Local Bikers and Runners Excel in Race to the Top
STOWE — Athletes from towns covered by the Hardwick Gazette excelled at Sunday’s 14th Annual Race to the Top of Vermont. The rigorous event involved biking or running up the 4.3-mile Mount Mansfield Toll Road. Two hundred and fifty runners and 57 mountain bikers conquered the 2,564 vertical feet climb.
Roger Prevot, 63, from East Hardwick placed eighth overall in the mountain bike division. Prevot faced tough competition in the M60-69 division. Jeff Nottonson, 60, from Addison, edged out Prevot, 44:46 to 44:50, to win the age group. Davis Barnett, 63, from Greensboro was sixth in the M60-69 age group. His time was 48:42.
Margie Prevot, 59, from East Hardwick, was the top local finisher in the women’s division and the sixth fastest woman overall. Her time of 52:36 won the F50-59 age group. Donna Smyers, 64, from Adamant, won the F60-69 age group, in 53:10.
Buddy Majernik, 73, from Greensboro Bend, placed second in the M70+ age group. His time was 54:38. Eric Oberlin, 52, from Adamant, rounded out the roster of local finishers with a time of 1:08:51.
A cohort of Craftsbury runners placed among the top 15% of finishers in the Race to the Top. Green Racing Project team members Braden Becker and Margie Freed led the way. Becker, 26, finished second in 36:17. He won the M20-29 age group. Freed, 24, won the women’s division. She moved up from a third-place finish at last year’s race. Her time of 41:41 bested last year’s 43:09 effort.
Matt Califano, 16, a rising junior at Craftsbury Academy, finished second in the M15-19 age group. His time of 42:14 was 11th fastest overall. GRP member Alexandra Lawson, 23, took home runner-up honors in the women’s division for the second year in a row. Her time was 43:01.
The remaining Craftsbury finishers were Michaela Keller-Miller (third female, 43:52), Alexander Califano (45:05), Annika Landis (46:33), and Annie Macolgan (50:02).
Parker Doubles Up Mount Mansfield
STOWE – Former Sterling College student Lance Parker has an unquenchable thirst for adventurous races. The Mount Mansfield Double Up race on August 14 was his latest conquest.
Parker took on the grueling 11-mile race with enthusiasm. The rigorous course included 5,000 feet of elevation gain. Along the way, Parker and fellow mountain runners ascended and descended both sides of Vermont’s highest peak.
According to the race website, “the terrain is rugged, technical, slippery, steep, rocky, and full of roots.” Each person entering the race was prequalified as to their ability to finish in a respectable time. Of the 56 entrants in this year’s race, all but one completed the course.
Parker, 28, placed third overall. He finished the race in two hours, 22 minutes, and 57 seconds. David Sinclair, 30, from Truckee, Calif., was the winner in 2:06:26. Nigel Bates, 27, from Waterbury Center, placed second in 2:19:05.
Sinclair and Bates have some history racing in Craftsbury. Sinclair won the 2015 Mud ‘n Ice Quadrathlon as a solo athlete. At the 2018 Genny Tenny Race, Sinclair easily outdistanced the field of mostly local runners. Bates was the top finisher in the 45k race at the 2019 Black River Beatdown.
Tuesday Night Trail Series Extended
CRAFTSBURY ̶ The Craftsbury Outdoor Center’s Tuesday Night Trail Series is not over until it’s over. Originally scheduled to end on August 23, a bonus 13th week of racing was added on August 30.
As of August 23, Eric Remick of Hardwick and Susan Dunklee topped the 5k series standings for male and female runners. Adrian Owens and Hallie Grossman were in second place, with the August 30 race left to determine the final standings. Each runner’s top ten finishes are tallied for their series points.
Maxfield English captured his second win of the series on August 23. English outran Ethan Dreissigacker, 24:42 to 26:13, for the victory. Susan Dunklee edged out Hallie Grossman, 26:55 to 27:17, to win the women’s division. Eric Remick placed fifth overall, in 27:35. Anna Ramsey was the third female finisher. Her time was 28:18.
Eve Gordon (22:26) and Wyatt Browning (22:29) were the fastest finishers in the 3k trail race on August 23. Thorin Markison (39:57) and Jack Lester (49:37) placed first and second in the 10k mountain bike race.
Genny Tenny Race – September 11
CRAFTSBURY – The Genny Tenny, a 10-mile mostly-dirt road run, is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 11. Runners will toe the starting line at 10 a.m. in Craftsbury Village, in front of the Craftsbury General Store. The hilly course winds its way to the Albany General Store via Creek Road, Page Pond Road, Pitkin Road, Center Road, and Water Street. A picnic, celebration, and awards ceremony follow the race.
The fourth annual race is sponsored by the Craftsbury Outdoor Center and the Craftsbury General Store. Funds raised support the mission of the Albany Community Trust, the nonprofit organization which oversees the Albany General Store and broad efforts to revitalize the community.
Online registration and race details are posted at craftsbury.com/running/races/genny-tenny. Registration closes at 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9. Registration is online only. When registering, runners can sign up for a pre-race shuttle from Albany Village to Craftsbury Village.
