Category: Races

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

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

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

On the bright, sunny day of November 24th , 2022, the annual GMAA Turkey Trot was
slated to begin at 10 am sharp. The air was thick with anticipation as the volunteers eagerly set
up registration tables, GMAA apparel, food bins for Feeding Chittenden, and the timing and
sound equipment for the annual event. Upon glancing at the RunSignUp list the night before, 300
participants were noted to have preregistered but on a day like the race day, who could resist
signing up? Around 9:00 am, the doors to Gutterson arena opened and in flooded hordes of
trotters quickly making their way to the registration tables. However, with Ruth Blauweikel and
Paul Wagner at the registration tables, there was little to worry about. As quickly as the racers
arrived, food bins immediately started filling up with piles and piles of donated food for Feeding
Chittenden, the local food shelf. It’s possible that Tim Richmond moves quicker when food is
involved than he does otherwise as he motored through stacking, organizing, shifting, and
moving cans, boxes, and bags of food items at record speed.

As time passed, more and more runners/trotters arrived. Many for the kid’s race, which
was put on without setbacks by seasoned Turkey Trot veteran, Anne Treadwell, and many
individual runners who arrived to set PRs, run farther and faster than ever before, and/or to work
for their dinner, which they so anxiously awaited. While the participants were gathering in
Gutterson, an unexpected visit occurred from the local news channels ABC 22 & Fox 44 News
and NCB5. Many of the volunteers were asked if they cared to seize their claim to fame and talk
to the reporters but alas, all of them including previous race director Howard Kalfus, deflected to
this year’s race director to embarrass herself on local news. She is still waiting for the public to
ask for her autograph when she is around town.

At approximately 9:40 am, the runners/trotters were directed to make their way to the
starting line by another seasoned veteran, Gordan MacFarland who graciously took to the
microphone for the 15, 10, 5, and 2-minute countdown to the race start. At the starting line, race
participants stretched back as far as the side doors to the arena, making a large ‘C’ shape down
the bike path. It was later confirmed that 763 registered racers participated in the Turkey Trot
that day, which is about 200 more runners than last year. At the start of the race, we recounted
how grateful we were to have everyone out there, runners, trotters, spectators, and volunteers
alike to participate in the Turkey Trot this year, especially with UVM’s Gutterson arena, bike
path, and amenities at our disposal. At 10 am, the racers were off.

To no surprise, fast times were run with Ethan Mastear taking the victory with a time of
16:12 with Trevor Houches right on his heels with a time of 16:13. Following the two leaders
closely was Porter Hurteau with a time of 16:26. Not too far behind was the winner of the non-
binary category, Matt Powers with a time of 17:21. Less than a minute later, Josephine Brekke
came flying up the path with a time of 18:15, which was the winning female time. The second-
place woman, Katie Barker, held her own on the course with a time of 19:46 followed closely
behind by the 3rd place female Loghan Hughes with a time of 20:06. To close 2nd place for the
non-binary category, Ginnie Laurita fought for the prize with a time of 36:00. Thanks to the
Brooks representative who happened to be at SkiRack during the time that raffle donations were
acquired, the winners of the top 3 categories received a free pair of Brooks shoes.

Following the conclusion of the race, the world’s greatest raffle was held with t-shirts,
pint glasses, running socks, fleece blankets, gift certificates, and more were lying in wait to be
won back in Gutterson arena. We had received donations from Citizen Cider, the YMCA, Queen
City Brewery, Mill River Brewing, Take Good Care Fitness, SkiRack, VT Juice Co., Sangha Studio, and Dunkin’ Donuts just to name a few. In no short time, the greatest raffle in all of the
world became the longest raffle in all of the world as many of the participants had left, with 763
raffle tickets to be called but those who stayed went home happy (one hopes).

At the end of the event, when all of the participants had taken their leave in lieu of turkey
dinners and family time, the monetary donations were counted up and the food was prepared to
be shipped off to be weighed. With the careful eyes and mathematical prowess of Howard Kalfus
and the use of a calculator, a total of $6,332 were raised between pre-registration and race-day
registrants and 416 lbs of food were obtained for Feeding Chittenden. We hope that next year is
equally as successful as this year.

-Jess Marini, Race Director

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

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

The 2020 GMAA Turkey Trot was a bit different than in years past.  Well, we didn’t really have a Turkey Trot.  But then, we sort of did.  We met outside of Gutterson Field House, collected food and cash donations for Feeding Chittenden and an estimated 100 people did show up to run the course (unmarked and unsupported; appropriately distanced, we’re told) after dropping off their donations.  In-person collections happened from 9:00 until 11:00 while online monetary donations took place over the two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.  A big thanks to the Law Offices of Bauer Gravel & Farnham who gave a matching grant of $1,000.  The food donations totaled 715 pounds (the biggest collection for us in a few years) and the monetary donations totaled $3,117.56 (equally impressive given the current economy).  In addition to those running the course, many more came with their donation before or after doing their own run elsewhere.  The weather was mild with light, intermittent rain.

Had the race actually been held, we’re confident that this would have been how it unfolded:

Anne Treadwell of Burlington lead the pack for most of the race with returning champ Adrienne Brueckner of Swanton close at her heels.  Despite slipping rounding the last turn on the golf course, Anne was able to hold Adrienne at bay and crossed the finish line in 20:24.  Erin Randall of Colchester was a strong contender and actually finished just behind Anne, almost half a minute before Adrienne.  However, post-race tests showed that, at some point during the race, Luna shared her dog treats with Erin in violation of GMAA and USATF anti-doping policies.  Accordingly, Erin was disqualified and Adrienne’s 21:03 earned her a silver medal to compliment last year’s gold.

On the men’s side, Binney Mitchell of Burlington and Allen Mead of Hinesburg had what could only be described as a cage match (or, rather, would be considered a cage match but GMAA bylaws demand that all races be cage-free).  Neck-in-neck for the entire race, the two approached the final stretch with the race clock reading 16:55.  Much to Binney’s eternal shame, his father, Peter Mitchell of Jericho, leading the 80-89 age group, blew past both Binney and Allen, finishing the race in 17:04.  Allen finished second in 17:06.  At the time of this writing, Binney still hasn’t finished the race and is reportedly still laying on the course sobbing inconsolably where he got passed by his old man.

Had there been a race, we’re confident that all past volunteers would have done so again and we thank them for their unquestionable good intentions. 

See below pictures of Tom and Howard forgetting the race was cancelled and wondering where all the runners were and Tom and Howard with the donated food.