Author: Silas Talbot

This past Sunday marked the 12th and final running of the Solstice/Equinox Trail Race in Charlotte, VT. The club is eternally grateful to the Keenans for hosting and directing such a fantastic event all these years. Here are a few words from the race directors:

Race day was overcast and cool, with a slight breeze. Having received 2 inches of rain this week, the course was pretty soggy with standing water. We had a 116 finishers for our final race with GMAA.

Thank you to my volunteers, they were awesome! Cari Causey, Janis Campbell, Hibby Regan, Harry Curth, Bob Sayers, Russ Cooke, Liz Champagne, Kasie Enman, Eric Darling, Anne McGrath, Bob & Sue Rusten, Diane Fuchs, Bill Pence, Ruth Blauwiekel. They helped it all run smoothly.

Happy Fathers Day to all!

Best,
Martha & Joe Keenan

Results

Silas Talbot

Hailing from Anchorage, Alaska, Silas was originally drawn to New England to compete in XC running and Nordic skiing while attending Dartmouth. Since moving to Vermont in 2018, he spends his time running, coding, and playing outside with his dog and family.

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Race Directors: Cari Causey and Liz Hollenbach 

The Jericho, VT dirt road out and back course was near perfect for the early Saturday start. Skies were clear blue and it was about 58°at the start of the race. The temperature rose slightly during the race.. There were 94 finishers.

Men’s winner Nick Orlando ran a time of 28:28.1, repeat women’s winner Isabel Tuck ran a time of 35:17.6 and Matthew Powers, winner of the non-binary category ran 29.17.9. The three winners each received a SkiRack Gift Card and a fruit pie from Poorhouse Pies. 

Thanks to an all star crew of volunteers for helping make race day run smoothly. Volunteers included:  Jim Adkisson, Karen Bove,  Karen and Brian Clark, Chris Cote, Liz Champagne, Russ Cooke, Harry Curth, Nancy and Peter Davis, Hideko Furukawa, Chris Hebert,  Martha Kennan, Tara Loyer (former race director), Gordon MacFarland, Peter Mitchell, Jen Nachbur, Katie Roy and Pat Speilman. 

Thanks to the Jericho Elementary School for providing a home base for the race. Palmer Lane Maple was a gracious neighbor in letting us take over their parking lot and road outside the store for the race start and finish line. We also woke up the neighborhood on Old Pump Road and several families came onto their lawns to cheer on the runners.

Our raffle prize sponsors included: Jericho Center Store, Jericho Ale and Bean- home of Lucy and Howe Brewing and Brew House Coffee, Birch Hill English Muffins (with Liz’s jam), Davis Farm, Palmer Lane Maple and Untapped.

Cheers and we’ll see you next year!

2023 Race Results

Silas Talbot

Hailing from Anchorage, Alaska, Silas was originally drawn to New England to compete in XC running and Nordic skiing while attending Dartmouth. Since moving to Vermont in 2018, he spends his time running, coding, and playing outside with his dog and family.

gmaa.run

Westford, VT – On Saturday 1 April 2023 the Green Mountain Athletic Association (GMAA) hosted the 42nd running of the Kaynor’s Sap Run 10k. Vermonters know to expect the unexpected when it comes to mud season weather and race day was no exception. It was pouring rain with temperatures in the 30s when the course was marked. The rain stopped before the race started and the sun was out at the finish line with temperatures climbing to the mid-60s by early afternoon. No foolin’!

The racers made their way out-and-back on dirt roads dodging potholes, mud puddles, and some snowy patches. The Sap Run racers are a hearty bunch and were rewarded with local cider donuts and cider as their post-race replenishment. Prizes for the top 2 finishers in both the male and female categories were awarded. This year GMAA has added a non-binary category but no runners self-identified in this category for this year’s Sap Run. There were also random raffle prizes of maple syrup and a basket of soap from Twincraft Skincare.

Female top finishers:

1) Kasie Enman

2) Kim Lord

Male top finishers:

1) John Stanton-Geddes

2) Jurdan Mossburg

Full results can be found on RunSignup

GMAA is an all-volunteer running club and it would not be possible to put on races without the amazing support of our race day volunteers. This group is incredible and the race directors are incredibly grateful for their time, energy and smiles! Many thanks to: the Parking Crew (Nik Ponzio, Peter Mitchell, Ricky Wood, and Hillary Holmes), the Registration Crew (Bob Sayers and Ruth Blauwiekel), the Course Marshal Crew (Dee Christie, June Golato, Ted McKnight, Michael Snyder, and Hillary Holmes ), and the Finish Line Crew (Silas Talbot, Martha Keenan, Bob Monette, Justin Kunz, and Gordon MacFarland). Diane would like to send a special shout-out to Tom Kelly who is retiring from Kaynor’s Sap Run race directing after 10 years. THANK YOU, TOM!

GMAA appreciates our devoted sponsors: SkiRack (skirack.com) and UnTapped Natural Athletic Fuel (untapped.cc).

Thank you!

Happy running!

Diane Fuchs and Tom Kelly

Kaynor’s Sap Run race directors

Silas Talbot

Hailing from Anchorage, Alaska, Silas was originally drawn to New England to compete in XC running and Nordic skiing while attending Dartmouth. Since moving to Vermont in 2018, he spends his time running, coding, and playing outside with his dog and family.

gmaa.run

Thanks to all who celebrated Independence Day with the first restriction-free GMAA race since the start of the pandemic! The 39th Annual (held virtually in 2020) Clarence DeMar 5k was held on an uncharacteristically cool morning, a perfect day to share the roads of South Hero with our long lost running friends. 

Very special guest, “Papa” Ray Allen, former UVM (‘59) cross country and track standout and the reason behind the inaugural running of this race back in 1983, served as the official starter of this year’s race. After some reminiscing on Clarence Demar, the race’s namesake, former resident of South Hero, UVM alumni (‘11), who later went on to infamously win 7 Boston Marathons, the nearly 300 racers were off in a blur of red, white, and blue. The out and back course passes DeMar’s former home as well as “Papa” Ray’s Allenholm Farm, twice.

Adron Pitmon, former MMU high school standout, won the men’s field with a time of 15:59.3 and Jennifer Sober, making the trip all the way from Jupiter, Florida, doubled as open and masters champion in 18:08.3. A fierce battle ensued for top 50-59 competitors with Francis Burdett edging out age group rivals Josh Brown and Dale Flanders for 9th, 10th, and 11th overall. All three, notably, ahead of this author’s husband and 40-49 age group winner, Eli Enman. Many thanks to race sponsors, generous raffle donators, volunteers, and racers.

Race Results: http://802timing.com/results/21results/runresults/7.4.21overallclarence.htm#M

Race Photos (credit Rob Swanson & Chris Kline): https://runsignup.com/Race/Photos/Location/Photos3/VT/SouthHero/ClarenceDeMarRoadRace

Silas Talbot

Hailing from Anchorage, Alaska, Silas was originally drawn to New England to compete in XC running and Nordic skiing while attending Dartmouth. Since moving to Vermont in 2018, he spends his time running, coding, and playing outside with his dog and family.

gmaa.run

After a few years of being lost on the calendar the race formerly known as the Equinox Trail Run was renamed the Solstice Trail Run, and not to disappoint, was also moved to the Fall Equinox under its original name. The best of both worlds! Are you confused yet? So it was that the 1st Annual, GMAA Solstice Trail Run 5k & 10k races were held on a beautiful summer day along the fields, single track and old sugar-wood roads of the Keenan Family’s homestead in Charlotte, Vermont. As usual, the race brought out a full range of participants, from kids to grandparents, gnarly veterans to newbies, and everyone in between. In fact, the first finisher overall in the 5k was 16 year old Avery Smart of Montpelier with a sizable lead over the next across the line. The traditional firing up of the bbq and post-race potluck had to wait until the fall edition of the race, due to ongoing COVID-19 precautions, but everyone still left with a smile after a fun and challenging run.

Race Results: https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/107205#resultSetId-259394;perpage:100

Silas Talbot

Hailing from Anchorage, Alaska, Silas was originally drawn to New England to compete in XC running and Nordic skiing while attending Dartmouth. Since moving to Vermont in 2018, he spends his time running, coding, and playing outside with his dog and family.

gmaa.run