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2024 VT100 Is 2025 Western States 100 Qualifying Race

2024 VT100 Is 2025 Western States 100 Qualifying Race

September 18, 2023

We are pleased to inform you that the 2024 Vermont 100 is (again) a qualifying race for the 2025 Western States 100. Runners who complete the race within 30 hours will qualify to enter a lottery where the runners for Western States will be selected. The qualifying period for the 2025 Western States will be from November 6, 2023 through November 3, 2024. The lottery will be held on December 7, 2024 and the race itself will be run on June 28-29, 2025. May the odds be ever in your favor!

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We Get By With a Little Help from Our Friends

We Get By With a Little Help from Our Friends

July 25, 2023

It’s been quite a couple weeks since the Vermont 100 was officially cancelled due to unprecedented flooding throughout the Green Mountain State. Maybe like us, you went through nearly the entire grieving cycle, experiencing every range of emotions.

We appreciate everyone who’s reached out with thoughts of support, and with stories of the adventures you took on over what would have been race weekend. Congrats to those of you who still ran 100k or 100 miles – simply incredible!

More than that though, we are grateful for those of you who opted to help in the VT100 communities over what would have been weekend – truly an ultra effort! The stories and photos we have seen are heartwarming and perfectly exemplify what is so incredible about the ultrarunning community – we saw runners, race committee members, and volunteers all coming together for a common cause. We also saw the VT100 giving support to the communities that have supported our event year after year (such as putting out water hoses for runners and riders/horses in 2019 during an incredibly hot race weekend). Please, keep sharing these!

Below, you will find a beautiful message from “Radio Rob,” who does all our communication on the ground for the VT100, as well as pictures that give insight into the destruction in Vermont and the heartfelt response of those in our trail and ultra circle who stepped up immediately to help restore local life.

“The meaning of community and caring of others.”

Rob writes:

“When the call to cancel the Vermont 100 was decided due to the constant bombardment of rain to our communities we utilize for our course, there was an opportunity to make good. With the abundance of food we had purchased [courtesy of the incredible folks at Brownsville Butcher & Pantry] and the possibility of an army of volunteers that may be available to us, the call went out to our runners, committee members, and local community. The response was overwhelming!

The concentration of our effort was focused on Reading, Cavenish, and Ludlow to distribute the abundance of food that was prepared for the race. All three communities welcomed the donation with much appreciation. We chose Reading and Cavenish to offer our volunteers to help with the physical clean up.

What we witnessed was the devastation of the storms that hit those communities. Homes filled with mud, water, and debris. Personal items pulled out on the front and back yards of entire neighborhoods. Basements full of mud that needed to be shoveled, walls that needed to be stripped of wall board and insulation, some floors that needed to be pulled up and most of these items hauled to the local dump.

What I feel we all saw, was the true meaning of community, and the human value of caring for others in need. As we embarked on our assigned tasks, as we engaged with the residents of each of these communities, there was not a sense of despair, but a strength by all to get this done. Homeowners were amazingly welcoming our presence to work side by side with their town residents.

The Vermont 100 volunteers truly represented the best of human kindness. Thank you all who came and gave yourselves to those in crises.”

Photos: Groups of volunteers gathered to pitch in — serving food, shoveling mud, hauling wheelbarrows, cleaning floors, and joining together to do whatever is necessary to rebuild beautiful Vermont. Many are wearing a yellow or purple VT100 volunteer shirt, same as they would have if none of this happened and instead they were helping our runners finish their race last weekend.

Yes, Thank You!

As Rob’s story tells, the VT100 is a small but mighty event, and it is you — our runners and supporters — who make it so! Together, we are #VermontStrong

And Don’t forget

You still have three options regarding your registration:

  1. Roll into a free entry to this year’s VT50 on September 24, 2023. We will send your name and email address to the VT50 race director after August 1st, so he can work with you regarding signing up.
  2. Roll into a guaranteed entry to the 2024 VT100 on July 19-21st, 2024, with as much of an entry fee discount as we’re able to give (now looking like about 30% based on a few vendors offering price breaks even though we were past their cancellation deadline for such an offer). We will email these folks in early December about claiming their 2024 VT100 entry. NOTE: Folks who want the guaranteed entry but also want to donate their entry fee – you can do that by simply not entering the registration discount code provided to you when you register next year. Thank you!
  3. Donate your entry fee to Vermont Adaptive and the impacted communities (and try your luck with the 2024 VT100 lottery if you decide you want to run again).

Please let us know which option you select by August 1st at this link here. If we don’t hear from you by August 1st, we will assume that you have chosen to have your entry fee donated to the local communities impacted by this disaster and Vermont Adaptive.

Additionally

We’ve had a few other incredible local Race Directors who have offered the opportunity for displaced VT100 runners to use their fitness – info on these events including how to claim their offers has been sent to runners by email. If you missed yours, email vt100@vermontadaptive.com.

Shoutouts go to the Happily Running, Beast of Burden 100, Burning River, SIX03, MidState Massive, and Many on the Genny. A huge thank you to each of these races that have opened their doors to ensure that our runners all have the opportunity to put their fitness to good use.

Happy running, and I look forward to seeing y’all out on the trails soon!

-Amy and the VT100 race committee

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2023 Vermont 100 Cancelled

2023 Vermont 100 Cancelled

July 11, 2023

After this week’s devastating weather in Vermont, here is a difficult update from our wonderful Race Director Amy Rusiecki and the Vermont 100 Race Committee. The below message was also communicated in email to all participants.

Shared 7/11/23

“It breaks my heart to write this, but due to the devastating flooding that hit the race course yesterday and the lasting damage due to this weather event, the race committee has reached the unfortunate decision that this year’s event must be canceled. The second worst thing a race committee wants to do is cancel an incredible event. However, the worst thing a race committee wants to do is to conduct an unsafe race for the runners, volunteers, and communities. Our highest priority is the safety of every runner, volunteer, trail, and road that this event impacts.

To understand the current situation in the area of the event – Vermont is still under a State of Emergency, and it is currently declared a Federal Disaster area (https://www.fema.gov/locations/vermont). Woodstock Vermont had devastating flooding, including Lincoln Covered Bridge (approx. mile 39 of the course) which is currently covered in a foot of mud from flooding. The Taftsville Bridge (approx. mile 14) is also currently closed and yesterday was under feet of water. The roads by Margaritaville (approx. mile 59) have been washed out and are impassible to runners or vehicles. Many of the east-west routes in Vermont are currently closed with washouts, including Rt. 131 and Rt. 106, which cuts off our access to restocking aid stations, marking the route, crew vehicle access, and even your access to get to the start/finish area. Lastly, emergency services in all these communities are straight out and are unable to support our event at this time.  We have included a few photos of the route below, so y’all understand the impact of this weather.

We know that some of you may not agree with our decision, but we hope that you can understand our reasoning. Please understand this is not a decision that came easy, as we are all committed to putting on an awesome event for each of you.

So, what options did we as a race committee consider?

Trying to reschedule the event within a few weeks is logistically impossible and beyond a few weeks we run into the VT50 and numerous other incredible local fall events. Turning the event into an entirely virtual event is not very appealing – that’s just not the VT100! As stated in our Liability Waiver, that you signed when you registered, entry fees are non-refundable if the event is canceled due to public safety concerns, which is the situation that we have unfortunately encountered. We sincerely apologize for this.

While we aren’t strongly encouraging folks to come to the area during this time of disaster, we understand that some with non-refundable travel and lodging may choose to do so. We are working on information regarding local opportunities to contribute to the clean-up efforts.  If you are interested in this, please let us know here and we will follow up with you regarding where and when you can pitch in!

Financially, much of the expenses of this event have been spent at this time and are non refundable to us and we are sincerely sorry for that. Please know that the Friday night, Saturday morning, and Sunday post-race food (which has already been purchased and prepped) will be used to host community dinners this weekend for local residents who have been displaced by the flooding and who have lost their homes in this event. The aid station food will be donated to local food shelters and survival centers. If you are in the area, there are opportunities to help with serving food to those displaced, or to get our aid station food to local food shelters. You can sign up here.

At this time, you have three options regarding your registration:

  1. We are offering to roll the VT100  registration from anyone who is interested into this year’s Vermont 50 on September 24, 2023.
  2. We are able to defer entry into the 2024 VT100 for anyone who is interested, however entry fees unfortunately will not be able to be rolled over. We will offer a 25% discount to next year’s entry for anyone who takes this option. We regret that we can not offer a deeper discount to those who roll into the 2024 event, however due to this natural disaster this is the best we can offer in the way of partial entry fee deferral.
  3. You can donate your entry fee to the communities impacted by this disaster and Vermont Adaptive.

Please let us know which option you select by August 1st at this link here. If we don’t hear from you by August 1st, we will assume that you have chosen to have your entry fee donated to the local communities impacted by this disaster and Vermont Adaptive.

.On a personal note, I understand that this is heartbreaking to hear.  Trust me, this is equally devastating to share.  I know that many of you have trained for months and years to have your opportunity to run at this incredible event.  I get it, and I am nearly as upset as you are about this decision.  My favorite day of the year is the 15+ hours I spend greeting each of you across the finish line – and I am completely devastated that I will miss that in 2023.

I hope to see many of you in 2024, at this year’s VT50, or otherwise out on the trails.

With huge (sometimes sweaty) hugs,

Amy and the VT100 Race Committee

A Few Area Photos

 

Grasshopper Lane/Puckerbrush ~Mile 62 Reading, VT - Washed out Road
Grasshopper Lane/Puckerbrush ~Mile 62 Reading, VT – Washed out Road
River Road ~ Mile 15 in Woodstock, VT (note the course marking on a tree, typ. 4 feet from the ground)
River Road ~ Mile 15 in Woodstock, VT (note the course marking on a tree, typ. 4 feet from the ground)
Complete washout on the bottom of Agony Hill Mile 48, Reading, VT
Complete washout on the bottom of Agony Hill Mile 48, Reading, VT
Yesterday’s flooding at Taftsville Bridge crossing (mile 14), Woodstock VT
Yesterday’s flooding at Taftsville Bridge crossing (mile 14), Woodstock VT
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Vermont 100 Weather Update (7/11/23)

Vermont 100 Weather Update (7/11/23)

We of course hoped yesterday’s weather wouldn’t amount to what it has, so here is an update for everyone from our RD, who has understandably been fielding lots of questions. The below message was also communicated in email to all participants.

Shared 7/10/23

“Vermont is currently under a state of emergency due to extreme rain. I saw a photo of one stretch of our course that is currently under feet of water. My heart goes out to the families and businesses which have been flooded due to this incredible rainfall.

What are we doing as a race committee?

First, we are closely monitoring the situation. We will know more about how this rain has impacted our event in another 24 hours – so please give us the time to assess the situation. We have committee members out checking the trail and road conditions – and will continue to check throughout tomorrow and Wednesday.

So, what does this really mean for the race?

We’re doing everything we can to try to put on the Vermont 100 this weekend, if at all possible. We are exploring several contingencies that may alter the event (route, logistics, aid), and will know more. I promise, we will let you know as soon as decisions are made – so please give us time to explore what those answers will be.

What does this mean for you, as a runner?

It means that some of the logistics of the race may change. The route might be different. There may be a few aid stations that are no longer available (and therefore you may need to go longer without aid). Some of the crew stations may be inaccessible for crews. In short, things might look very different this year…but we’re doing the best we can. When we know more and decisions have been made – we will let you know.

What can you do right now to prepare?

If I were running this year, and preparing for all scenarios, I would ensure I have options to carry water and fueling for longer distances than those prescribed on the current aid station charts (i.e. pack a hydration pack just in case!). I would also bring gear and bags in case I need to send drop bags to aid stations that are no longer accessible by crews. In short, I would come prepared to be agile to a few different possible conditions.

I would also send some thoughts and prayers for the communities that we run through, and the homeowners and businesses that have been impacted by this weather event.

In closing, I will do my best to send out an email tomorrow night with further information and updates. When I know more and decisions are made, we WILL let you know.

For now, stay safe out there!”

All For Now

Thank you for reading and respect the process during this difficult time.

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The Vermont 100, as Told by Artificial Intelligence

The Vermont 100, as Told by Artificial Intelligence

February 13, 2023

A (real) friend of our event asked an AI chat bot to write an article about trail running in New England. Below is what was shared back, to which our friend asked the bot to please include more detail about the Vermont 100 Endurance Race. What do you think? Nailed it… We are actually pretty pleased that a robot picked up on some of the parts of our race for which we are so proud — community and camaraderie — but also think it missed a clear opportunity to talk about our amazing race beneficiary, Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports. Guess that means we all have to keep publishing more about the value of access for all!

Prompt: Please write a long article about trail running in New England.

“Trail running in New England is a unique and exhilarating experience that combines the beauty of nature with the thrill of outdoor adventure. With its diverse landscapes, ranging from rolling hills and dense forests to rugged mountains and sparkling coastline, New England offers an abundance of opportunities for trail runners to explore and push their limits.

One of the best things about trail running in New England is the diversity of its terrain. In the western part of the region, the Berkshire Mountains offer a mix of rocky trails, steep ascents, and technical descents. Meanwhile, the rolling hills and dense forests of the Green Mountains in Vermont provide a gentler and more peaceful experience, with miles of single track and old logging roads to explore. In the east, the White Mountains of New Hampshire offer some of the most challenging and stunning terrain in the region, with trails that lead to the peaks of Mount Washington, the highest peak in the northeastern United States.

Along with its diverse terrain, New England is also home to a vibrant trail running community. Whether you’re a seasoned runner looking for a new challenge, or just starting out and looking for a supportive group to run with, there are many local trail running clubs and events to get involved in. These events range from weekly group runs and training sessions, to multi-day trail running festivals and races.

One of the most popular trail running events in New England is the Vermont 100 Endurance Race, held each summer in the Green Mountains. This grueling 100-mile race takes runners on a journey through some of the most beautiful and rugged terrain in the region, and attracts runners from all over the world.

For those looking for a more leisurely trail running experience, there are also many scenic and well-maintained trails along the New England coastline, offering breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean. Whether you’re running along the rocky cliffs of Cape Cod, or through the rolling dunes of the Maine coast, there’s something for every level of runner in New England.

Another great aspect of trail running in New England is the sense of community and camaraderie that comes with it. Whether you’re running solo or with a group, there’s a strong sense of connection between runners who share a love of the outdoors and the thrill of pushing their limits on the trails.

Of course, as with any outdoor activity, it’s important to take necessary precautions when trail running in New England. This includes wearing appropriate gear, such as a sturdy pair of running shoes and protective clothing, as well as carrying a map, water, and other essentials with you on the trails.

In conclusion, trail running in New England is a truly unique and rewarding experience, offering a blend of natural beauty, outdoor adventure, and a sense of community. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or just starting out, there’s something for everyone in this incredible region. So why not lace up your shoes and hit the trails today?”

Follow-up prompt: Please include more detail about the Vermont 100 Endurance Race in this article.

“The Vermont 100 Endurance Race, held annually in the Green Mountains of Vermont, is one of the premier trail running events in New England and a true test of endurance for runners from all over the world. This grueling 100-mile race takes runners on a journey through some of the most beautiful and rugged terrain in the region, with a course that features steep climbs, rocky descents, and miles of single track and old logging roads.

One of the unique aspects of the Vermont 100 is its focus on community and camaraderie. The race is known for its supportive and friendly atmosphere, with volunteers and runners alike encouraging each other along the way. This sense of community is a big part of what makes the Vermont 100 such a special and memorable experience for runners.

The Vermont 100 is also a well-organized and safe event, with a well-marked course, ample aid stations, and medical support available throughout the race. These features, along with the beautiful scenery and challenging terrain, make the Vermont 100 a must-do event for any serious trail runner.

Of course, the Vermont 100 is not for the faint of heart. It’s a physically and mentally challenging race that requires a high level of fitness, as well as a strong mental determination and a love of the outdoors. But for those who are up to the challenge, the reward is a sense of accomplishment and pride that lasts a lifetime.

For those who may not be ready to take on the full 100 miles, there is also a 50-mile race option, as well as a relay option that allows runners to participate as a team. These options make the Vermont 100 accessible to a wider range of runners and provide a way for friends and family to experience the excitement and camaraderie of the race together.

In conclusion, the Vermont 100 Endurance Race is a must-do event for any serious trail runner, offering a unique combination of natural beauty, physical challenge, and a strong sense of community. So why not sign up for the next Vermont 100 and push your limits on the trails of New England?”

In Conclusion…

We love it! HAHAHAI

Featured Image Description: Two road signs in Vermont: Galaxy Hill Rd and Cloudland Rd. Courtesy of official VT100 race photographer, Ben Kimball.

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2022 Giving Tuesday Record & 2023 Race Raffle Results

2022 Giving Tuesday Record & 2023 Race Raffle Results

December 5, 2022

Feeling all the feels after seeing SO much generosity last week from all y’all on Giving Tuesday!

Together we raised nearly $43,000 for Vermont Adaptive, AND set a new single-day giving record in our race’s history. Think of all the adaptive programs, equipment, and scholarships this will support in 2023!

From VT100 Race Director Amy Rusiecki:

“Giving Tuesday has become one of my favorite days each year – and it’s because of each of you and what you did. This is [a] day where my inbox is flooded with positive thoughts and messages, symbols of support, love, acceptance and inclusivity.”

From Vermont Adaptive’s Director of Communications Kim Jackson:

“How much do we love Vermont 100 runners? Well, a whole lot! You guys are amazing, and we’re so grateful you’re a part of the Vermont Adaptive community. Aside from the fact you’re all crazy for running the way you do – you’re also crazy for fundraising the way you do! Thank you from all of us!”

Giving Tuesday by the numbers:

  • $42,621.31 = Total VT100 fundraised (pre-match)
  • 3 = VT100 Team 2 Empower runners who raised over $3000 (pre-match)
  • $620.25 = What one VT100 person donated from collecting redeemable cans for the last year
  • 476 = VT100 individual donations made
  • 352 = Tickets in the ‘guaranteed entry/lottery bypass’ raffle
  • 61 = Ticket in the ‘free entry’ raffle
  • $7,360 = Total raised as a result of the raffle
  • $197,926 = Total raised throughout Vermont Adaptive during GT!
  • Priceless = The stories shared and the value of programs your donations will support

VT100’s fundraising page and individual fundraising pages stay active through the 2023 race: DONATE TODAY!

Happy trails, and THANK YOU for your support of Vermont Adaptive!

Lucky Raffle Winners

  • Bill Burgess – free entry
  • Derek MacDonald – lottery bypass

Upcoming Key Dates

  • 12/15/22 runners who qualify for early entry will receive an email with reg details by this date
  • 12/20 to 12/30/22 – reg opens for runners who qualify for an early entry
  • 1/2 to 1/12/23 – general lottery reg opens to the public
  • 1/114/23 – we will host a live lottery! More details to be released later.

Featured Image Description: Vermont Adaptive Giving Tuesday graphic featuring the Giving Tuesday logo and a caption that reads, “Your Did It! $197,861 Raised! Thank you!”

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Giving Tuesday at Vermont Adaptive (2022)

Giving Tuesday at Vermont Adaptive (2022)

November 27, 2022

Friends of Vermont 100 and Vermont Adaptive –

For over 30 years, our race has been one of the largest annual fundraisers for Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports, an organization that offers folks of all ages and abilities the opportunity to participate in inclusive outdoor activities regardless of their ability to pay.

As the world’s first trail and ultra race to support and recognize visually and mobility impaired athletes with their own division, we believe in what Vermont Adaptive does for its participants every day and we encourage your continued support.

DONATE TODAY

This Giving Tuesday – 11/29/22


EVERY DOLLAR donated will be matched (up to $50,000)!

What does this mean for you?

  • For those who qualify for a 2023 lottery bypass and want to fundraise, your fundraising can start now! Email vt100@vermontadaptive.org to have your fundraising page created and start earning our sweet fundraising swag (see: Perks).
  • For those who want to gain entry to the 2023 VT100, we are holding our annual raffle to win either one (1) lottery bypass or one (1) free entry. How it works: Donate to Vermont Adaptive on Giving Tuesday. For every $20 you donate, or that is donated in your honor, you get one (1) ticket to bypass the lottery/waitlist. If you win, you gain entry into the 2023 VT100 but still pay the registration fee. For every $100 you donate, or that is donated in your honor, you will get one (1) ticket towards free entry to into the 2023 VT100. If you win, you will skip the lottery/waitlist and will not have to pay the registration fee. For someone to donate in your honor, they simply need to make a donation, then list your name in the ‘personal message’ area.
  • For those who simply want to help increase our impact on the programming and financial support Vermont Adaptive can offer to participants, you can make your donation here and know that on Giving Tuesday it goes twice as far!
  • Team Run 2 Empower – As always, there is an opportunity for runners to gain entry to the 2023 VT100 by committing to fundraising at least $1,500 for Vermont Adaptive through our Team Run 2 Empower program. More information on the Team is posted here. Giving Tuesday is an excellent day to kickstart your mission.

More about Vermont Adaptive

Learn more about Vermont Adaptive and our partnership by visiting our fundraising page or the Vermont Adaptive Website.

More about 2023 Registration

Everything you need to know about the 2023 VT100 registration process is updated on our website here. It includes the 100-mile and 100-km cost to register; signup dates/timeline (also expressed below); the early and general registration process; info on who qualifies for a lottery bypass; when the lottery will be; the 100-mile qualifier standards; the 100-mile and 100-kilometer service requirement; and more.

If you are a runner who registered in 2020 and didn’t sign up for the 2022 race, this summer is your last chance to use your spot. We have a list of who we believe qualifies. Let us know if you think you qualify, hoped to run this summer, and don’t see you name there. Note: Race qualifiers and service requirements must still be followed.

SIGN UP DATES/TIMELINE

  • Dec. 15/2022
    Runners who qualify for an early entry (including 2020 runners who rolled into this year’s race) will receive an email with registration details by this date. If you believe you qualify and don’t receive an email, reach out to the RD.
  • Dec. 20-30, 2022
    Registration open for runners who qualify for an early entry.
  • Jan. 2-12, 2023
    Lottery registration opens for anyone who does not qualify for an early registration.
  • Jan. 14, 2023 (time TBD)
    We will host a live lottery!  Details will be posted and shared once worked out.

Got questions?

We’re here to help. If you have any questions, reach out. We might not know all the answers, but we’ll get you the info we’ve got and work towards answers. All we ask for is your patience. There are things we just won’t know for a while.

Featured Image Description: Ben Simanski (left) and his guide Brian Rusiecki (right) run down a gravel road at the 2022 Vermont 100, with the “Giving Tuesday” logo to their left. Simanski is a visually impaired athlete who won the 2022 VT100 100-mile Male Category and Overall Athletes with Disabilities (AWD) Division Category in 23:28:29.

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2023 Team Run 2 Empower — What to Know

2023 Team Run 2 Empower — What to Know

November 21, 2022

Are you interested in joining Vermont 100’s Team Run 2 Empower for 2023? Here’s what you need to know.

How to Join

There are limited spots available in the Team Run 2 Empower for 2023. There are simply a lot of folks who are interested in this option, and yet we want the Team to still feel relatively small and intimate.  Due to that demand, folks who wish to join the Team must apply, and a small committee will determine who is accepted onto the Team this year.

This is the link to the application.

We will accept applications for the first round through November 20, 2022 and the second round through December 15th.  Notifications on who is welcomed to the Team will be made within a week after these days. Please feel free and encouraged to add in any info you think will help us in the selection of who joins the Team, and be creative — we want to know you and why this is important to you!

Any questions can be sent to Race Director Amy Rusiecki at vt100@vermontadaptive.org.

About VT100’s Team Run 2 Empower Program

The 2023 Vermont 100 race will set aside up to 60 slots for our Team Run 2 Empower. Under this program, runners will be allowed free entry* into the Vermont 100 so long as they commit to raising a minimum of $1,500 for Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports (*and make a $100 donation towards their personal fundraising account). Of course, we encourage our Team participants to raise additional funds above the minimum requirement (and have some awesome incentives for you as you fundraise)!

This will be the 8th year of this program. In the first year, we had 10 runners who participated and they raised $30,000 for Vermont Adaptive. We’ve come a long way since then, fundraising over $200,000 in 2022. The goal for this year is to fundraise at least $250,000, which would put the 8-year total to over $750,000!

Think of how much of a difference that makes in the lives of so many Vermont Adaptive athletes! Especially given the strain of COVID on the finances of Vermont Adaptive — our support is needed!

2 Guides and a Blind Athlete Race Along the VT100's Dirt Roads with Fields on Their Left

About Our Charity, Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports

The Vermont 100 is one of Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports’ biggest fundraisers every year. Our participants, volunteers, and sponsors help Vermont Adaptive provide access to skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, hand cycling, tandem biking, horseback riding, rock climbing, hiking, camping, and other adventure weekends to their participants!

Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing recreational and competitive sports opportunities to people with disabilities. We believe sports and recreation provide a physical, mental, and social experience that is immeasurable in promoting self-confidence and independence in an individual. More information on Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports can be found at vermontadaptive.org.

How Does Team Run 2 Empower Work?

If you chose to participate in the Team Run 2 Empower, you will register for the Vermont 100 under the Team Run 2 Empower registration. At this time, a fundraising page will be generated for you. Each runner joining the Team must kick start their fundraising campaign by making a $100 donation towards their personal fundraising. Once you have raised the $1,500 minimum, you are officially in (but encouraged to keep up the fundraising efforts)! On July 15th, if you haven’t raised the $1,500 minimum, your credit card will be charged the remaining funds (but we hope that doesn’t happen!).

Runners have until July 1st to enter into the Team, and then any unused entries will be given to runners on the general waitlist.

Why Participate in Team Run 2 Empower?

Running an ultramarathon is challenging enough, but participating in the Team Run 2 Empower gives additional meaning to your race. You are running to support Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports; every step you take will benefit people with disabilities by giving them an opportunity to participate in sports.

What are the Benefits of Participating on Team Run 2 Empower?

There are some special perks for folks on the Team:

  • Guaranteed entry into one of the oldest 100 milers, and one of the Grand Slam races (or the 100k race, if that’s your choice!)
  • Monthly coaching tips and articles of interest for both running and fundraising
  • Opportunity to participate in an exclusive training run on the VT100 course (which is partially on private property; a rare opportunity!)
  • Allowance to ‘swap distances’ between the 100k and 100-mile race at any time
  • Top 10 fundraisers earn bibs #1 through 10 for the race
  • Team Run 2 Empower singlet

“To see the support [from fellow Team Run 2 Empower runners] I had on a training run, where my only disability is my own mind – imagine the support Vermont Adaptive gives to athletes will different sorts of disabilities.” –Jessie F., Team Run 2 Empower 2018

Frequently Asked Questions:

  • When does registration open for the Team Run 2 Empower? For the 2023 event, applications for a spot on the Team Run 2 Empower will be accepted through November 20th and December 15th. After that, the first two rounds of applications will be reviewed and new Team members will be welcomed (hopefully within a week of these dates). Based on the availability of spots, additional Team members will be admitted on a rolling basis.
  • What’s the deal with the mandatory $100 contribution to my own fundraising? Research shows that others are more likely to contribute to your fundraising efforts if you are also invested in the cause. We hope this will allow you each to be financially committed to your efforts. Also, note that Team members don’t pay the race registration fee, so a $100 donation is less than registration.
  • Can I fundraise for another charity and participate on the Team Run 2 Empower? Unfortunately, no. While we appreciate anyone willing to fundraise for an incredible charity, the Vermont 100 and Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports are partners therefore this Team Run 2 Empower is specifically designed to benefit Vermont Adaptive.
  • If I am on the Team Run 2 Empower, can I run the 100km race? Of course! Members of the Team Run 2 Empower can choose to run either the 100-mile or 100km distance. Even better, Team members are allowed to change their race distance at any time.
  • If I am on the Team Run 2 Empower, do I still need to qualify for the 100-mile race? Yes, if you are planning to run the 100-mile race, you still must meet the qualification requirements for the event. However, if you’re a member of the Team then you can switch from the 100-mile to 100km distance at any time if you fail to qualify.
  • If I am on the Team Run 2 Empower, do I still need to complete the volunteer requirement? Yes, you are still required to complete the volunteer requirement. Alternatively, you can fundraise the $200 Volunteer Buy-out fee (total fundraising goal of $1,700) instead.
  • What happens if I don’t fundraise the minimum $1,500? There are a few options if you don’t fundraise the minimum amount. First, you can pay the difference to meet the requirement. Second, if there is a spot in the 100-mile or 100km race, you can switch to regular registration and pay the registration fee. It should be noted that in 6 years of this Team, we have only once had someone who failed to meet the minimum fundraising requirement.
  • What happens if I get injured and can’t race at this year’s Vermont 100? If a Team Run 2 Empower member has started fundraising and is not able to run due to injury or another issue, we are dedicated to working with the runner to find the correct solution.

A visual impaired athlete and their guide race along the Vermont 100 with open fields around them.
Not Finding What You Need?

For any questions regarding the Vermont Adaptive Team Run 2 Empower, or to officially join the team, fill out your application today, or contact the Vermont 100 Race Director at vt100@vermontadaptive.org. Thank you!

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2022 Women in Endurance Sports Awards Nominee: Amy Rusiecki

2022 Women in Endurance Sports Awards Nominee: Amy Rusiecki

November 9, 2022

Congratulations to Vermont 100 Race Director Amy Rusiecki, who is nominated for a Women of Endurance Sports Award!

Amy has committed to supporting gender equity and inclusion at our event and all of her Beast Coast Trail Running events, and we are so proud to see her hard work recognized like this!

The 2022 awards ceremony will be celebrated in person at the Outspoken Summit in Tempe, AZ, and streamed live online through the Outspoken Summit Facebook page this Sunday, November 13th, at 10am PT/1pm ET.

We also want to take this opportunity to thank each of you, everyone in our beautiful ultrarunning community, who has stepped up in their own ways to advocate for changes that promote inclusion and diversity within our events!

Outspoken Awards Nominee - Official Graphic - Amy Rusiecki

“This is how small changes happen, which can lead to bigger shifts…and it takes an amazing [community], which we are blessed to have!!!” – Amy

 

Amy racing
Amy racing. She is wearing a purple Inov8 tank top, black shorts, and sunglasses, and carrying a water bottle in her left hand.
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The Trails Collective Podcast – Special Guest VT100 Race Director Amy Rusiecki

The Trails Collective Podcast – Special Guest VT100 Race Director Amy Rusiecki

October 4, 2022

We’re excited to share that our rockstar race director, the one and only Amy Rusiecki, is this week’s extra special guest on The Trails Collective Podcast hosted by competitive distance runner, Ellie Pell.

Amy and Ellie dig into all things running and ultrarunning: Amy’s experience discovering the sport; strategies for training, racing, and competing; what it’s like coaching, directing races (she’s got a bunch: see Beast Coast Trail Running), and guiding blind and visually impaired athletes. They even veer into the inevitable — which trail snacks and beverages Amy loves most!

Listen below on Spotify, tune in on Apple Podcasts, or go to the platform you prefer and search for the Trails Collective Podcast.

Voices From The Collective: Amy Rusiecki

 

 

Amy (left) guiding visually impaired athlete Kyle Robidoux (center) with another guide (right) on the Vermont 100 course
Photo description: Amy (left) guiding visually impaired athlete Kyle Robidoux (center) with another guide (right) on the Vermont 100 course. Credit: Ben Kimball.
Amy speaking to the crowd at the Vermont 100 Pre-Race Meeting with a Vermont Adaptive banner hanging behind her.
Photo description: Amy speaking to the crowd at the Vermont 100 Pre-Race Meeting with a Vermont Adaptive banner hanging behind her.
Amy with her arms up greeting two runners as they cross the Vermont 100 Endurance Race Finish Line
Photo description: Amy with her arms up greeting two runners as they cross the Vermont 100 Endurance Race Finish Line
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2022 Vermont 100 Race Recap

2022 Vermont 100 Race Recap

September 6, 2022

Thank you to our runners, crew, pacers, volunteers, sponsors*, and the VT community at large who brought so much energy and enthusiasm to the 2022 Vermont 100. We cannot express how much everyone’s patience has meant to us over these past few years. Everyone had a hand in the success of this event and we hope to see you again in 2023!

Official Race Photos

Presented by Ben Kimball, are available here.

Official Race Results

Presented by OneTime, available here.

Top Performances

Below, or read this article from MassUltra.

2022 VT100-Mile Male Category Winner - Roy Van Cleef (1)

100-mile Male Category* Champion and Top 3 Finishers!

  • Roy Van Cleef, 16:30:01 (1st overall)
  • Nicholas Mamrak, 17:09:22 (2nd overall and 1st solo overall)
  • Oliver Mednick, 17:42:15 (3rd overall )

Van Cleef broke from the pack early and held the lead to the finish to secure his first-ever win at the Vermont 100; Mamrak ran self-supported and maintained second throughout and first overall solo; and Mednick started at a conservative pace and climbed spots carefully all day to round out the podium.

2022 VT100 100-Mile Female Categoty Winner - Aliza Lapierre (1)

100-mile Female Category* Champion and Top 3 Finishers

  • Aliza Lapierre, 18:35:25 (6th overall)
  • Christine Mosley, 19:20:45 (8th overall and 1st solo female category)
  • Dylan Broderick, 20:45:56 (15th overall)

Lapierre has over a decade of 100-mile experience — with a list of amazing performances to her name — and she used her knowledge to race patiently, slowly closing the gap on Moseley, the 2019 VT100 defending champ who held the lead through mile 69; while Broderick rounded out the podium for her fourth top-five finish at VT100.

2022 VT100 100-Mile Male Category and Overall AWD Division Winner - Ben Simanski (1)

100-mile Male Category* and Overall Athletes with Disabilities (AWD) Division** Category

  • Ben Simanski (image: right), 23:28:29 (62nd overall, 1st Visually Impaired).
  • Eric Strong, 26:29:30 (108th overall, 2nd Visually Impaired)

Simanski is a visually impaired athlete, and he led the AWD field from start to finish, holding off fellow visually impaired runners Eric Strong (26:29:30) and Kyle Robidoux.

2022 VT100 100km Womens Category Winner - Riley Brady (1)

100-km Female Category* Champion, Top 3 Finishers, and Solo Winner

  • Riley Brady, 10:03:55 (1st overall and new women’s category CR)
  • Samantha Stimac, 10:53:56 (3rd overall)
  • Tess Hamilton, 11:55:29 (5th overall)
  • Solo Winner: Angelika Grodna-Pantera, 12:23:52 (4th female category, 7th overall)

Brady, now a VT100 vet, executed an incredible race, managing their pace in the pack carefully in the first half and breaking away from the field over the final 30 miles to earn the overall 100-km win and setting a new female category course record in the process. Stimac and Hamilton had strong races to round out the podium; and Grodna-Pantera’s self-supported effort was good for fourth in the female category and seventh overall.

2022 VT100 100-km Male Category Champion - Natty Montoya (1)

100-km Male Category* Champion and Top 3 Finishers

  • Natty Montoya, 10:32:17 (2nd overall and 1st overall solo)
  • Palo Cvik, 11:27:59 (4th overall)
  • Bhushan Suresh, 12:03:08 (6th overall)

Montoya raced hard from the start, contesting the overall win until halfway, and then settling into a self-supported pace that was good for second overall and first solo. Cvik also left the gate with the leaders and despite falling behind in time, never lost his spot in the top; and Suresh raced steady to round out the male category podium.

*At the Vermont 100, runners who identify as non-binary may choose to compete in their own division or against their hormonal peers in either the male or female category. Like our athletes with disabilities division (AWD), this option is presented as part of our race’s larger push to expand accessibility and inclusion in the sport of ultrarunning. We believe that the trails are a place for everyone and we continuously strive to make our runner, volunteer, sponsorship, and fundraising opportunities as accessible and appealing to people from all backgrounds and identities. If you have ideas on how our event can continue to break barriers and close gaps, email us at vt100@vermontadaptive.org.

**In 2017, the Vermont 100 deepened our commitment to adaptive sports by becoming the first trail ultra ever to recognize mobility and visually impaired athletes in their own division: Athletes With Disabilities (AWD). Go here to learn about the criteria, entry process, division breakdown, rules, and more.

2022 VT100 Race Recap - Closing Photo - Runner and Horseback Rider (1)

Fundraising

Our race is a fundraiser for Vermont Adaptive, and they could not be a better partner. In 2022, all of you helped us raise over $200,000 for them, which is staggering. Thank you!

Sponsor Love

Additional

  • Buckles: If you did not get your 2022 finisher buckle in person, you should have it by mail now. Email the RD if you did not receive yours.
  • Race Merchandise: Our online store is closed for the year. Check back later.

NEXT YEAR’S RACE

The 2023 Vermont 100 is scheduled for:

  • July 14-16, 2023
  • Registration details coming in November.
  • Registration opens in December.

 

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July 6, 2022 – VT100 Race Updates

July 6, 2022 – VT100 Race Updates

July 6, 2022

Emailed to Participants: July 6, 2022

Runners – 10 days from now, each of you will be starting your epic journey through Vermont. With the race so close, there’s a lot of last-minute info and reminders to share … so please read this through, pass info along to your crew and pacers, and reach out with questions.

1. Runner Handbook & Aid Stations

The Runner Handbook and Aid Station charts (100k, 100 mile) have been updated for this year’s event. Please download a copy of the handbook to your phone, and share with your crew and pacers. This covers the Runner Rules, Pacer Rules, and Crew Rules, Driving Directions, and the Race Schedule. Please read this!!! Even if you have completed the race in the past – some things are new this year.

2. Driving to Silver Hill

Click here for Driving Directions to Silver Hill. There are certain roads near our race site that are closed to race traffic. They have ‘Local Traffic Only’ signs on them. However, we ask that everyone follow the directions to Silver Hill provided in the link above. Our future race permits depends on everyone complying!

  • Driving to Aid Stations – Directions to the aid stations are in the Runner Handbook. Follow these directions. Most GPSs don’t know the difference between Class 4 roads (often impassible by vehicles) and passable roads!

3. Pre-Race Meeting

Since we won’t have an in-person pre-race meeting, Race Director Amy Rusiecki is doing a live video chat on Sunday July 10th at 5pm EST (link to be shared soon).  She’ll go over race details (such as ‘how to run with horses’), followed by a Q&A session. For those who can’t attend, we will make the video available afterwards (likely to be emailed to you).

4. Start List and Solo vs. Crewed

Here are the links to the start lists for the 100k and 100 mile. Bib #s will be assigned this weekend. If you have unresolved qualifiers or volunteer info, let’s get that resolved ASAP!  Also, we know that some of you want to change your status from solo/crewed status – to do so, send an email to the race registrar Astrid (vt100registrar@gmail.com). Reminder that solo runners have no pacer and no crew.

5. Camping

Some folks have asked about camping or how to reserve a spot. Here’s the deal – we allow folks to set up tents in the designated camping field. There are no designated spots, you simply find a few blades of grass and set up. No need to let us know either way whether you’re camping or not – we don’t track it.

  • No RVs! Reminder that while you can sleep in your car, you’re not allowed to have anything larger than a standard vehicle. We don’t have the room to park these, and the parking lots get pretty mucky by Sunday so RVs or heavy vehicles may get stuck.

6. Merchandise

The 2022 race merchandise is available online now! We’ll have this at Silver Hill also, but you’re welcome to pre-order and we’ll have your gear ready for pick-up on Friday (July 15th) during registration.

7. Pacer Registration

Due to the COVID vaccination requirement, we’re trying something new this year with pacer registration. Early next week, we’ll share a link for pacers to sign up and complete all their paperwork online. There will be an option for them to complete this registration in-person if necessary also.

8. COVID Waiver

All of you have been emailed a link from RunReg to acknowledge/certify compliance with the VT100’s COVID vaccination requirement. A reminder email was sent earlier today from RunReg to those who have not yet completed this waiver. Unfortunately, we can not allow runners who have not completed this form to attend the event.

9. Course Changes

For those who haven’t run the course before, this might not make sense … but for those returning runners, here’s a few of the minor course changes this year.

  • Lincoln Covered Bridge – The bridge is open again, so no river crossing. The aid station will be back to its original location, just after the bridge. (Anyone who wants to follow the horse route and go through the water is welcome to do so…).
  • Lillian’s – In 2019, we added in a minor trail extension that had 100 milers approaching Lillian’s from a different direction – we are not doing that this year. We’ve added a bit of trail to the route just before the aid station, but the station will be in the 2018 location at the Rt. 106 pull-off again.
  • Keating’s – The aid station has moved to about 1 mile further down the trail.
    Polly’s – the aid station has moved again. This year, it will be about ¼ mile before the 2018 and prior Polly’s location – at the home of the VT100 founder, Laura Farrell!

10. Course Intel

For those who haven’t run the VT100 before … the biggest thing to know is about the Camp 10 Bear loop.

  • You enter that aid station twice, and each time you take a right when leaving the aid station to continue on. If you don’t know, ask a volunteer which direction you should be going … as every year we have one runner who either skips the Camp 10 Bear loop entirely, or runs it twice … so pay attention and rely on volunteers to help.
  • Also, know that the 1/3 mile when you leave Camp 10 Bear #1 is also the last 1/3 mile before you return to Camp 10 Bear #2.  This means many runners may see participants running in the opposite direction in this short stretch.  Don’t freak out – cheer them on!

11. We Are Pumped

Speaking for the race committee, we are so excited to welcome each of you to this year’s Vermont 100 … and to support you on your journey. And it’s nearly here!!! As always, reach out with questions. We look forward to seeing you at Silver Hill on Friday July 15th!

-Amy & the VT100 Race Committee

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June 15, 2022 – VT100 Race Updates

June 15, 2022 – VT100 Race Updates

June 27, 2022

Emailed to Participants: June 15, 2022

One month from today, we’ll be gathering on Silver Hill…ready to set off for your 100k or 100 mile journey. Did anyone else just get nervous hearing that?!?  So exciting!

Alright, since we’re getting down to crunch time, you’ll be getting some updates from us on all sort of things…as things are falling into place.  Please check out this entire [blog post], and reach out with questions.

I’ll start with pointing you towards the start lists (100k start list, 100 mile start list), which show volunteer and qualifier confirmation, as well as crewed vs. solo status. Please read below for more info, and reach out if there’s an issue that’s not addressed below.

1. Volunteer Requirement

Reminder that you should have submitted your form to report you completed your volunteer requirement by today (6/15/22). More info on the volunteer requirement (including the dates ranges for the 8-hour volunteering) is listed on the race website here.  The form to submit your information is here.

*Note that we are behind with confirming submissions for volunteer requirements – if you submitted your form within the last few weeks, it’s possible we didn’t get to you yet (and we appreciate your patience!).

2. Qualifier Requirement

If you’re a 100 mile runner, reminder that you should have submitted your form to report you completed your qualifier (and it was due a few weeks ago!). More info on the qualification requirements is listed on the race website here. The form to submit your qualifier is here.

*Note that we are up to date with confirming qualifiers submitted at this time.  If you aren’t shown as submitting your qualifier, then either you didn’t submit it after registering this year or it fell through the cracks.  Either way, please submit the form so we can get you confirmed!

3. COVID/Vaccination Requirement

We uploaded a waiver into the registration system that every runner must complete to confirm that you are aware of the vaccination requirement and that you (and anyone you bring with you to the event) is in compliance with the race’s vaccination policy. You should have received an email from the registration system to complete this waiver.  No one will be allowed on-site or at aid stations without completing this form.

4. Volunteers

We need more volunteers at this year’s race! Due to COVID, we are struggling to get enough volunteers to support each of you (and this is pretty common these days!). We ask that each of you reach out to your friends, family, teammates, or anyone who might be willing to help make this year’s VT100 a success. (Specifically, if someone is traveling to support you but can help out for a few hours, that would be AMAZING!) Here’s the link to sign-up for volunteering.

5. COVID Changes

There will be a few changes to this year’s event due to COVID.  We’re still working them out, but I wanted to let y’all know about a few of them in case they change your plans.

  • Friday pre-race briefing – we’ll do a virtual pre-race briefing instead of a large Friday briefing.  More details (and link to watch/join) will be sent out when we know more.
  • Friday pre-race dinner – rather than a large sit-down dinner, we’re instead offering dinner from 3-6:30pm that folks can either sit and eat or take with them.  Menu will be similar to past years, and to-go containers will be available.
  • Sunday awards – we’ll be giving folks their hard-earned awards upon crossing the finish line rather than at one large awards ceremony.  Sorry that it means that each finish won’t have their name called and be celebrated among their peers…but I’ll be there to give you a sweaty hug and hope that’s almost as valuable?!?
  • Sunday post-race meal – like with Friday night dinner, we’re not doing the large Sunday BBQ.  Instead, you’ll be offered a meal when you finish your race (or when you make it back to Silver Hill).  The menu will change throughout the night/overnight/morning accordingly.

6. Course Changes

There are a few minor changes to the course this year, and these might only make sense to those of you who have run the VT100 a few times.  We will compile all the changes and get those out to folks in the next email.

7. Runner Handbook

The 2019 Runner Handbook is posted online currently, and can be used as guidance for the event rules, including crew and pacer rules.  We will update the handbook and post the 2022 Runner Handbook by July 5th, which will include new crew driving directions.

8. We’re stoked!

We can’t wait to see you all at Silver Hill, so please reach out if you have any questions, and know that we’re working hard to make this an awesome event – worthy of waiting many years for!

Happy trails!

-Amy and the VT100 Race Committee

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2022 Vermont 100 COVID Vaccination Policy

2022 Vermont 100 COVID Vaccination Policy

February 10, 2022

Last Updated: February 10, 2022

Policy

The Vermont 100 Race Committee has decided to mandate COVID vaccinations at the 2022 Vermont 100 event for all participants.

This means that every runner, rider, volunteer, pacer, spectator, and crew member must be fully vaccinated for COVID in order to be at this year’s event (including access to the start/finish area, aid stations, and crew stops).

Fully Vaccinated Definition

The definition of COVID vaccination means the individual must have received 2 standard vaccine doses (1 dose if Johnson & Johnson vaccination) and a booster dose (if eligible). Being booster eligible is 2 months after the J&J vaccine but 5 months after the other vaccinations.

Policy Explanation

The Vermont 100 course relies on over 60 private landowners giving us permission to use their property for the race. The start/finish area, camping field, registration area, numerous aid stations, and 70-miles of our course are all on private land. The event also passes through 9 small Vermont communities, while introducing participants from across the country (and even internationally) to their local stores, land, gas stations, restaurants, and accommodations. Out of an abundance of caution for these landowners and communities, the VT100 Race Committee voted to institute the vaccination requirement so that we are able to host the race this summer.

Moving Forward

We understand that this announcement may be disconcerting to some participants, and we apologize to those who are upset by the vaccination requirement.

We are working through the details of how we will confirm vaccination status for all participants and will communicate when we know more. We hope that this gives sufficient notice for compliance to unvaccinated runners who are currently on the start list.

Race Withdrawal

Because this announcement comes after registration has been completed, we are offering a one-time opportunity for runners who are unable/unwilling to comply to withdraw from the 2022 race and receive a refund of their entry fee. This opportunity is only available through February 23, 2022, and runners can request this option here.

Thank You

We hope that everyone understands that the safety of the landowners, communities, and participants is paramount. Happy and safe running everyone – see you at Silver Hill in July!

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No Barriers Podcast – The Ultra Barrier Breaker

No Barriers Podcast – The Ultra Barrier Breaker

November 2, 2021

We’re proud to share that our Race Director, Amy Rusiecki, recently joined the No Barriers Podcast for a gripping conversation with blind adventure athlete Erik Weihenmayer.

Amy's official No Barriers Podcast graphic featuring her running and the title "The Ultra Barrier Breaker"

Erik was the first blind person to climb Mount Everest in 2001. He’s since ascended the tallest peak on every continent, climbed El Cap in under 24 hours, kayaked the Grand Canyon, authored three books, spoken to students and businesses nationwide, and led expeditions around the world for those living with seen and unseen disabilities as part of his non-profit, No Barriers.

Amy joins Erik’s show to talk about the complexities of ultrarunning, her role as an athlete, guide, coach, and race director, and the ways in which she tries to expand accessibility and address inclusion issues in our sport. Erik is curious about what goes on in our heads as ultrarunners, what it really takes to tackle 100 miles as an athlete with a disability, and asks Amy what she hopes racing will look like in the years to come.

Amy assists and AWD onto the main stage to speak at the opening ceremonies for the VT100

While Amy has helped our race create divisions for both athletes with disabilities and nonbinary runners, led discussions with other race directors about how to better manage gender equality, and deepened our fundraising commitment to Vermont Adaptive—she says there is still plenty of work left to do.

Amy guiding a visually impaired runner during the Vermont 100

Tune in, and please email us at vt100@vermontadaptive.org if you have ideas on how our event (and others) can continue to break barriers and close gaps. We strongly believe that the trails are a place for everyone and we continuously strive to make our runner, volunteer, sponsorship, and fundraising opportunities as accessible and appealing to people from all backgrounds and identities.

Amy’s episode (no. 126) is available here on the No Barriers Podcast showpage as well everywhere you get your podcasts, like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Enjoy, and thanks for listening!

Amy greeting in two runners at the finish line of the Vermont 100, a tradition of hers

Images courtesy of No Barriers, Ben Kimball, Peter Maksimow, and Bruno Hamann.

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2021 Vermont 100 – Cancellation Notice

2021 Vermont 100 – Cancellation Notice

April 29, 2021

From the Race Director – Updated 4/28/21

It’s with a heavy heart that the Vermont 100 Endurance Race committee voted last week to officially cancel the 2021 Vermont 100 due to COVID-19. This was an emotional decision and not one that was taken lightly or decided easily.

The race committee considered the health and safety of all runners, riders, volunteers, community members, and vendors at the forefront of the discussion.  We did look at many alternatives, including the route, timing of events, and alteration of the services provided, to consider if there was a feasible alternative.  However, we jointly were not able to find a way to provide anything close to the true Vermont 100 experience and felt like continuing with a stripped-down, much smaller, and incredibly altered version of the event was not the experience that we wanted for the participants, volunteers, or community members.  As said before, this was not an easy decision and ultimately was extremely emotional for all.

We truly look forward to 2022, when we are committed to providing the magical celebration and amazing atmosphere that is Vermont 100 and hope to see each of you there!

We acknowledge that the current situation is very fluid, making day-to-day and month-to-month planning difficult for everyone. We felt it was important to share this information with everyone involved as quickly as possible so you each can adjust plans accordingly.  We are now working on many of the unknowns (and questions) that you will have, and ask for your patience and understanding as we shift our focus to that.

Details we can share right now

  • 2021 Start List
    We plan to roll the 2020 start list over into the 2022 Vermont 100. If you do not want to remain on the start list for next year’s event, you can request removal from the start list using this form (https://forms.gle/8wrAVeigTRtRKWwU7).
  • 2021 Waitlist
    We plan to roll the 2020 waitlist over into the 2021 Vermont 100. We WILL NOT pull anyone off the waitlist and into the event until a later date (likely next fall/winter). If you do not want to remain on the waitlist for next year’s event, you can request removal from the waitlist using this form (https://forms.gle/8wrAVeigTRtRKWwU7)
  • Race Qualifiers / Volunteer Requirements
    We have not made any decisions regarding any adjustments to the volunteer and qualifier requirements for next year’s race (given this year’s race cancellation). We will communicate when we know more.
  • 2022 Race Date
    TBD

Further details coming soon

As we find time in the coming weeks to work out the finer details regarding this cancellation, we will release more information. We appreciate your patience, understanding, and support through these uncertain times.

Virtual Run (#myVT100)

There are a few options for anyone who wishes to still celebrate VT100, support Vermont Adaptive, or both!

  • For folks who want to celebrate VT100 in their own way: We will be again challenging folks to choose their own adventure regarding how they celebrate what is meaningful for them, and share their story, photos, inspiration via #myVT100.  (This will run for the entire month of July.)
  • For folks who want to celebrate VT100 while also supporting Vermont Adaptive: Again, folks who participate in #myVT100 and fundraise for Vermont Adaptive will be awarded some VT100 goodies. More details on this will be coming soon.
  • For folks who simply want to fundraise for Vermont Adaptive: You’re encouraged to check out the Vermont Adaptive Charity Challenge. More information is available here (charityride.vermontadaptive.org).

The impact on Vermont Adaptive & Local Businesses

I want to take a moment to acknowledge that while I’m bummed to not see you all this summer, the race cancellation will also have a significant impact on others – notably, Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, as well as the area businesses of West Windsor. And for the 2nd year in a row!

This race is annually one of the largest fundraisers for Vermont Adaptive. Their mission, providing the opportunity for athletes of all abilities to enjoy activities and challenge themselves through sports, is one that we can all agree is important right now. I know how much running has become my sanity through COVID-19; and I know that without Vermont Adaptive, countless folks don’t have the option to go out and run or otherwise work out their anxiety through sports.

Further, our event is one of the largest sources of income for many various West Windsor businesses, which will struggle financially with the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 VT100 (among other events, such as the 2020 VT50 that also supports these businesses).

As such, I know some runners may wish to donate some or all of their 2020 entry fee towards Vermont Adaptive and/or towards supporting a local West Windsor business. If you wish to do this, you may make your donation using this form (https://forms.gle/Mons5SQKf11g4EVEA). And don’t worry, unless you choose to remove your name from the start list, your spot will still be carried over to the 2022 Vermont 100. If you wish to make a donation to Vermont Adaptive (and support me running 100 miles on my own this summer, again), you may also do so here (http://www.PledgeReg.com/288835).

Thank you and rock on

More than ever, we look forward to seeing you at Silver Hill for the 2022 Vermont 100! Until then, stay safe and be well!

–  Amy Rusiecki and the Vermont 100 Race Committee

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2021 Vermont 100 – COVID Updates

2021 Vermont 100 – COVID Updates

January 15, 2021

Updated: March 17, 2021 (scroll down)

Due to COVID, unknowns remain about the 2021 Vermont 100. This year’s event, and what it will look like, is still a moving target. COVID has already impacted our registration process and it very well may continue to impact our event in other ways. We simply do not have all the information at this time.

LATEST Updates

Each month — or as new information becomes available — the Vermont 100 Race Committee will use this space to communicate the latest COVID-related news, as we know it. 

POSTED: March 17, 2021

This update is for those who are either on the start list or on the waitlist for this year’s Vermont 100 — and it’s to say let’s hope things continue as they currently are… cause things are looking optimistic for July 2021!

Here is the latest from Race Director Amy Rusiecki:

  1. Start Lists and Waitlists: The 2021 start lists and waitlists for the 100-miler and 100k are posted. The waitlists were a bear and we did our best to get everyone in the order that they were for the 2020 waitlist (if they rolled over) and if not then added to the bottom in order of registration. These spreadsheets are the official order that we’ll pull folks from (NOT the order on the RunReg registration site)… so let us know if we made an error by emailing Amy.
  2. Waitlist Status: At this time, until we know what the gathering size for VT will be over the summer (i.e. how many runners we can accommodate at the event), we are not planning to pull anyone from the waitlist. So, folks on the waitlist — hang tight and don’t expect to be moved into the event over the next month until we know more.
  3. Event Status: Currently, Vermont’s restrictions for gathering/event sizes are 150 people. That makes us optimistic (but by no means able to guarantee) that we will be able to hold the event this summer. As mentioned earlier, the event may look different — including the course route, ability to have pacers/crews, and timing. We may need to utilize Friday, July 16, Saturday, July 17, and Sunday, July 18 to spread out participants in order to maintain the gathering size. When we know more, you’ll know more… but please be as open-minded about what this year’s event might look like as you can… we’re working hard to put on an amazing event (including the beauty and heat of Vermont in the summer) as we can!
  4. Qualifiers and Volunteer Info: We haven’t updated who has submitted qualifier and volunteer info on our start list yet… but wanted to be sure everyone is clear on the qualifier (for 100-mile participants only) and volunteer (for both distances) requirements, which are listed here. The short story is that we extended the qualifying and volunteer window (as we know there wasn’t much opportunity for either over the last year), but are not allowing virtual events to be used as qualifiers.

Thank you! We hope you’re staying healthy and safe and training up for an awesome VT100 this summer! If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

— END UPDATE (03/17/21) —

POSTED: January 14, 2021

Folks, please understand that above all else, we are doing our best to safely host the 2021 Vermont 100. However, we remain beholden to state and local permits and regulations, which means that while we are going to make every reasonable effort, it is still possible that the 2021 Vermont 100 may be canceled, OR that this year’s event may have significant changes to the schedule, rules, course, or any other aspect, as necessary to ensure the safety of our participants, volunteers, and local community members. Here’s what we know at this point:

  • Re-Registration: If you were on the start list for our 2020 VT100, we sent you an email on January 6th with instructions and details on how you can re-register for the 2021 event or defer to 2022. Please check your junk and spam folders if you did not or do not see our email in your primary inbox. Your individual password is in that email and you must use it to re-register at runreg.com by the end of the day Saturday, January 16th. If you have lost or can’t find your password, email us at vermont100@vermontadaptive.org and we’ll send you a new one.
  • Re-Registration Deferral: If you were on the start list for our 2020 VT100 and choose not re-register, you will be automatically put on a list for us to reach out to prior to the 2022 event, as you can roll your 2020 registration into that race instead.
  • Waitlist and General Entry: We promise more details on waitlists and general entry to the 2021 VT100 will be coming in the weeks ahead. Stay patient and stay healthy! Thank you!
  • A Word of Caution for 2021 / Voluntary Withdrawals: We want to say this out loud so that participants have an appropriate level of expectation. If you aren’t willing to have a different VT100 experience this year – understanding that the rules may change, the course might look different, and the timing of the event weekend may be adjusted, then we recommend you consider rolling your registration into the 2022 event or trying to gain entry to the 2022 event (if you don’t already have a 2021 spot). If you aren’t sure whether you will be able to travel to Vermont in July due to travel restrictions (such as closed country borders), we recommend you consider rolling your registration over into the 2022 event. Even if you’ve re-registered in the last week, if you get cold feet, and/or change your mind — we are happy to remove you from the registration now (simply email me, Amy Rusiecki, at vermont100@vermontadaptive.org). We will accept voluntary withdrawals, to be rolled into the 2022 event, through January 31st. After that time, any participant who is registered and needs to withdraw will have given up their spot and need to enter the lottery for the 2022 event.
  • If We Cancel: If we do ultimately cancel the 2021 event, we will work with registered participants (as we did in 2020) to ensure a fair and equitable solution. We are hopeful this won’t happen.

Thank you for reading this and let’s hope that COVID numbers start to decline, that everyone stays safe and healthy and that we see many of you at Silver Hill this summer!

-Amy and the VT100 Race Committee

— END UPDATE (01/14/21) —

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2020 Vermont 100 – Cancellation Notice

2020 Vermont 100 – Cancellation Notice

April 15, 2020

From the Race Director – Updated 4/15/20

It’s with a heavy heart that the Vermont 100 Endurance Race committee voted last night (4/14/20) to officially cancel the 2020 Vermont 100 due to COVID-19. This was an emotional decision, but one we made with the health and safety of all runners, riders, volunteers, community members, and vendors at the forefront of the discussion.

We acknowledge that the current situation is very fluid, making day-to-day and month-to-month planning difficult for everyone.  We felt it was important to share this information with everyone involved as quickly as possible so you each can adjust plans accordingly.  We are now working on many of the unknowns (and questions) that you will have, and ask for your patience and understanding as we shift our focus to that.

Details we can share right now

  • 2020 Start List
    We plan to roll the 2020 start list over into the 2021 Vermont 100. If you do not want to remain on the start list for next year’s event, you can request removal from the start list using this form (https://forms.gle/8wrAVeigTRtRKWwU7).
  • 2020 Waitlist
    We plan to roll the 2020 waitlist over into the 2021 Vermont 100. We WILL NOT pull anyone off the waitlist and into the event until a later date (likely next fall/winter). If you do not want to remain on the waitlist for next year’s event, you can request removal from the waitlist using this form (https://forms.gle/8wrAVeigTRtRKWwU7)
  • Race Qualifiers / Volunteer Requirements
    We have not made any decisions regarding any adjustments to the volunteer and qualifier requirements for next year’s race (given this year’s race cancellation). We will communicate when we know more.
  • 2021 Race Date
    Please mark your calendars for July 16-18th, 2021

Further details coming soon

As we find time in the coming weeks to work out the finer details regarding this cancellation, we will release more information. We appreciate your patience, understanding, and support through these uncertain times.

The impact on Vermont Adaptive & Local Businesses

I want to take a moment to acknowledge that while I’m bummed to not see you all this summer, the race cancellation will also have a significant impact on others – notably, Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, as well as the area businesses of West Windsor.

This race is annually one of the largest fundraisers for Vermont Adaptive. Their mission, providing the opportunity for athletes of all abilities to enjoy activities and challenge themselves through sports, is one that we can all agree is important right now. I know how much running has become my sanity through COVID-19; and I know that without Vermont Adaptive, countless folks don’t have the option to go out and run or otherwise work out their anxiety through sports.

Further, our event is one of the largest sources of income for many various West Windsor businesses, which will struggle financially with the cancellation of the 2020 VT100.

As such, I know some runners may wish to donate some or all of their 2020 entry fee towards Vermont Adaptive and/or towards supporting a local West Windsor business. If you wish to do this, you may make your donation using this form (https://forms.gle/Mons5SQKf11g4EVEA). And don’t worry, unless you choose to remove your name from the start list, your spot will still be carried over to the 2021 Vermont 100 (July 16-18th, 2021).

Thank you and rock on

More than ever, we look forward to seeing you at Silver Hill for the 2021 Vermont 100! Until then, stay safe and be well!

–  Amy Rusiecki and the Vermont 100 Race Committee

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Margaret Smith, Finn Schneider – 2020 VT100 Post-Lottery Contest Winners

Margaret Smith, Finn Schneider – 2020 VT100 Post-Lottery Contest Winners

January 31, 2020

This was the second year that the VT100 held a lottery for general registration, and we were astonished by the record number of names in the hat. The 100 mile race had 439 athletes vying for 279 spots and the 100 km race had 180 athletes contending for 71 spots.

On the one hand, it was wonderful to see so many people interested in our event, but on the other, sadly, it also meant we had to place a record number of unlucky applicants on a waitlist that piled up quick — and with it, so did the post-lottery emails that followed.

Our RD’s inbox got flooded with folks asking us if there was any other way they could get into the race. So she thought, let’s meet that need. Let’s give people the formal opportunity to submit their story, to tell us why they deserve to “jump” the waitlist and get a spot.

What would be special about their participation in 2020 Vermont 100? 

This resulted in over a dozen submissions. Each was unique, sincere, and compelling. Runners opened up to us, and it proved a challenging process for our panel to boil down the contents and pick a single winner — so much so that we ultimately deadlocked on two runners who simply touched our hearts and instantly and equally made us want to cheer for their success.

The winners

We are proud and excited to announce that Margaret Smith (100m) and Finn Schneider (100km) will each now have the good fortune of a guaranteed space at the 2020 Vermont 100 start line. Congratulations, Margaret and Finn!

Read / watch their submissions, shared below:

Margaret Smith – Written Submission

“Hi Amazing Humans!

Below is why I want to run VT100 this summer. Thanks for reading 🙂

The last thing Blair texted me was, “Two miles to go, Mags. Congrats, 3:36.”

I was one of those obnoxious people who brings their cell phone with them to run Boston last year. Blair was in the infusion lab at Dana Farber “watching the elite women and waiting” for me to start. I sent a few photos during the race and Blair sent a few “Go, Mags, go!” texts along with the last one I got from her.

Less than a month later, Blair passed and I lost a dear friend, mentor, and fellow running enthusiast. As someone who’s life has been profoundly altered by breast cancer, losing Blair hit me hard. I lost my aunt years ago to the disease and my mother is currently battling her third bout of metastatic breast cancer at Dartmouth Hitchcock. I hate the disease and have, myself, taken the preventive measures of having a bilateral mastectomy and total hysterectomy based on inheriting the BRCA 2 genetic mutation from my mother, to lower my chances on developing breast and/or ovarian cancer in the future.

Signing up for VT100 was emotional. This was supposed to be our year. Since running the 100K in 2015, Blair (who lived in Meredith, NH) was eager to crew me for the 100 Miler. We’d talked about it for a long time – I’m in the Army so twice, it conflicted with training schedules and other commitments. Now I wish I had just pushed harder to get leave. This year, 2020, was when we could both be there in mid-July and I could run and Blair could do what Blair did best: cheer, take care of me, and tell me to stop whining.

I met Blair in 2009 at a running group in DC. She was roughly 15 years my senior but we hit it off in a big sister – kid sister kind of way. Being in the military meant I bounced around and failed to plant roots in any one location. It also meant that my parents were always far away. Blair filled that void too – for me and my daughter. She was present and loved doting on Emily when I had things to do. Ultimately, she was exactly what I needed – the friend I needed, the mentor I needed, the parent I needed at a pretty difficult time in my own life (when I underwent my own surgeries and, thankfully, got sober).

Blair’s health declined quickly last April and before I could make it to NH to see her, she passed. I’m devastated and miss her everyday. I signed up for VT100 as a solo runner because Blair’s not here. I also know it is a way for me to honor our friendship – we were supposed to do this adventure together. We still will – 100 solo miles is my time to think and consider just how important Blair was to my life thus far. I can be present with my memories of her. It will also be a time – a time that I’ve set apart and dedicated – that I can really dig deep and feel all the feels I want to without judgement. I mean who questions a fellow runner’s emotions during a long race?!? No one!

So, come July, I hope to slog through 100 miles of gorgeous Vermont countryside thinking about Blair. Bitching to her when I feel like crap, laughing with her when I feel joy, and letting myself feel pain of her loss as I also feel the gift of her spirit. I am one lucky gal to have had Blair in my life.

Thanks for “listening” to my story. Below is when Blair and I first became pals. Blair is #658 on the left and I’m next to her (#712). Gosh I miss her!

v/r,

Maggie”

Finn Schneider – Video Submission

“Hello members of the race committee,

I’m sending this video along for your viewing pleasure. Thanks in advance for considering my request to get off the 100k waitlist and onto the start list.

Best,

finn j. schneider”

 

*Photography Credits

Margaret: Paul Encarnación (his IG is @paulenki)

Finn: Paul Nelson Photography

*Note: Photos have been compressed and do not represent the quality of the photographers original work. Please visit their linked website and Instagram accounts, or visit and like our social media channels to enjoy the hi-res versions. Thank you!

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Fundraising Wall of Fame

Fundraising Wall of Fame

December 5, 2019

2020 Wall of Fame

We are grateful to the people listed on this page – supportive, generous, enthusiastic and committed Vermont 100 participants who have fundraised for Vermont Adaptive this year. Each of these participants has invited their friends and family to sponsor them in the Vermont 100 – to join them in supporting Vermont Adaptive’ s important work.  Since 2015 (when the Team Run 2 Empower started), Vermont 100 participants have fundraised over $500,000 for Vermont Adaptive!

If you haven’t already begun, it’s not too late! Look up your fundraising page and ask friends and family to support you!  Thanks!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Champion for Change

($6,000+)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Champion for Equity

($3,000)

Krista Alderdice, Andy Alsup, Victoria Arel, Maria Chevalier, Meg Cullings, Kevin Draper, Chris Eaton, Robert Gantz

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Champion for Empowerment

($1,500)

Guy Alderdice, Jeff Beaudoin, Leah Christensen, Carly Eisley, Vin Framularo, Jonathan Kaptcianos, Jennifer McLaughlin, Scott Mitchell, Thomas Nuovo, Jed Putterman, Faith Raymond, Philip Sanderson, Kevin Sheedy, James Tillis

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Champion for Independence

($600)

Faye Benoit, Daisy Bicking, Michael Crutchley, Alicia Devero, Sarah Eaton, Jessie Farnham, Sam Farnsworth, Anya Federowski, Aiji Graham, Tanya Holbrook, Sharon Knorr, Kyle Robidoux, Tiffany Sivco, Rachel Stansfield, Miriam Weiskind

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Champion for Opportunity

($200)

Stephanie Abrell, Melissa Arnold, Rajay Bagaria, Heather Barachman, Nancy Broughel, Janna Chernetz, Rachel Clinton, Jason Cousins, Erik Glover, Brian Krisler, James Lehneman, Chris Straub, Steve Turner, Melissa Woods

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

All-Time Fundraising Totals

Top 20 Fundraisers

1. Matt Klein – $76,548
2. Meg Cullings – $32.803
3. Maria Chevalier – $17,731
4. Neely Fortune – $16,0000
5. Keith McWilliams – $15,505
6. Chris Eaton – $15,505
7. Erik Glover – $12,817
8. Krista Alderdice – $12,192
9. Lucimar Araujo – $9,223
10. Faith Raymond – $8,600
11. Jennifer McLaughlin – $7,851
12. Kevin Draper – $7,420
13. Leah Christensen – $7,277
14. Vin Framularo – $6,383
15. Tiffany Sivco – $6,067
16. Robert Gantz – $5,720
17. Neil Feldman – $5,610
18. Pam Eaton – $5,340
19. Sam Farnsworth – $5,305
20. Melissa Ossanna- $5,106

(*Based on fundraising totals from 2013 – current, we unfortunately don’t have records prior to this time.  If you feel this information is incorrect, please email the RD.)

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Hardening the Quads for the VT100 Hills

Hardening the Quads for the VT100 Hills

May 1, 2019

I remember running the VT100 in 2009.  I was with the lead pack around mile 40 going up a fairly long steep hill.  About midway up a young runner went flying by, strong as ever.  Wow, we thought.  He’s got this race.  Never saw him again… until just before Camp 10 Bear the second time around.  There’s that long jeep trail going down which seems like for miles.  About midway on that downhill we saw that runner struggling and walking on the downhill.  As we went by, he said he did lot of hill work to prepare but didn’t do enough downhill training and blew his quads on the downhill running, thus losing his chance of winning the VT100.   I’m amazed how many runners not only at the VT100 but other hilly 100 mile races where runners are walking the downhills in the later stages of the race when they should be taking advantage of gravity and running the downhills.

With that said, prepare now for not only the uphills but even more important, the downhills.  The hills are relentless at the VT100 and those dirt roads in the summer are as hard as concrete.

Hill Training Tips

 Why Run Hills? Strength Gains.  Injury Prevention.

Physiologically speaking, hill running;
1) Increases your aerobic capacity that enables you to use less oxygen at increasingly longer distances.
2) Improves your running economy that enables you to use less oxygen to run at a faster pace.
3) Increases your stamina that enables you to run farther at a given pace.
4) Builds strength in your gluteal (buttock), quadriceps (front of thigh), gastronomies (upper calf), and soleus (lower calf) muscles.

Biomechanically speaking, hill running…
1) Improves your stride length (from uphill running) and your stride frequency (from downhill running).
2) Increases your ankle flexion that enables you to “pop” off the ground more quickly, so that you can spend less time on the ground and more time in the air.
3) Teaches you how to run relaxed.

 WORKOUTS:

  • Short Hill Workouts (60 seconds) helps with your sprint speed and anaerobic capacities.
  • Longer Hill Workouts helps build endurance, strength and mental fortitude.
  • Both will improve your form.

HOW TO RUN HILLS:

UPHILL:                                           

  • Stand tall with a slight forward lean
  • Full extend your straight leg behind you
  • Drive your hips into the hill
  • Legs back and lift your knees
  • Pump your arms back
  • Roll your mid foot into the hill, not just your toe
  • Keep your torso centered over your pelvis

 DOWNHILL:

  • Lean and go
  • Shift your foot strike forward
  • Lean into the downhill but not too far
  • Quicken your cadence
  • Keep torso centered over your pelvis
  • Maintain an even effort
  • Try not to hit the brakes

When planning a hill workout alternate each workout between short and long hills.  For the short hill workout, choose a hill (ideally at 5-10% grade) that may take 60 seconds to reach the top.  For the long hill repeats, start with ¼ mile uphills (also 5-10% grade) and gradually increase the length each workout building up to mile or longer repeats.

The number of intervals will depend on your level of training, maybe start with 2 or 3 repeats and increase each week. After you reach the top don’t stop short, but instead “run-through” the finish line at the top. Then catch your breath and immediately run back downhill at a similar effort. Wait until your heart rate and breathing rate slows down some, approximately one to two minutes. Then repeat.  Run the hill at a moderately hard effort, but at pace that you could hold for the duration of the climb and then run the same kind of effort down.

The Sound of Music Hill - It's signing your name!
Be careful with downhill running as it is an eccentric contraction meaning that the muscle is lengthening while it shortens, truly playing a tug-of-war with itself.  And downhill running can be very injurious to your knees, so try not to “pound” the road on the downhill but instead run smooth and fast with minimal braking.  If running on a hard surface, a more cushioned shoe will help take some of the impact.  And make sure you warm up well before and cool down after.

Remember: Hills Are Your Friend!!

HAVE FUN AND SEE YOU AT THE FINISH!!

Written by Run Formula coach Jack Pilla, who won the 2009 Vermont 100.

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Recover Like a Pro

Recover Like a Pro

April 12, 2019

Training for 100 km or 100 mile run is a big commitment – you’re excited and ALL in. At this point in the year, you’re probably in your early base period of building miles and adapting to the new weather pattern that comes with the arrival of spring. In Vermont, we call this mud season!

As weekly mileage starts to creep up, so should your focus on recovery strategies. These choices are nearly 100% within your control. The best athletes execute these techniques as consistently as workouts to improve personal performance, month to month and year over year. Recovery is just as critical as training. Increased training stress demands rest and requisite nutrition to achieve the desired physiological adaptations that lead to improved fitness, durability, and cognitive sharpness. Without a consistent recovery strategy, the athlete risks a) tissue breakdown which can lead to countless possible overuse injuries, b) fatigue, c) elevated stress, d) hormonal imbalance, e) impaired mood, f) foggy thinking, and g) lack of motivation.

The first key recovery tool is rest. Breaks from intense running should be built into your micro and macro training cycles. Short-term active recovery immediately after a hard or long run session might look like a 5-10 minute cool-down easy jog or walk. At The Run Formula, we also recommend doing 10 minutes of daily self-myofascial release with a foam roller and softball to work out any muscle adhesions; and then stretch to maintain muscle and connective tissue elasticity.

It’s equally important to prioritize sleep every single day which enables the body to reset hormones and rebuild tissues that break down during training. Dr. Amy Bender advises that high level athletes get 8-10 hours of quality sleep per day. Check out a podcast on the topic from Dr. Bender here. Keep in mind the magical power of a mid-day 15-20 minute power nap or brief supine-lying rest periods. During each 7-10 day period of training, it’s critical to have at least one “no run” day. While this can be tough for some athletes psychologically; stay positive by visualizing your muscles, bones, connective tissues, and cardiopulmonary system soaking in all the nutrients for a stronger you.

At the macro-cycle level, plan to take a recovery week at 50-60% of the total volume of your biggest week in the previous 3-5 weeks. So let’s say that your training cycle looks like this: build week 1 = 5 hrs, build week 2 = 5.5 hrs, build week 3: = 6 hrs, recovery week 4 = 3 hrs. Repeat this cycle starting week 5 with the week 3 volume and adding 10% each consecutive build week. These recovery weeks are just as important physically as they are psychologically. Training commitment generally means saying no to other healthy activities and fun with those you love. Try to plan extra family or friend time during your recovery weeks to maintain social connections and a circle of support. Balance, balance, balance.

The second critical factor in recovery is nutrition and hydration. Soreness and fatigue associated with endurance training can be mitigated with a focus on fueling the body for exercise and nourishing the body for recovery. In general, a daily plant-strong diet provides the key nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to support demands of running high volume. Be sure to include ample protein and carbohydrate for your body weight and training goals. For specifics, consult with a Core Diet dietician. Set a daily hydration target of same # ounces of water as 50% of your body weight (lbs). So a 150 lb person should aim to drink 75 oz of water per day. This does NOT include the hydration needed for exercise itself. Refer to this blog about during exercise hydration needs.

About 30 minutes prior to each workout, fuel your body up with 8-10 oz of sport drink that includes water, carbohydrate, and electrolytes to run the engine. Also take about 100 calories of easily digestible snack such as apple sauce, pretzels, half an energy bar, or sport blocks. During running take as much fluid as is needed for your sweat rate and the humidity. Energize the body during the run with about 75-100 calories every 30-40 minutes; 1 gel or a few gummy blocks. Immediately after a training bout take a recovery drink with a ratio of 3:1 carbohydrate to protein. The purpose of this small meal is to increase insulin levels with carbohydrate in order to facilitate the delivery of protein and carbohydrate to muscles cells. This recovery act will have the single largest impact on your next workout. Without it your muscles lack the glycogen and tissue-building amino acids necessary to train the next day. We like chocolate milk or Klean Recovery.

If you find yourself feeling run-down, getting frequent colds, or simply grumpy; take an honest assessment of your commitment to recovery and overall life stress management. Recovering like a pro will expedite your fitness gains and elevate your overall enjoyment factor while chasing this big goal.

Written by Lindsay Simpson

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Planning your training and racing for the months ahead

Planning your training and racing for the months ahead

March 13, 2019

I often find March to be the hardest time to maintain focus for a peak race at the Vermont 100. March is when weekly mileage (and weekend long run mileage) starts to creep up. March is also when I hit my limit on ability persevere through cold and wintry conditions as I’ve likely ran every dirt road and good road loop within drivable distance. The trails are often reaching the icy time period when they are unrunnable for a few weeks (up to a month) as everything transitions from winter to spring. It’s just a tough time to stay motivated! So, it means it’s a great time to take the time to plan out the coming months of training and racing.

While everyone approaches thing differently while gearing up for the VT100, here’s some broad guidance on timing (working backwards from the race, which is what’s easiest to do when planning). So, race weekend is July 19th – 21st…that’s our starting point.

Most folks use a 2-3 weeks taper leading up to the race, which means that your training will be cut back and your body will be gearing up starting July 1st or July 8th through race weekend. Your biggest training week is the week before taper.  That means you should hit peak mileage during the week of June 24-June 30th, or week of July 1-7th (depending on the length of your taper).

The ideal time for a big tune-up race is 6-10 weeks out, so during the May 13th to June 9th window. For folks running the 100 miler, you want to be looking at a 50 mile or 100k race. For those running the 100k race, you want to be looking for a 50k or 40 mile (6 hour?) race. Keep in mind that if you need to complete a qualifier race, it must be completed and submitted by June 1st.  (A great option for a qualifier race is the ‘last chance qualifier’ at Chesterfield Gorge Ultra on June 1-2nd).  I typically aimed to do my last goal race around 8 or 9 weeks out, so May 20th through June 2nd, as it gave me enough time to recover from the race and get in one more solid training block before VT100 tapering.

It’s beneficial to have more than just the one ‘tune-up’ race to build-up the mileage.  However, this is a personal preference on the runner’s part. Mid-April to early-May is a great time to do a marathon or 50k option prior to your tune-up race. If you’re not one to do too many races, that’s also a great time to start including some longer training runs to practice fueling, nutrition, even test out your race kit.

Once you have your races and goal weeks scheduled, it’s much easier to fill in the training in between the big stuff and start to build your training plan so you are prepared to have a strong day at this year’s Vermont 100!

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Offseason Adventures in Building Fitness

Offseason Adventures in Building Fitness

February 1, 2019

Winter can be depressing for many endurance athletes, including runners. It can often mean more time on the “dreadmill”, the indoor trainer and/or bundled up for slippery runs. I’m not going to lie I spent many years doing that- hours upon hours on the trainer in the winter, running on the dreadmill several times a week when conditions were nasty outside. However too much of this indoor training over time can eventually burn you out. If it hasn’t happened already consider yourself lucky. If you live in an area that sees a fair amount of snow there are other options you can build in to supplement your base training that will not only offset the boredom factor of indoor training and be a lot more fun, but also can build significant fitness!

Wherever possible I try to build adventure into my own training and the athletes I coach. With my athletes this typically happens the most in the winter base period because once the more specific phases of training set in you just have to get the sport specific work done if you want to reach your goals – there’s no shortcuts! But what if there were things you can do in the winter that would supplement and maybe even build aerobic fitness AND were super fun? There’s so many options now. Fat biking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, alpine touring skiing and skimo, and split boarding. I’m going to touch on these a bit then focus mostly on alpine touring because I am biased and it’s the most fun and most conducive for muscular endurance.

First off you should know that as an athlete and a coach I am HUGE on muscular endurance. Anyone who I coach knows this and has heard me repeatedly speak about protecting your muscle mass by keeping your body in an anabolic environment as much as possible– especially for the masters athletes out there. Ultrarunning is a strength endurance sport and your success in ultras will hinge on your ability to run strong in the later miles (having muscular endurance). In its purest form, you can build muscular endurance by running up a steep hill, or swimming with big paddles, or biking at high muscle tension, low cadence. Now you know where I am operating from. Everything I do in my own training and with my athletes involves a consistent dose of workouts that stimulate muscular endurance.

Now for the good part- each of those winter sports listed above are great for building muscular endurance. So, pick your poison. If you are not a skier or snowboarder how about fat biking or snowshoeing? And keep in mind both of those have options for racing if you are looking to further test yourself. Cross country (xc) skiing is an excellent option for building fitness- Western States champions Steph Violett, Nikki Kimball and Scott Jurek all came from a xc ski racing background and rely on that for cross training in the winter. I spent many years xc skiing before learning about alpine touring (AT) gear. Alpine skiing was my first sport and I grew up doing it here in Vermont so when I first discovered AT gear I had to try it! It’s the ultimate combo of aerobic training and downhill skiing – especially if you like finding powder stashes before anyone else finds them. If you are an alpine skier then hands down your best bet is to try AT skiing which is essentially skiing uphill on skis with climbing skins for grip then transitioning to downhill skiing at the top. This allows you to ski anywhere (resort, side country, backcountry). The current AT ski gear is very impressive with how well it can get you uphill and how great it skis down (depending on your setup – can be as well as on regular alpine gear). The gear has an uphill mode and a downhill mode. When going uphill your boots have a big range of motion and your heels are free like xc skiing so you can stride up the hill. At the top you switch your boots into downhill mode and lock your heel into the binding, so you can make regular alpine turns just like you always have. As mentioned, people do AT skiing in the backcountry and at ski resorts that have an uphill policy.

And remember my comments about muscular endurance? AT skiing arguably stimulates your body to build muscular endurance more than any of the other sports listed. If you like to race, then you might want to try ski mountaineering racing or “skimo”. There’s too much to explain about this cool sport so check out this video – again this is skimo racing (a short world cup video) which is sort of the lightweight, high speed, high suffer factor, intense brother of AT skiing. Ultrarunners such as Rob Krar, Killian Jornet, and Emilie Forsburg incorporate skimo into their winter training. Wait- you’re a snowboarder then check out splitboarding! This is the AT option for snowboarders! Oh you’re a tele skier!? – well you already know everything I’ve discussed above. Come ski with me!

Below is how you might build in some of these winter sports and have it count toward your VT100 training:
• Snowshoeing/ winter Hiking = 35% running, 35% biking (use run hr zones)
• Snowshoe running = 100% run (use run hr zones)
• XC skiing (classic technique) – 55% Run, 35% Bike (use run hr zones)
• XC skiing (skate technique) = 35% Run, 55% Bike (use run hr zones)
• Alpine Touring skiing (includes telemark skiing) = 100% bike for the uphill skinning time (use run hr zones)
• Splitboarding= 100% bike for the uphill skinning time (use run hr zones)
• Fat biking = 100% bike (use bike hr zones)

Downhill skiing (liftserve or downhill portion of AT/splitboarding)= count as lower body strength work on 1:1 basis, e.g., 1 hour of accrued downhill ski time = 1 hour of strength work.

Winter doesn’t have to be depressing – get outside and do some adventurous workouts that build muscular endurance and bring a huge smile to your face!

At the time of this writing Stowe, Vermont has one of the deepest snowpacks of all ski resorts in North America and coach Spinney has been skinning up and getting fresh tracks daily at Stowe.

John Spinney is an endurance sports coach at QT2 Systems brands. He provides detail oriented coaching for committed cyclists, triathletes and runners. He also runs quite a few training camps and loves working in a squad atmosphere with motivated athletes. He believes that the best fitness comes from training that embraces adventure.

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Putting the Fun in Fundraising

Putting the Fun in Fundraising

January 12, 2019

For those that don’t know, the Vermont 100 is one of the largest annual fundraisers for Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports . Over the years, through hard work and dedication of our patrons, the VT100 has raised and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to support Vermont Adaptive programs. Looking to do even more for Vermont Adaptive, Team Run 2 Empower was established in 2015 as the official VT100 fundraising team to further increase contributions to Vermont Adaptive.

Last year, we introduced some additional fundraising incentives to acknowledge and inspire more VT100 runners to get involved with fundraising for Vermont Adaptive. And as a bonus, we’ll give you a little something-something for fundraising…so it’s a win-win!

Vermont 100 Runners

How it Works

Three easy steps:

1. All runners will receive a link to their individual fundraising page at PledgeReg once they register.  While fundraising is not required for participants (except for those that have opted to run for Team Run 2 Empower), it is highly encouraged.
2. From there, you’ll want to individualize the page to make it your own. Share why you are running the VT100, why you are choosing to fundraising, or perhaps what your connection is to adaptive sports programs.
3. Next, share your fundraising site with friends and family and ask that they consider supporting your Vermont 100 journey by donating.  And as the funds you raise increase, you will qualify for increasing fundraising tiers.

Fundraising Tiers

New this year we are introducing Fundraising Tiers. There are special incentives for various fundraising levels.

Runners who fundraise at these level:

  • Champions for Opportunity are those runners that raise at least $200. They will be thanked with a special branded truckers hat.
  • Champions for Independence will raise $600 are will be thanked with a Patagonia long sleeve quarter-zip shirt
  • Champions for Empowerment hit the $1,500 level and will be thanked with a sweet unique Patagonia backpack
  • Champions for Equity will raise $3,000 and will be thanked by having their Patagonia backpack filled with special treats from sponsors and Vermont Adaptive
  • Champions for Change are those runners who hit $6,000 for Vermont Adaptive. These fundraising machines will be thanked with additional treats in their Patagonia backpack, hugs from the Vermont Adaptive staff at the race, and our eternal gratitude.

Once runners reach each fundraising tier, they will also be listed on the race’s Wall of Fame.

 

Wait…There’s More

As if the above wasn’t enough to incentivize your fundraising, there will also be monthly fundraising raffles.  Each month, we’ll raffle off goodies from sponsors or Vermont Adaptive, sometimes to whoever makes the donation and sometimes to the runner who receives the donation.  Either way, there will be opportunities for folks to win some nice products from race sponsors and Vermont Adaptive along the way.

In the end, every cent that is fundraised at the Vermont 100 is given to Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, so they can continue to offer amazing adaptive sports programs.

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Vermont 100 Race Registration-News

Vermont 100 Race Registration-News

January 9, 2019

Happy New Year!

With another trip around the sun, we’re flipping the calendar to 2019 and it’s time to be thinking about the 31st annual Vermont 100 mile or 100 km endurance race.

Race Registration Information

Team Run 2 Empower

Registration for our Team Run 2 Empower is open but you’ll need a password to sign up and join the Team. Please email the Race Director to join these amazing runners raising money for Vermont Adaptive.

Early Registration

Early registration, for those qualified, closes Saturday, January 12 at 11:59 PM ET. Emails have been sent out but if you didn’t receive one and feel you should have, please email the Race Director..

2019 Vermont 100 Lottery Registration

We’ve been receiving a lot of questions about the registration lottery. Information may be found on our race blog: 2019 VERMONT 100 RACE REGISTRATION PROCESS

Here are the highlights:

  • Race Registration is currently password protected on our RunReg site and open ONLY for Team Run 2 Empower and Qualified Early Registrants.
  • Password protection will be removed on Sunday, January 13 prior to lottery registration.
  • The lottery opens Monday, January 14 at 8 AM ET until Saturday, January 19 at 2 PM ET.
  • Lottery registration will be either by individual or as ‘paired runners’ (up to 2 runners). Paired runners will be either selected for the start list or placed on the waitlist together.
  • Your credit card WILL NOT be charged unless you are selected in the lottery (or until you are moved from the waitlist at a future date).
  • The lottery drawing will be held on Sunday, January 20 at 3 PM ET at Brownsville Butcher and Pantry. Anyone is welcome to attend.
  • If you want to follow along as runners are selected in the lottery, we will update the published start lists here:

100-mile

100-km

Both sheets have a tab (at the bottom) for the start list and a tab for the waitlist.

 

  • As always, all runners must meet the volunteer requirement and 100-mile runners must meet the qualification requirements. See our website for further information.
  • As runners withdraw from the start list, the first runner on the waitlistwill be automatically added to the start list and their credit card will be charged at that time. If you no longer wish to participate in the event, be sure to remove yourself from the waitlist before you are at the top of it!
  • A partial refund of $100 are offered to runners who withdraw from the start list prior to June 1st and who request it

 

More information can be found at https://vermont100.com/

 

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Giving Tuesday and the VT 100 Raffle Winners

Giving Tuesday and the VT 100 Raffle Winners

November 29, 2018

 

A Note From Our Race Director, Amy

I want to say THANK YOU for your donations on #GivingTuesday.  I wish I could send out personal emails to each of you…but there are just too many of you, so please excuse the impersonal, group note.

I am completely overwhelmed with what the VT100 did for Vermont Adaptive .  In total, between your donations plus the donations for our current Team Run 2 Empower folks, over $20,000 was raised for Vermont Adaptive (which will be doubled by their matching donor!).  That is amazing, and will have a remarkable impact on so many lives.

From The Executive Director of Vermont Adaptive , Erin Fernandez:

“We are humbled at the above and beyond VT100 runners do in order to raise more money and awareness for our athletes. You guys are heroes and don’t ever forget that. Your trudge through 100 miles has an impact way beyond each step you take. Your gifts and hard work will never be erased. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of others.”
So, on behalf of Vermont Adaptive, THANK YOU for what each of you contributed yesterday!

VT100 Raffle Results

As promised, we raffled off a free entry into the race, and an early entry (essentially a lottery bypass), and the winners are…(drum roll please)…

Curt Pandiscio won a free entry into the 2019 Vermont 100!

John Pierz won an early entry (lottery bypassed entry) into the 2019 Vermont 100!

Congrats to both of you!

I hope that many of you return to this year’s race.
We’re having the race lottery in January, however there will be a few more opportunities for folks to win spots in this year’s race (if not lucky in the lottery)…so stay tuned!

Happy trails!
Amy

 

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Giving Tuesday-Support Vermont Adaptive, Boost Your Odds for the VT100 Lottery

Giving Tuesday-Support Vermont Adaptive, Boost Your Odds for the VT100 Lottery

November 25, 2018

Hey Vermont 100 runners, crews and family members-Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Shop Local Saturday and Cyber Monday are great, but for us at the Vermont 100 the best day is-#GivingTuesday!

You know we run and fundraise for Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports but did you know we host a raffle for entry to the Vermont 100 on Giving Tuesday.
Yes we do and it increases your chance of getting into our race.

And this year your donations are doubled as an anonymous donor has pledged to match donations made to Vermont Adaptive on Giving Tuesday.

This year the raffle includes
One raffle ticket for a **FREE ENTRY** into the 2019 Vermont 100 (100 mile or 100k, your choice), for every $100 you donate towards Vermont 100’s Vermont Adaptive fundraising page on Giving Tuesday. The Vermont 100 fundraising page is here: https://www.pledgereg.com/vermont-100-endurance-race-vt-100-fundraising

Or, one raffle ticket for an early entry (i.e. guaranteed spot) into the 2019 Vermont 100 (100 mile or 100k, your choice), for every $30 you donate towards Vermont 100’s Vermont Adaptive fundraising page on Giving Tuesday. The Vermont 100 fundraising page is here: https://www.pledgereg.com/vermont-100-endurance-race-vt-100-fundraising

++You will still need to complete your qualifier (if running the 100 miler) and volunteer service requirement (for both the 100 mile and 100k) even if you are successful in these raffles.++

Thanks for supporting Vermont Adaptive!
Amy R. and the Race Committee

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2019 Vermont 100 Race Registration Process

2019 Vermont 100 Race Registration Process

November 21, 2018

Vermont 100 Banner

The 2019 edition of the VT100 Endurance Race is fast on it’s way. Here’s an update on registration for the upcoming event.

Early Registration returns this year:

As has become tradition at the VT100, we’ll once again offer early registration from January 7, 2019 to January 12, 2019 to a limited number of runners who fall within the following categories:

  • Long timers (4+ Vermont 100 mile finishes in the past 8 years), for 100 mile only
  • Overall podium (top 3 male/female) for the last 2 years, for the distance of podium
  • Athletes qualifying for (and competing in) the Athletes with Disabilities Divisions
  • Aid station captains or their designee (i.e. each aid station can designate 1 runner for early entry), may choose either distance
  • “Local Supporters” (race committee members, landowners who let us use their land for the race, etc.), may choose either distance

We will send out emails by January 5th for everyone who qualifies.  If you are an AWD, or believe you qualify as a local supporter, email the RD prior to January 1st to inquire about being added to the list.

General Registration to go to Lottery System:
Each year, the number of applications received for the VT100 mile & 100k races have grown exponentially. For the 2018 event, the 100 mile race sold out in 17 minutes, the 100k in 12 minutes. Compare that with our 2011 event, which took many months to fill…each year, we’ve subsequently sold out in shorter & shorter time spans. The VT100 race committee has chosen the lottery to select those who will participate as a registered runner. We chose the lottery in an effort to provide the fairest means possible of choosing the starting field for our event. We care about each & every one of you, and if we had our way, we’d just allow everyone to run!  The incredible growth of our sport has some predicted growing pains. So, in an effort of fairness, we’re giving the lottery a chance. (We are committed to evaluating the lottery after this year’s registration to determine if it’s the best fit, or if it needs additional tweeks, moving forward.)

Further 2019 Lottery Details:

The lottery and resulting registration will be hosted through RunReg. Those participating in the lottery will be randomly selected, in accordance with the registration limits for the two distances. There is no fee to enter the lottery.

Runners will be allowed to either register individually or in groups of two.  For the groups of two, either both runners will get in or not, but they’ll be paired together throughout the process.  If not selected for the race and placed on the waitlist, we’ll pull the names together and order the two names based on who of the two registered first.

2019 Lottery / Registration Process:
The lottery registration / application period for the 2019 event will open on Monday, January 14, 2019 at 8:00 AM EST and will close on Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 2:00 PM EST.  

The lottery drawing will be held on January 20, 2019, with accepted registrations processed and the start list published in real time (location and time of public lottery TBD). Accepted applicants selected during the lottery will have their credit card automatically charged and will be officially entered into the event as a registered runner at that time.  

We will continue to pull every applicant during the lottery process, with applicants beyond the race limits being added to the waitlist in the order they were drawn. As with past years, runners will be taken off the waitlist as spots are available in the coming months, and their credit card will be automatically charged.  If you are on the waitlist and are no longer interested in running the race, email the RD to be removed from the waitlist.

2019 Team Run 2 Empower:

As always, Vermont 100 also welcomes runners who commit to fundraising for Vermont Adaptive, and have set aside several spots in the event for these runners.  Registration for the Team is currently open, email the RD if you are interested in learning more and potentially joining the Team.

Reminder: Please See our Race Registrations Page

All runners must meet the volunteer requirements, described here.

All 100 mile runners must meet the qualifier requirements, described here.

Race’s refund policy is listed here.

Good luck & we look forward to seeing you at the 2019 VT100 Endurance Race.

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Contact Us

Vermont 100 Endurance Race
VT Adaptive Ski & Sport Headquarters
Attention: Amy Rusiecki
PO Box 139 Killington, VT 05751
1-802-786-4991 | vt100@vermontadaptive.org
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July 19-21, 2024  100mi Start: 4am | 100km start: 9am