June 26th
Dear GMR participants,
As I sit here scratching the remaining Vermont mosquito bites, I realize I better send out my post GMR letter before the weekend.
I hope you have caught up on your sleep and have enjoyed sharing GMR stories from last weekend. I want to thank you for making this year's Green Mountain Relay a truly fantastic event. All of you - runners and volunteers - made all the hours I spent over the past year well worth it. Thank you to each one of you who came up to me at the finish line or sent me an email or Tweet to express your thoughts - they were certainly appreciated.
As I have not heard any changes in categories, I have made the results final. I will send out category awards to the captains of those teams I didn't give them to at the finish.
I would like to acknowledge the "behind the scenes" people for their hard work and long hours who you may not have met but who were also responsible for the success of this year's race:
Lisa Javernick - Lisa was the woman you met at the start and/or finish who gave you your race packet, or at the finish when you turned in your time sheet. Lisa has helped with me since my first relay race in 2005 when my wide-eyed idea to start a 200-mile relay races in Colorado came to fruition. She came to Vermont with me in 2006 for the first GMR when there was nothing set up for the first race. She worked 18 hour days with me for 5 days, putting together all the equipment needed for our first race, setting up the course when we didn't know it as well as we do now or know the most efficient way to do it, and then put it all in storage for the next year.
Hans Bakker - Lisa's husband, who is the jack of all trades, doing whatever needs to be done, whether it was as our announcer on a bull horn when the race was too small to be able to afford a real DJ, to holding the finish line tape for every team who has finished each year.
Steve Santana - Steve has helped with all the GMR's - the first year being the driver of the only sweep truck - sweeping the entire race, fitting all the race equipment into one 10 foot rental truck. Steve again came out early and stayed late, working very long days to help me get all the gear organized and ready, and then cleaned up and packed away for next year.
Sheryl Lampert, Todd Whitney, and Mike Johnson who drove the sweep trucks.
Emily Garai, Erick Keifer, and Mike Fernia who were the zone coordinators. They met the volunteers at each exchange to get them set up before the first runners arrived.
They were all true professionals.
I would also like to thank ALL the volunteers. Every year, the runners rave about you, and you make this race. Thank you!
I would like to thank each and every one of you for participating this year. The feedback and support was greatly appreciated. Each year I try to improve the race and it is due to the heartfelt suggestions that you pass on to me. I have also received several great suggestions that I will try to implement for next year. So please let me know if you have any to share.
And finally, I would like to thank the weather gods who spared us the horrid forecast of a weekend of rain to give us the best weather we've had in the history of the GMR.
In the next week, I will be sending out an anonymous web based survey as another way to learn from you how to improve this relay race. I hope you'll take the 10 minutes to take it.
Lost & Found
I only have a couple of items. I have a rain jacket with the name Leo Y printed on the inside, and I have a two way radio with the name C. Robinson on the back. Send me an email with details to identify the item with your mailing address and I return them to you.
Race Photos
There were two photographers out on the course. One was all over the place. I am waiting to hear from him when the photos will be available. The second was Hans who took photos of most of the teams finishing. I will post them on the GMR website when I receive them. He apologized he wasn't able to get all the teams - the batteries in his camera died towards the end.
Other Observations
I know that the no iPod rule was not popular with everyone, but as I mentioned before the race, it is an insurance and safety rule. I didn't see one out there, so for that, I thank you. But I have to say, with only one exception, to the best of my knowledge, the rules were followed and I really appreciate that!!!
Results
While all of you are to be congratulated, I would like to acknowledge a couple of team's special performances. Mad Gas from Mahopac, NY, a 6x6 Ultra Team, not only set a new 6x6 Open record, but a new course record as well, finishing in 22:51:16. That's a per mile pace of 6:56 folks, up and down all the numerous Vermont hills.
I would also like to recognize The Metacomet Masochists!, a 3.1-person Ultra Team (they had one runner, who due to work issues, was only able to run 20 miles) who completed the 200-miles in 29:41:44 - a 9:01 pace!
Finally, kudos to iRan, a High School team from Hampstead, NH. Despite their third runner getting horribly lost (missing one critical turn can be a killer), costing them at least an hour or more, still managed to finish third overall in 23:37:10, a 7:10 pace. It would have been interesting to see what they could have done with out that one error.
Non-Profits
The total funds contributed by the teams for the non-profit volunteers, to $11,070! The following organizations staffed exchanges will be receiving these funds:
Barre Tones, Inc.
Bennington Cross Country Ski Team
Cambridge Greenway
Center for Valley Youth
Fraternal Order of the Eagles
Habitat for Humanity Bennington Chapter
Habitat for Humanity of Central Vermont - Camel's Hump Chapter
Hartland Winter Trails
Health Connections of the Upper Valley, Inc.
Manchester Lions Club
Safeline
Woodstock Union High School Cross Country Team
Sponsors
Thanks one last time to our sponsors:
Cytomax
Fleet Feet Sports of Burlington
2010
The dates for next year will again be the third weekend in June, Saturday - Sunday June 19th - 20th. Registration will open November 1st. Till then, you can follow us on Twitter and our new GMR group on Facebook (thanks to Hideki for his help in getting this set up).
Thanks again for a wonderful weekend and I hope to see you again. I'll be in touch again soon with the survey, the photos link, and anything else I forgot.
Paul Vanderheiden
Race Director
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