specifically Allee Pineault for her excellent work putting this together. We will have printed copies of the poster available if you want to share this with any local businesses or publicize at your upcoming races, just let me know!
Trail Runs Updates
Weekly Wednesday evening trail runs at North Branch/Hubbard Park have begun! Every Wednesday, meet at the North Branch Nature Center at 5:20 for orientation/intros, group departs at 5:30pm. Currently have an out and back 5k or 10K option – join the group any Wednesday this summer!
Thursday Night Trapp 5Ks – last 5K of the season is this Thursday, August 28! 5:30PM race start
- Low-frills 5K-ish trail running race beginning and ending at the von Trapp Resort Outdoor Center
- $5 for Season Passholders or Youth 18 & Under, $10 for General Public
- Pre-registration is encouraged to ensure a timely start. Onsite registration is cash only. Register for any or all of the Thursdays here: https://book.peek.com/s/ebf41fd1-8d6f-4d3a-9220-7bdc8f4a4291/MvweK
(Matt Dugan notes that these are as advertised and low key so definitely join if this seems like your thing!)
From last weekend’s trail run along the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail – Graham, Nick, Merrill, Mack, and Shadow!
On Deck for upcoming weekend trail runs:
- August 30 – no run scheduled, support the Northfield 5K!
- September 6 – sign up to run the Groton Forest Trail Races!
- September 13 – no host yet! Sign up!
- September 20 – no host yet! Sign up!
- September 27 – epic season ending trail runs at Trapp Family Lodge!! Hosts Matt and Heidi (Hales) Dugan took CVR to this event last year and it was a hit – see the google sheet for more information. Do not miss!
If you’re interested in hosting you can take a look at available weekends in the google sheet here. Each week if a run is organized, the details will be updated in a tab in the same sheet, and the host will send out via the CVR Trails Google Group. If you’re not receiving trails emails but want to be, let Mark or Heather know so we can add you to the group.
**If you’re curious about what hosting a trail run entails, check out the host guidelines here.**
Note that an organized Saturday/Weekend run may not happen every week if there isn’t a host signed up. Also as the season is still getting going and with rain and iffy trail conditions, runs may be sporadic – stay tuned!
Fun Run – Positive Pie on August 26
We are at the DoL meeting spot for Tuesday runs this season, meet at 5:30 for a run of your chosen distance! This Tuesday, we will gather at Positive Pie following the run – see you there!
Other News, Regional Opportunities, and Classifieds
September 14, 2025 – 5th Annual AirPeyton Memorial 5K Walk/Run for Pediatric Cancer Awareness
Registration is open for 5th Annual AirPeyton Memorial 5K Walk/Run for Pediatric Cancer Awareness! This year’s event will take place on September 14, 2025 at 5 High School Drive
***Virtual–wherever YOU are!***
Montpelier, VT 05602, and we can’t wait to see you there!
We hope you will join us for our best event yet! Food Trucks, bounce houses and lawn games, the most epic raffle EVER and, of course….LEMONADE!
Be one of the first 30 to sign up and receive free AIRPEYTON SWAG!
All proceeds go to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation to fund pediatric cancer research! Register here.
Hit the Trail! a 5K Run, Bicycle Ride, and Walk for Healthy Aging on September 6, Morrisville
Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA) is hosting Hit the Trail! a 5K Run, Bicycle Ride, and Walk for Healthy Aging on Saturday, September 6th, 2025 on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail in Morrisville, VT. This event raises funds to support CVCOA’s innovative programs for healthy aging and individualized support for older adults and caregivers in Central Vermont. This event begins and ends at Oxbow Park in downtown Morrisville. Our bike route heads west from this location, encouraging riders to reach Hyde Park for a 5-mile round trip or Johnson for a 15-mile round trip. The more avid riders can make it to Cambridge and back. The 5K run and walk heads east from Oxbow on an out-and-back course. Following the activities on the rail trail, participants will meet back at Oxbow Park for lunch, lawn games, prizes, and music. Register today at http://tiny.cc/HitTrail.
CVR Birthdays – August 24 – September 6
- Sue Emmons (
new age group!) - Richarda Ericson (new age group!)
- Mike Gillis
- Henry Macy
- Donna Smyers
- Scott Widmer (new age group!)
- Charlie Windisch
- Mark Seltzer
- Christopher Meyer
- Beth Diamond
- Jarred Cobb
Club Details and Information on Benefits
| Member 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:**updated** Ski Rack – 15% off regular price running shoes/hiking shoes, run and fitness clothing, nutrition, and run accessories. Discount applies to non-sale items only. 5% off Garmin and Shokz headphones. Discount does apply to special ordering.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 shoesMountain Valley Lotus Massage Therapy — 15% off massages. Quarterly Newsletter Support – Now “Special Editions” Rather than publish a newsletter, we will plan to send out the periodic “special editions” – see above for a call for stories! Membership Renewal – Reminder John Hackney is our new membership coordinator and is spearheading a change in our membership signup system, stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks. However – you can still renew membership via the link on the website at any time! 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 SeriesWe agreed on some new rules for the next year so check out the Race Series site for more details. 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 John Hackney: club membership tracking Jackie Jancaitis: Race director support Katie Hulbert: 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 |
