Posted on

Race Recap: 2026 Pump it Up 5-Miler!

Jericho & Essex, Vermont
Race Director: Katie Merrick

Men’s winner Neal Graves vies with the loose ponies to the line!
Photo credit: Nicholas Ponzio

We were blessed with beautiful early May weather this year with perfect conditions for our
runners, volunteers, and spectators. This year we had 80 pre-registered runners, 18 no-shows,
11 day of race registrations and 73 finishers.

Men’s winner Neal Graves battled ponies who had gotten loose from their neighboring (“neigh”-
boring) field to the finish line in a time of 29:11, and women’s winner Heather Feldman came in
at a time of 31:30. The winners each received a SkiRack Gift Card and a fruit pie from
Poorhouse Pies.

Thanks to our amazing and loyal crew of volunteers for helping make race day run smoothly.
Volunteers included: Cari Causey (former race director), Liz Champagne, Karen and Brian
Clark, Russ Cooke, Harry Curth, Nancy and Peter Davis, Sam Davis, Kayla Donahue, Cleo
Fleming, Arlee Hiskey, Mitchell Joseph, Susie Merrick, Peter Mitchell, Nicholas Ponzio, Emily
Reid, Rusty Suprenaut, and Paul Wagner.

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 the Town of Jericho
for approving a take over of the road for the race start and finish line.

Huge thanks to Ski Rack and UnTapped as GMAA sponsors. Our raffle prize sponsors included:
Jericho Country Store, Creative Gardens and Landscaping, Jericho Settlers Farm, Birch Hill
English Muffins, Sleepy Hollow Mountain Race. Huge thank you to Brewhouse Coffee at Jericho
Ale and Bean for their post-race discount to re-fueling runners!

Cheers and we’ll see you next year!