Early each year we offer a few creative ways for folks on our race waitlist to try to earn a spot on our race start list, including trying to convince us why they deserve a spot by answering three questions that share their “My VT100” story!
This year, we received nearly a thirty amazing stories that touched our hearts and the VT100 race committee awarded two (2) winners.
This is Mimi Field’s story. Mimi has given us permission to publish her replies to our questions and we hope you enjoy reading about her journey to the start line as much as we did.
What is your WHY? Share your story of why you should have the opportunity to run this year’s VT100.
Mimi taking a selfie while on a winter walk or run.
When I told my sister I was on the waitlist for an ultramarathon, her response was, “Who are these people who want to run for 20+ hours and pay for it?” She’s not a runner, and I had to laugh, because in some ways she’s right. But for those of us who do run, and especially those drawn to ultras, we understand that it’s never just about the miles. That’s why the Vermont 100 means so much to me, and why I wanted to share my story.
I would be running the 100K, and this would be my first ultramarathon. I caught the ultra bug last year while pacing a close friend for 40 miles at Cocodona 250. It was an experience that fundamentally changed how I think about endurance, community, and what we’re capable of when we keep moving forward, step by step. That same friend is now running the Vermont 100, which makes the pull toward this race even stronger.
I came to ultrarunning later in life, and that’s part of why this moment feels significant. I recently returned to New England after many years in California to care for my 94-year-old mother, who now needs 24/7 support. It’s a season of life that is both meaningful and demanding. Running has become my anchor, my quiet, personal time to process, recharge, and stay strong so I can show up fully for her.
In California, my running group was like my family. Since moving back east, I haven’t yet found that same community, and I miss it more than I expected. The Vermont 100 feels like more than a race. It feels like a doorway back into connection, a goal that motivates me, grounds me, and gives me something to work toward while I rebuild my sense of belonging here.
There’s also something incredibly full-circle about the possibility of running my first ultra near where I grew up, in the Berkshires. This landscape shaped me early in life. Returning to it now, older, steadier, and carrying both responsibility and gratitude, feels profoundly right.
I have two college-age children, and part of why this matters so much is what it allows me to model for them. I want them to see that strength doesn’t disappear with age, that it’s never too late to try something hard, and that movement, purpose, and perseverance can carry you through periods of uncertainty and change. Running has taught me how to stay present through discomfort, how to trust myself, and how to keep going. These are lessons I hope they carry with them long after this race, whether or not I’m on the start line.
If given the opportunity to participate in the Vermont 100, I would approach it with humility, gratitude, and deep respect for the course, the volunteers, and the community that makes this race so special. It would be an honor to earn my first ultra experience in a place that represents resilience, connection, and heart.
This race would be a beginning. Not just of my first ultra, but of a new chapter rooted in strength, connection, and forward motion.
What makes you YOU? What are the things that make you unique and special, or that we should know about you?
I’m someone who values endurance in all its forms. I’ve paced friends through long nights, care full-time for my 94-year-old mother, and am building a new running community after a major life transition. Running helps me stay grounded, connected, and hopeful during a season of change.
Anything else you want to add … We’re all ears!
I show up with humility, gratitude, and deep respect for the people and volunteers who make races like the Vermont 100 possible. I would approach this race as both a personal milestone and a shared experience, honoring the sense of community that makes it so special.
We can’t wait to see Mimi at this year’s Vermont 100!
