by Maria Cimonetti

No amount of playful boasting between athletes or the excitement of a new Tech-wick T-shirt was going to get me to agree to race in the 3rd Annual Race to the Top of Vermont. I prefer a more relaxed mountain ascent with scheduled Fig Newton breaks and sunny siestas above treeline. Thankfully for the race sponsors, many enthusiastic athletes not only registered but also showed up, raring to go in this grueling contest.

The Fleischer Jacobs Group Race to the Top of Vermont is a benefit race for the Catamount Trail Association, Mobius Mentoring Movement, and Girls Move Mountains. Racers choose to run, bike, or hike up the 4.3 mile Toll Road from Stowe Mountain Resort to the top of Mt. Mansfield, a vertical climb of 2,663 feet. Start times are staggered to keep chaos at a minimum on the narrow winding dirt road.

Following my own casual ascent, I arrived at the summit with plenty of air in my lungs and a few minutes to spare before the first runners appeared. I located a perfect cheering spot a few switchbacks down from the top of the Toll Road. With the top tantalizingly near but out of sight, I deemed this to be the most soul-sucking corner of the long uphill racecourse. Some seriously enthusiastic cheering would be needed here and I was going to provide it.

In total 256 runners, 165 bikers, and many registered hikers bravely passed my corner and completed the rugged course on a hot yet stunning August morning in the green mountains. I had barely assumed a comfortable cheering pose when the lead runner sped by, his labored breathing barely perceptible as he bounded past. On his heels, a seemingly endless tide of runners in various states of determination and distress rounded the curve.

"You got it! Only two more corners!" became my mantra for the next 2-½ hours. Grimaces, rolling eyeballs, hanging tongues, and even a few smiles met the cheers. Impressive ranks of amazing athletes summoned their last bit of strength to reach the top. The dynamic duo of Shelburne multisport athletes, Eric Darling (30-39) and Sarah Pibram (40-49), a mere week after fantastic finishes in a Half Ironman Triathlon, were the first male and female Shelburne residents to reach the top (43:41.3 and 57:00.1 respectively). Eric, as always, had a smile on his face and legs of steel as he passed. Digging for her deep reserves, Sarah managed a sweet grin while mentioning, "This was a very bad idea." The mere fact that she had wind enough to complain belied her outstanding physical fitness and strength.

Amid the sea of experienced ripened runners, Shelburne's 14- year-old Clark Shedd came blasting around the corner. Finishing in an astonishing time of 46:55.7, he not only won his age group but finished 31st overall.

I was still cheering on the last of the runners trudging by when the lead biker and his close competitors spun around the corner. Waves of mountain bikers with chiseled thighs barreled by. John King was the top Shelburne rider grabbing 3rd place in his age group (50-59) with a time of 48.11.1. Standing on his pedals, legs and heart pumping, another fantastic Shelburne youth racer, 12-year-old Forrest Hamilton, rocketed up the mountain in 49:37.2 earning himself 2nd place in his age group and 39th overall. Randy Rowland (60-69) reached the summit in 1:09:11.1 earning himself 7th place in his age group and also bragging rights to being the oldest Shelburne resident riding a bike up Mt. Mansfield that fine Sunday morning.

Fellow spectators concurred; the bikers seemed to be suffering more on the ascent but sported much wider grins than the runners on the way down the mountain to the post race party. Though I would have opted for the gondola ride myself, most runners casually strolled back down the road chatting with their fellow racers as if their previous suffering was a vague memory.

Bravo Shelburne racers! You inspired and exhausted me.