Early Spring Races

By Mona Kulkarni Caron

Vermont’s early spring races feature a mix of trail and road events that offer scenic, challenging courses for runners, joggers, and walkers looking to kick off the season. They symbolize the beginning of the outdoor racing season. Whether you’ve been training all winter or just getting started, there’s a variety of distances and locations to choose from to get you out there this spring. 

Say goodbye to winter at the last race in RunVermont’s winter series, Freezy Cheeks 5K: Third Berg on Sunday, March 15 at Switchback Brewing in Burlington. The race has a mass start at 11am with an open start where you can begin anytime from 11am-12pm. It’s an out and back course and afterwards, enjoy a post-race beverage at Switchback Brewing. 

Bib pick up is at Skirack on Friday and Saturday before the race. If you pick up your bib at Skirack, you can use the special discounts and enter an exclusive raffle. Participants are encouraged to bring your own sustainable hydration system, such as a bottle, cup, or vest to use at the finish line. If you opt not to or forget, organizers will have you covered with a complimentary collapsible, reusable HydraPak SpeedCup at the finish line. This is your cup to keep and use at future events, or to return to be washed and sanitized before being used again at future RunVermont events. It’s part of organizers’ efforts to have more sustainable events: runvermont.org.

Enjoy mud season on Saturday, March 28, it’s the 45th annual Kaynor’s Sap Run 10K in Westford. The race starts in front of Westford Elementary School and runs on an out and back course on muddy, hilly, country roads through rural Westford. Organized by the Green Mountain Athletic Association, stay for the post-race donuts and coffee in the school. “The Sap Run is a great rust-buster and fun way to celebrate the coming mud season,” says race director Rachel Rudder: gmaa.run.

RunVermont Half Marathon Unplugged is the “fun frills, no hills” lead into spring racing on Saturday, April 11. With a half marathon, two-person relay, and virtual options there is something for every runner and plenty of fun frills. Wave starts at 9am and 11am will be back again. The course is fast and there are over seven miles on the Burlington bike path overlooking the Adirondack Mountains and Lake Champlain. There are no major hills and if you’re running in the Vermont City Marathon & Relay on May 24, this is an excellent race to incorporate into your training plan. Unplugged gives you motivation to keep moving toward finishing the marathon or a half in May. 

The race is point-to-point and starts at Airport Park in Colchester with a finish at Switchback Brewing in Burlington. Free bus service takes you to the start due to inadequate parking near the starting line. It may be a no frills race, but there’s plenty of support with aid stations, port-a-potties, gear check and more. runvermont.org.

On Sunday, April 12, it’s the Lake Morey Icebreaker 5-Miler. The Icebreaker is another great opportunity to get started with other runners for company. The course circumnavigates the lake on a rolling, scenic route. The one-mile kid’s fun run is a flat loop around a portion of the golf course. Registration, start and finish lines, and post-race food are all at the Lake Morey Resort on Lake Morey in Fairlee: uppervalleyrunningclub.org.

The 51st annual Paul Mailman 10M & 5K is on Saturday, April 18 at Montpelier High School in Montpelier. The classic dirt road course is flat by the river with rolling hills on Jones Brook Road. The 5K is flat out and back. For 10-mile runners, aid stations are at miles 4.5, 6 and 8.5, near the 5K turnaround.

The races are a Central Vermont Runners fundraiser for Good Samaritan Haven in Montpelier and Barre. A portion of race proceeds will be donated to Good Samaritan Haven, a nonprofit that provides emergency assistance to people experiencing homelessness: cvrunners.org

On Sunday, April 26, another long-time classic is the 46th annual St. Albans Sap Run, which is part of the Vermont Maple Festival. It’s an 8.5-mile run that features maple refreshments at every stop. Join this iconic point to point run, starting in Swanton Village and finishing in front of Taylor Park in downtown St. Albans. Elite racers and casual runners are all welcome.

This race embraces its maple syrup tradition with maple syrup awards for the top three in every age group, syrup shots at the aid stations, and homemade maple muffins at the finish line! They’ll have plenty of traditional refreshments too if that's a little too much sweetness for you. This race is part of Franklin County’s Triple Crown Series. The next two in the series are the Enosburg Milk Run, a 10K on Sunday, June 7 in Enosburg Falls, and the Fairfax Egg 5K & 10K on August 1. Run or walk in each of these three races for your chance to wins some spectacular prizes! To register for the Triple Crown, visit: stalbansnordic.org.

Also on Sunday, April 26, check out the 28th annual Mutt Strut 3-Mile Run for dogs and owners. It’s a fun run to benefit Potter’s Angels Rescue, whose mission is to rescue unwanted or neglected animals and place them into loving and forever homes. Awards are given to first place finishers in 10-year age groups by gender and dog weight – under 50 pounds and 50+ pounds. The run is an out and back at the Little River State Park in Waterbury: cvrunners.org.

Enjoy the greenery of early spring on Sunday, May 3 at the 46th annual Steve Zemianek Bennington Road Races at this traditional spring run in beautiful North Bennington. The “ZemBenn” gives you two distances to choose from with the 3.8 miles and 10K. Starting at the Park McCullough House, the 10K course will run through scenic rural countryside, along the Walloomsac River, and twice through a covered bridge! The 3.8-mile course is a loop on quiet country roads with rolling hills. Following the race, stay for the awards and raffle prizes. Register by April 16 for a guaranteed shirt on race day, and ZemBenn visors will be available on a first-come basis.

The race proceeds support the Steve Zemianek MAU Scholarship, BKVR Scholarships and Park McCullough House. Non-perishable food items will be collected on race day to distribute to the Bennington area food banks: bkvr.net.

 The following weekend on Sunday, May 10 is the Vermont Sun Half Marathon, 10K & 5K at Branbury State Park on the eastern shore of Lake Dunmore. Nestled against the Green Mountains, just below Rattlesnake Point is the state park. The lake region is a most spectacular and pristine place to run amidst the mountains, lakes and streams in central Vermont. Each course is an out-and-back loop and all three races start together at 9am.  

Your entry fee includes professional digital photos, refreshments, fully-supported aid stations, samples, and custom awards to top three overall and top three in each age group: vermontsuntriathlonseries.com.

Use the races featured above to get ready for the largest single-day sporting event in the state at the Vermont City Marathon & Relay on Sunday, May 24. Held every Memorial Day weekend, it’s a highlight among Vermont marathons and attracts running enthusiasts from all over. There’s a distance for everyone, whether you choose the full marathon, half marathon – as part of the two-person relay, or in a group for the 3-5 person relay. The two-loop 13.1-mile course showcases some of Burlington’s best landmarks, including the Church Street Marketplace and 10 miles along the Burlington Bike Path alongside Lake Champlain, offering stunning views of the lake and the Adirondack. 

The course takes runners through four city parks. The start/finish is located at Waterfront Park, ensuring easy race-day logistics, and an exciting festival at the finish line to celebrate your achievements. The marathon is a Boston qualifier.  

The race expo is on Friday-Saturday, May 22-23 at the DoubleTree Hotel in South Burlington. Pick up your race packet, shirt, and any last minute race-day items at the show. The website has more race details and full list of FAQs: runvermont.org.

Mona Kulkarni Caron (mona@adksports.com) is an editor for Vermont Sports and Upstate Sports, race director of the Good Karma 5K in Clifton Park, NY, training mentor for the Run for Women Training Challenge, and enjoys running, biking, hiking and traveling. She’s also the director of trails & stewardship at the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.