7^th series – race 1 of 5

Special thanks to race director Greg Maino, Northeast Delta Dental, all the wonderful volunteers, other sponsors AND all the runners, hikers and bikers for another super event!

The weather could not have been much better! Arrived @ the race site at 7:45am with 53 degrees and sunny skies 😊  It had warmed up by race time and felt warm in the sun, by noon it was in 70’s.

Congratulations to Adam Martin and Caitlin Patterson on their wins! Also, Erik Levinsohn who set a new fastest course time in the bike race with a time of 30:01.9, previous best was in 2014 in 30:53.6   The course climbs up the Mt Mansfield Toll Road, is 4.3 miles in length, and climbs 2564 ft.

Talked with Greg about recognizing the top finishers in the 6^th series and he decided we could do that just ahead of today’s race awards. The gathered competitors were told of this and mic handed to me! Thanks to Freddie Lynne Triback for assisted me in presenting the awards for 3^rd place to Sau-Mei Leung & Josh Curtis (Jeff Gould picked up for Josh), 2^nd place to Karen Encarncion & Rich Larsen and winners Jackie Shakar & Mark Staples.

As I have been receiving several requests n questions about joining the series, I’m going to hold off on most of the usual update stat’s, until after Greylock. If you have joined but not listed let me know and I’ll correct after Greylock. Will just include points n standings for RTTTOVT, which is also standings in the 7^th Northeast Uphill Mountain Series. If you are truly interested in joining, please let me know ASAP! Contact me @ mtnrunr@comcast.net  thanks!!!

Thanks to fellow Mountain Goat Sau-Mei Leung for sharing write up of her race day! If you’d like to do a write up of your upcoming Greylock race, let me know 😊

 

“Blue sky, calm, and 54F were a perfect start for this year’s Race To The Top Of Vermont.  

I wish I had had a perfect start for this race too.   But a week of running, hiking, kayaking, and fishing (and cleaning and cooking fish) in the Adirondack State Park before this tough 4.3 mile course was probably not a good idea. 

I survived the uphill challenge and crossed the finish line with all I had.  Unfortunately, that was not enough to hold Cris Cote’s last minute push and he passed me at the finish line!  

But I was rewarded with the spectacular view, M&M’s, chips, pretzels, and warm greetings from my fellow mountain goats. 

After many selfies and picture taking,  Karen, Jackie and I walked/jogged down the course to relive this challenging course and cheered for the bikers.  

At one steep section, Karen commented that she could not believe we ran this hill!  

I am learning more about the course each time I run it.  The first 0.3 mile section is paved before changing to gravel and dirt for the rest of the course. There is a beautiful Mountain Chapel around mile 2 and after that, there are quite a few steep hairpin turns.   Also, the first ~3 miles are well shaded.    And once you hear the classical music performed by two musicians, you know the finish line is close.

Before the award ceremony, Fred gave out the uphill series awards. And a BIG THANK YOU to RED CLOVER ROVERS running club for providing the prize money for the winners.  Also THANK YOU Fred for the beautiful uphill series certificate.

Congratulations to this year age group top finishers for the Race To The Top Of Vermont: Jackie, Karen, Freddie, Fred, Mark and Rich (I hope I did not miss anyone).  My age group is so competitive so I may have to wait until I am 90 to win one of this lovely Vermont hand crafted mugs!   

There were a total 391 runners finished the race and 29-year-old Caitlin Patterson from Craftsbury Common, VT took the female first place with a time of 41:23 (9:38 pace) while 24-year-old Adam Martin, also from Craftsbury Common, VT, took the male first place with a time of 34:02 (7:56 pace).  Caitlin also finished Mount Washington this year in 9th place female overall with a time of 1:25:25.

29-year-old Erik Levinsohn from Boston, MA, beat the old bike race record set by Gered Dunne of White River Junction in 2014 almost by 1 minute with a time of 30:01  (7:00 pace).  

There is also another amazing and inspiring biker from the race, Lucas Mayodon, who is only 7 years old from Montreal QC, finished the race in 1:46:51.   

And the oldest runner is Phillip Howard from Burlington, VT, who finished the race in 1:20:30.  He is 81 years old. 

See you all at Greylock!”  

The 7^th Northeast Uphill Mountain Series  continues this Sunday, September 1^st  in North Adams, MA w/the Mt Greylock Road Race. Hope to see you there! Link

here            https://berkshirerunningcenter.com/mt-greylock-road-race-8-miles-1-hill/                     Info to join the 7th NEUHMS Series is listed after the pictures. Finish line pictures courtesy of Granite State Race Services! Thank you to others that contributed pictures!!!

Points and standings for the Race to the Top of Vermont:  
(391 finishers)

1)              Adam Martin                         24M          34:03     100.00

2)              Rich Larsen                            67M          45:24        75.00

3)              Mark Staples                          50M          45:36        74.67

4)              Kevin Cavanaugh                 50M          46:11        73.73

5)              Tammy Richards                  45F           46:34        73.12

6)               Jeff Gould                                54M          48:17        70.52

7)               Jackie Shakar                         60F          51:32        66.07

8)               Karen Encarncion                54F          51:32        66.07

9)               Bob Mulvaney                        66M         51:54        65.61

10)                       Freddie Lynne Triback      47F          53:07        64.10

11)                       Brian Walfield                        57M        54:21        62.65

12)                       Donna Smyth                           59F         55:53        60.93

13)                       Cris Cote                                    56M        56:48        59.95

14)                       Sau-Mei Leung                        53F          56:50        59.91

15)                       Darrel Lasell                            61M         57:45       58.96

16)                       Carol Buzby                              60F          58:00       58.71

17)                       Fred Ross III                             73M         58:16       58.44

18)                       Don Slovenkai                          63M     1:01:51      55.05

19)                       Paulette Slovenkai                 58F      1:07:34      50.39

20)                       Walter Kuklinski                    70M     1:09:48      48.78

21)                       Robin Meece-Varney             59F      1:12:25      47.02

Finish pictures thanks to Granite State Race Services 😊

      The 7th series will consist of the same 5 races (Mansfield, Greylock, Prospect, Ascutney n Washington) but now you must do only 4 to qualify for a lottery by-pass! Other than that, everything else remains the same. (Mount Washington  will count, if you get in. In order to meet series requirements, you must enter the lottery as an individual. If you don’t get in email me your notice of not getting in and you will  still be considered  a “Mountain Goat” towards a lottery by-pass, if you complete the other races.) Each “Mountain Goat” will also  receive a custom certificate…suitable for framing!

Lottery by-pass:

       You must complete at least 4 races. Up to 30 runners will be able to earn a lottery by-pass into the 2021 Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race. If fewer than 30 runners join the series, all will have a chance. If more, the first 30 to join will be eligible to receive a by-pass, after the first 30, additional members will be put on waiting list.  To clarify, if one of the first 30 runners to sign-up doesn’t complete the requirements, the next person who  qualifies for a lottery by-pass moves up, etc. Placement of your entry into the series will be determined by the date and time your sign-up email is received by me. Send an email to       mtnrunr@comcast.net

to let me know WHEN!!! “the checks are in the mail” and you wish to join. After you complete each race, email your time to me. Times will be as listed in the official results, so if you disagree with your time you must straighten it out with the RD.  I will calculate and keep track of points, etc.

Requirements to join the series:

* Send a tax-deductible check for $15 made out to America Trail Running Association (ATRA), PO Box 9454, Colorado Springs, CO 80932       

 Please indicate “neuhms - team support” on your check memo line

       * Send a tax-deductible check for $15 made out to Mount Washington Observatory, PO Box 2310, North Conway, NH 03860 

Please indicate “Northeast Uphill Mountain Series” on your check memo line

Tremendous thanks to the Mount Washington Auto Road for the lottery by-passes! If your going to be in their area, please be sure to check and see what’s going on! 

Thanks to my local club, the Red Clover Rovers for providing prize money, an added bonus!!! Men’s & Women’s overall winners will each receive $75 for first place, $50 for second place, and $25 for third place, based on total points from your best 4 races (which is how everyone will be scored).  Whoever wins the race gets 100 points; everyone else’s points will be calculated by dividing the winner’s time by your own. Example: winner’s time is 1 hour, yours is 2 hours. Your points would be 50.00

Please let anyone else know about the series that you think might be interested.