by Jim Flint In this final issue of the year, the Hardwick Gazette salutes local runners and endurance athletes who exemplified courage and resilience competing on the local, state, national, and world level. Here are the 2023 Runners Roundup honorees, from A to Z: Adamant Aces Dot Helling and Michael[Read More…]
Jim Flint’s Runners Roundup
Craftsbury Seniors Fly to Finish at Footlocker Meet
BOSTON, Mass. – High school runners from the six New England states, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania raced Saturday at the Footlocker Northeast Regional Championships. Cool and breezy conditions prevailed at historic Franklin Park, with temperatures in the low 30s under sunny skies. Craftsbury Academy seniors Matt Califano, Alex Califano, and[Read More…]
Local Runners Take on Turkey Trot 10K
WESTFORD – Saturday’s Westford Turkey Trot exemplified the community spirit of small town Vermont races. Started around 1990, the event is held annually at the Westford School on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Adding to the sense of tradition, organizers line the school gym/cafeteria walls with posters and results from previous[Read More…]
Parrish Places 15th at USCAA Championships
LEMONT FURNACE, Pa. – Ethan Parrish capped off a stellar season for Paul Smiths College Sunday at the USCAA Cross Country National Championships. Parrish placed 15th of 82 runners in the 8k men’s championship race. As the team’s second man, Parrish helped lead the Bobcats to a third-place finish among[Read More…]
Noonan Conquers NYC Marathon
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Tim Noonan, from Montpelier, took on Sunday’s 52nd annual New York City Marathon. Noonan, 67, covered the point-to-point 26.2-mile course in four hours, 14 minutes, and nine seconds. He placed 19,158th of 51,297 finishers. Noonan has run marathons for 47 years. He participated in the inaugural[Read More…]
Local Middle Schoolers Excel at State Championships
ST. ALBANS ̶ Athletes from Hazen Union, Craftsbury Academy, and Twinfield Union were among 304 boys and 237 girls competing Sunday at the Vermont Middle School Cross Country Championships. The girls and boys raced on the 3.2k course at Hard’Ack Recreational Area. Cool conditions prevailed for the late morning event[Read More…]
Farnham Completes Century Trifecta
BROOKLINE, N.H. ̶ If ultramarathoning was a gambling sport, April Farnham would be a sure bet. At the Ghost Train 30-hour Trail Race, the 56-year-old Plainfield grandmother took on her third 100-mile ultra of the year. Once again, Farnham made it to the century mark. The 30-hour race started at[Read More…]
Marathon on the Mountain
STOWE – Ironwood Adventures chose the steepest scrambling trails on the Trapp Family Lodge property for Sunday’s half marathon and marathon races. Four Craftsbury runners completed the winding 13.1-mile half marathon loop to the summit of Round Top Mountain and back. One Hardwick runner completed the two-loop ultra on the[Read More…]
Wolcott Runners Fly to Pie
by Jim Flint COVENTRY/WEST GLOVER – Fly to Pie returned Sunday to the Northeast Kingdom after a pandemic pause of four years. Sponsored by Kingdom Games, the point-to-point races featured dirt roads and spectacular fall foliage. Distances of 10 kilometers, 13.5 miles, 17 miles, and 26.2 miles were offered. The[Read More…]
Sweet Awards for Local Leaf Peepers
WATERBURY – Sunday’s 39th Annual Leaf Peepers event drew 298 half marathoners, plus 142 runners for the concurrent 5k race. Ideal temperatures in the 50s to low 60s led to fast times. Local athletes were among the age-group winners who brought home maple syrup for their efforts. Logan Senrud, 38,[Read More…]
Local Trekkers Tackle Five-Mountain Challenge
EAST CHARLESTON – Saturday’s sixth annual Westmore Challenge drew 152 hikers and runners to the scenic Lake Willoughby region. The wilderness trek helped to raise funds for the NorthWoods Stewardship Center’s trail network and conservation programs. Ninety-five people went the full distance to complete the 26-mile marathon. Other participants hiked[Read More…]
Smyers Wins Double Gold in Senior Cycling
CASTLETON ‒ Donna Smyers, from Adamant, trains and races on land and in the water. During the spring and summer months, the world champion triathlete averages 100 miles of bicycling, 20-plus miles of running, and three miles of swimming per week. So far in 2023, Smyers has logged 2,240 miles[Read More…]