Start Line Vermont City Marathon. File photo.
Burlington, Vermont, May 26, 2024
Vermont Business Magazine RunVermont announces the 35th running of the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay on Sunday, May 26, the hallmark Memorial Day Weekend event in the Queen City. In total, over 4,600 racers will participate in the individual race and 2-person and 3-5 person relay events. The marathon and relay serves as the largest sporting event in the state.
“This marathon is an incredible race – and so much more,” said Joe Connelly, executive director of RunVermont. “It embodies community spirit. People from all corners of our state, region, and nation come together with a unified goal: to proudly cross that finish line. It’s also a tribute to our remarkable volunteers, some with over three decades of dedication to this event. And let’s not forget the spectators – from the children with encouraging signs to the lively garage bands and the enthusiastic crowds, their enthusiastic support creates an unforgettable experience.”
Heidi Stumpff, Regional President for Vermont at M&T Bank, shared: “The M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay is a much-anticipated kick-off to the summer season and an exciting opportunity to celebrate the entire Vermont community. On a weekend recognizing Americans who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, the race showcases the determination and courageous spirit of all Vermonters. We are proud to serve as title sponsor once again and look forward to a wonderful event.”
About the Race
This year’s race is a two-loop 13.1 mile course for a total of 26.2 miles that includes the runners’ favorite spots, including the Church Street Marketplace and Burlington Bike Path. The start and finish lines are located at Waterfront Park on Lake Street.
Racers will compete for prize money, and awards will be given to the winning men and women in the following age groups: 16–24, 25–29, 30–34, 35–39, 40–44, 45–49, 50–54, 55–59, 60–64, 65–69, 70-74, 75-79 and 80+. Relay teams also compete for awards in Open, Master, and Grand Mountaineer divisions.
Unofficial race-day results will be posted in the Awards and Merchandise Tent in Waterfront Park. Official results will be posted to RunVermont’s website as soon as possible following the race.
In addition to serving as title sponsor, many employees come out to support the event. Over the weekend, more than 65 M&T Bank employees will volunteer at the event and over 40 employees will run in the race.
M&T Bank Community Spirit Award
M&T Bank is proud to sponsor the 2024 Community Spirit Award given to the Burlington neighborhood that:
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Does something to keep the runners going
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Cheers the loudest
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Has the most participation
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Is the most creative
The winner of the 2024 Community Spirit Award will be presented with the M&T Community Spirit banner shortly after the race and $500 to donate to the charity of their choice.
The Competing Neighborhoods
Foster Street Miles 2 & 15
South Cove Miles 3 & 16
Harrison & Central Aves Miles 4 & 17
Cambrian Rise Miles 8 & 21
Lakewood Estates Miles 9 & 22
Runners should pay attention to the neighborhoods on the course that they feel did the most to encourage them on their 26.2 mile journey. After the race, runners can place their vote via this QR code to reward supporters:
New This Year: Non-Binary Division Cash Prize
For the first time RunVermont will award a 1st place cash prize in the Non-Binary Division of $2,400, which is equal to the cash prize amounts for 1st place finishers in the Female and Male Divisions.
About the Invited Runners
On the women’s side, Vermont native (St. Johnsbury) Hannah Rowe is the clear favorite on time. On the men’s side, two of the more interesting races may be between the same two runners. Teage O’Connor (Burlington) and Blake Ressler (Winooski) will be vying for both Top Vermonter and men’s master’s prizes. Teage is the veteran, having finished in the top 10 at VCM multiple times (and winning Top Vermonter twice – 2016 and 2017) in his decades-long running career, while Blake has only been running for a few years but has improved quickly. He has improved his time in each of his six marathons. Will the trend continue?
27-year-old Ben Fishbein of Burlington may be the spoiler in the Top Vermonter competition. In the master’s category, Fabian Daza of New Jersey could play spoiler.
In the men’s open category, Dylan Gearinger has the fastest PR in the past decade, but is still relatively new to the distance. Nic Spector and Philemon Terer, on the other hand, have experience on their side, with Terer having run under 2:20 numerous times, including in victories at the Quad Cities (IA) Marathon and Cleveland Marathon (he has several wins at each).
Race Weekend Events
SPORTS & FITNESS EXPO
Friday, May 24, 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 25, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
DoubleTree by Hilton, 870 Williston Road, South Burlington
RUNVERMONT HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY
Friday, May 24, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
DoubleTree by Hilton, 870 Williston Road, South Burlington
RUNVERMONT MINI MARATHON
Saturday, May 25 at 8:30 a.m.
Waterfront Park, Burlington
Races: 0.5 miles, 1 mile, and 2 miles
RACE DAY - M&T BANK VERMONT CITY MARATHON & RELAY
Sunday, May 26 at 7:15 a.m.
Waterfront Park, Burlington
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Dignitary addresses starting at 7:00 a.m. (M&T Bank Regional President for Vermont, Heidi Stumpff)
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Wheelchair start at 7:15 a.m.; Runners start immediately after
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Estimated finish time of first handcyclist: 8:10 a.m.
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Estimated finish time of first marathon finisher: 9:30 a.m.
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Awards presentations
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8:15 a.m. - Wheelchair race awards | Winners available to press at 8:30 a.m. | Location: Announcer’s tent
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10:30 a.m. - Runner’s awards | Winners available to press at 11:00 a.m. | Location: Announcer’s tent
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Thank you to our 2024 partners!
M&T Bank, Darn Tough Vermont, Farrell Distributing, Global Foundries, JMM Accounting, Kinney Drugs, Leonardo’s Pizza, Michelob Ultra, Performance Foodservice, Skirack, University of Vermont Health Network, Vermont’s Original Bag Balm, and WPTZ-TV.
About RunVermont
RunVermont is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the sport of running and hosting premier running events in the state of Vermont. In addition to the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon and Relay, RunVermont also organizes a variety of other races and community running programs throughout the year. For more information, please visit runvermont.org.
About M&T Bank
M&T Bank Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T’s principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, provides banking products and services in 12 states across the northeastern U.S. from Maine to Virginia and Washington, D.C. Trust-related services are provided in select markets in the U.S. and abroad by M&T’s Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank. For more information about M&T Bank, visit www.mtb.com.
About the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay
The Vermont City Marathon was established in 1989 by a small group of local runners who believed that Burlington, Vermont could support a large New England marathon event in the spring. The marathon relay, one of the first marathon relay events in the US, was organized in conjunction with the full marathon, in the very first year of the race’s existence. The 1989 race brough 414 marathoners and 125 5-person relay teams to the finish line. Since 1993, the event has grown tremendously both in numbers and status in the running industry. In 1998, a 5,000-runner cap was established to ensure the quality of runner’s services and the integrity of the event. In 2001, the cap was raised another 500 runners based on runner and organizers feedback. Shortly thereafter, Runner’s World magazine ranked the race as one of the top 20 best marathons in the United States. For more information, run over to www.runvermont.org.
Source: 5.14.2024. Burlington, VT – RunVermont
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