Right about now our first Mountain Bikers would be crossing the finish line. Our volunteers would be welcoming them and handing out water and race medals.
We are also thinking about Vermont Adaptive and how COVID-19 has affected their funding. We hope some of you will join us today and get OUTDOORS and raise some money for our favorite group of people-Vermont Adaptive-staff, volunteers and clients!
Like this crew from Chester Vermont-the Chester50 out riding today.
Vermont 50 proudly supports Vermont Adaptive. In our 28 years, we have raised over 2 million dollars to help support this organization.
There are two options to help support Vermont Adaptive during this COVID-19 pandemic
Option 1: We are asking people to raise (or donate) $500 before December 31, 2020 using the link I will provide to you and you will receive:
● one free race entry for the 2021 race ● lunch for 4 at our post race BBQ ● one commemorative t-shirt-made specifically for our fundraisers
Remember this fundraising option will close on December 31, 2020. For more info contact Race Director, Mike
Option two: commit to raise a minimum $500 before September 7, 2021 at noon ET, you can avoid our race open registration rush on May 25th and will be entered into the race by the Race Director. Your $500 must be received by Sept. 7, 2021 or you will not be able to race with us on the last Sunday of September.
You must contact the Race Director, Mike before May 25 at 7 p.m. if you’d like to choose this option.
Vermont 50 Mountain Bike or Ultrarun has been postponed until September 2021.
A Message from the VT 50 Race Director, Mike Silverman To all Past and Present Vermont 50 family It is with heavy heart I write this email. The Race Committee met this past Sunday to listen for ideas, reasoning to hold off longer, and finally reviewing the governor’s newest restrictions on large gatherings, and we felt it was time to postpone to 2021.
Our concern is the health of all our participants, volunteers, and the community. We have a very close relationship with all 70 private landowners and to make sure they see us act in their best interest, and to preserve the future of the race we feel this conclusion, although very sad, serves us well.
We understand this has been a tough year on so many fronts for many and hope the future is brighter soon. As for the race season, that too has had its share of trying times. For us to go a virtual race is not a shared direction for the VT 50. We feel our race course truly is the race and what makes it special. That said, we are very concern that some may try to use our course on their own. THIS IS NOT ALLOWED!!! Please, for the future of our race the private lands MUST be avoided. Our permission is ONLY for the one day in September.
As many of you know, the Vermont 50 is a fundraiser for Vermont Adaptive. Brownsville, VT is where the Program started and has grown to a much extensive program. With many of their fundraisers cancelled, they like many need funds to survive. If you have it in your means to contribute, we all would appreciate this.
I wanted to inform you as soon as possible about this decision. But please be on the lookout for another email. We have come up with another idea to help you for 2021, and Vermont Adaptive.
Miss you all, Mike Silverman and the Race Committee
PS. For those who have signed up to fundraise, for Vermont Adaptive, please wait for the next email for details.
Crews are at the race to give aid and support to their mountain biker or runner. They chase you around all day on Sunday. They keep you hydrated; they give you dry socks and sneakers; they feed you and they keep you smiling so you can finish. They tend to blisters and cuts and pick up your dirty bike or running clothes. They keep your headlamps charged with fresh batteries. They carry your drop bags. They navigate our back roads and park their vehicles in potentially muddy fields. They have the hardest job race weekend.
Family member, friend, spectator
Family members, friends are important to you too. They are “spectators“! They cheer their mountain biker or runner on at the FINISH LINE ONLY. They stake out THE BEST spot at the finish and wait, and wait, and wait for you to make your way to the finish line.
Then they help clean you up and drive you home.
Crew and Parking Permits
Your Crew vehicle must be registered with the race. You will be given an Aid Station Parking Permit on Saturday.
ONLY Vehicles displaying these permits are allowed to park at the three Aid Stations on Course (Skunk Hollow, Greenalls and Johnsons). CONTACT of any kind is NOT ALLOWED ANYWHERE ON COURSE with mountain bikers or runners except at the three designated Aid Stations.
Family members, friends and spectators-no parking permit is required to park in the Base Camp parking lot. But space is limited and not guaranteed.
Crew Rules
There are a bunch of crew rules that need to be followed.
These rules are in place in order for us to get our local permits so we can continue to offer you a unique VERMONT experience.
We must all comply with these rules or the we might not be able to have the VERMONT 50 in the future.
It’s on us to make sure our race participants and their crews (and family members) follow these rules.
Failure to follow the rules can also result in disqualification of a mountain biker or runner.
Each participant is allowed only (1) crew vehicle on course.
All crew vehicles MUST have and display a Crew Parking Permit in order to access the aid stations.
One Crew Parking Permit will be given to each mountain biker or runner when they pick up their bib # and register their crew vehicle.
Relay running teams are allowed ONE VEHICLE per three person team.
Vehicles without the Crew Parking Permit will be required to leave the course/aid station.
Crews must follow the crew direction routes and stay off “closed to event traffic” roads.
Crews must follow the directions of race officials and aid station personnel.
Littering is taken seriously in Vermont – please help keep Vermont green!
Parking in undesignated areas will not be permitted. This is any place that the event doesn’t specifically tell you to park.
Do not block roads or driveways.
Do not park on lawns.
If you leave your vehicle in an unapproved area, it will likely be towed at your expense.
Offering aid to mountain bikers or runners from a vehicle anywhere other than an official “crew access” aid station is strictly prohibited.
Designated parking areas of Crew Access Stations are considered acceptable areas for participants to receive aid.
Being at an aid station that is not an official “crew access” station is strictly prohibited.
All roads are still open to the public at all times (with the exception of designated ‘closed to event traffic’ roads).
Do not set up in the road, and take care when crossing the road.
Crew Guidelines
There are three (3) locations at which you will be able to meet your mountain bikers or runners along the course: Skunk Hollow, Greenalls and Johnsons.
MEETING OR HELPING MOUNTAIN BIKERS OR RUNNERS AT ANY OTHER LOCATION IS NOT ALLOWED.
A Crew Parking Permit must be used at all times. Cars on the course must be kept to a minimum so you need to follow the crew directions from one authorized station to the next.
Please don’t use your GPS; there are some very bad, impassable roads that your device won’t know about. Also, there are roads that we cannot use due to landowner sensitivity, and we need to keep vehicles off runner routes as much as possible.
Crews are not allowed to park anywhere other than locations posted and allowed by race management.
FOLLOW ALL POSTED SPEED LIMITS. In some locations, it is 25 or 30 mph. The local police know ‘visitors’ are in town and are quick to ticket. In the absence of a sign, the speed limit on dirt roads is 30 mph.
If your mountain biker or runner drops from the race, THE MOUNTAIN BIKER, RUNNER OR CREW MUST NOTIFY RACE PERSONNEL AT ONCE.
Crews Can Save You Time!
Crews can save you time at the Drop Bag Aid Stations-Skunk Hollow, Greenalls and Johnsons. They can deliver your drop bag to you so you don’t have to hunt through the piles of bags from other participants.
And they’ll have them in the vehicle so when you’re ready to leave Base Camp to head home-you don’t have to wait for you drop bags to be returned to the BIG TENT. Crews can save you time!
GAS, FOOD and ICE
We have a map made for you to easily find gas, food and ice near our base camp.
We strongly suggest downloading this MAP to your phone or tablet BEFORE leaving home. Our cell and WiFi services are spotty at best.
You might also want to download the map to base camp to help with your navigation.
But the directions your crew will be given with their Parking Permit are pretty easy to follow.
Regardless of your age and ability, successful marathon training takes careful planning and preparation.
How much preparation?
Whether your goal is to run sub 3 hours or ‘just’ to finish, ideally you need to give yourself at least 18 weeks prior to the event…
And that assumes you have a solid running base to start with – currently averaging 20 plus miles per week.
But even for experienced marathon runners, allowing enough time and putting in the miles isn’t enough. Unless you follow some key principles of training there’s a good chance you’ll hit that wall – or at the very least log a time that doesn’t inspire you.
Below you’ll find several half-marathon and full marathon training schedules – classed as beginner, intermediate and advanced…
On behalf of the Vermont 50 Race Committee and ALL our landowners and volunteers-WELCOME
You’ve probably heard by now that we lost an integral member, a family member, of our race. Lou Schmertz (fourth from right) passed earlier this week. He was one of the original mountain bikers and has been guiding us over these many years. If you have attended our race in the past, you may have met him at the information table, out on the course where he served as course marshal with Art Keating, out marking trails, or just bopping around in his Jeep with his dogs.
We’ll go on this weekend because he’d want us to! We hope you’ll join us in honoring his memory on Sunday before our 50 mile and 50 km race starts with a moment of silence for the big man, for Lou-ster.
