June 2026 Newsletter

Letter From a Board Member: Geoff Dunbar

(Photo Caption: TNT from the early days of UVRC)

Dear UVRC,

Way back in 2011, I was one of the founding members of the Upper Valley Running Club. It was a group effort, with many involved, and lots of hard work; I will not attempt to name everyone in fear of forgetting someone important. For me, there were two main inspirations for starting the club.

The first inspiration was the running club Nancy (wife) and I were members of for a year in California; the Tamalpa Runners. My idea of a community-based running club comes from Tamalpa, and many of the features of UVRC are more-or-less copied from there. A group run, a race series, a newsletter, a social committee, etc.

The second inspiration was that the Upper Valley had an existing track workout, organized by Kim Sheffield. That’s right; TNT pre-dates the UVRC! TNT was long on enthusiasm and knowledgeable coaching, but a little short on organization and promotion. I’d like to think we succeeded admirably in adding some formality to TNT as we’ve kept it going strong for the past 15 years, even when Kim retired off to Florida.

My memories of the early years of TNT are running with a pack of middle aged men, unwilling to accept the reality of age coming on; mostly in our forties with a couple of quinquagenarians mixed in (people in their 50s, thanks Google!) We were generally the first or second fastest group at TNT, depending on whether a couple of faster young guys showed up. I will note with some pride that back in the day, my 5K pace was a bit under 6:00/mile (not anymore!)

Nowadays when I show up for TNT, I love the big crowds, the large faster groups of young women and men. However, it makes me feel a bit old, and I wonder where the old group went. There are still a couple of others that come out occasionally (nice to see you this week, Alden!), but on a week-to-week basis it’s thinned out a lot. Don’t 40 year old men still want to come out and seek to reclaim the good old days?

Then, I was at TNT this week and “young, fast” Shane Greene brought me my prize from the BarnArts race a couple of weeks ago. I happened to glance at the BarnArts results, and was horrified to find that Shane is 42. He would have fit in nicely with my TNT group, back in the day. It turns out that I’ve aged (and slowed) out of the group I used to be in, though the TNT demographic has probably skewed a bit younger,.

Luckily I’m an optimist, so I choose to believe the following. I’m still lucky to be out there running pretty fast, even if not as fast as once upon a time. And, I’m so happy that the UVRC has continued to grow, bring in new people, and promote running in our community.

May Announcements

2nd Annual UVRC Campout

UVRC will be hosting a campout at Barnes Field at the Dolly Copp Campground, just a few short miles from the start of the Mount Washington Road Race, June 26th-28th. It’s a great place for MWRR volunteers and racers to hang for the weekend, as well as anyone else who wants to spend a summer weekend in the Whites with some running friends! RSVP to uppervalleyrunningclub@gmail.com to reserve a spot with the group! 

UVRC Calendar

Looking for a local race? Did you know UVRC’s website features a race calendar? Scroll through to find your next adventure!

https://uppervalleyrunningclub.org/racing/

Western New Hampshire Trail Series

Not a fan of pounding the pavement? Looking to try some new events this year? Check out the Western New Hampshire Trail Running Series! Races take place from May-September throughout the Upper Valley. All races are designed to be welcoming to newbies while still challenging for seasoned veterans. 

2026 Race Calendar – WNHTRS
# 1	Dirty 5K (Sunday)	May 10, 2026	Hanover, NH
# 2	Six in the Stix (Saturday)	June 13, 2026	Newport, NH
# 3	Frenzy In The Forest (Sunday)	June 28, 2026	Sunapee, NH
# 4	Hurricane Hill (Saturday)	July 18, 2026	Hartford, VT
# 5	STOAKED (Saturday)	August 1, 2026	Hanover, NH
# 6	All Out Trail Run (Saturday)	August 15, 2026	Claremont, NH
# 7	Triple Dam 10K (Sunday)	August 30, 2026	Perkinsville, VT
# 8	Lilyan Wright Trail Fun Run (Saturday)	September 5, 2026	Goshen, NH
# 9	Farnum Five.5 and series awards (Saturday)	September 12, 2026	Lebanon, NH

Updated Discount Code: Running Warehouse

As a UVRC member, you can enjoy a discount from Running Warehouse: 20% off clothing and socks and 10% off select clearance shoes, visors & hats, and nutrition. Enter code 2PK52FZT at checkout. Note: this is a new code as of January 1st. 

Volunteer Challenge 2026

Have you ever avoided getting lost in a race because someone in a stylish traffic vest pointed you in the right direction? Have you ever had someone hand you a cup of electrolyte mix mid-stride and continue to smile brightly even though some of that sticky liquid spilled on their hand as you took it from them? Have you ever had a stranger put a medal around your neck and congratulate you? Have you ever reached an aid station 20 hours into a race and had a stranger hand you pickle juice and an otter pop and tell you you look great even though you know they were lying through their teeth out of kindness? 

If you answered yes to any or all of the above, you have benefited from the generosity of volunteers in the running community! Knowing that running events do not happen without volunteers, UVRC is once again issuing a Volunteer Challenge in 2026 – now with a new format! Any UVRC member who volunteers at least 3 hours at a running event or trail work day will be entered to win a pair of running shoes of their choice from Omer and Bob’s or Stateline Sports at the end of the year! Each person gets one entry, though volunteering more than 3 hours is always encouraged. You can submit your hours by emailing  volunteering@uppervalleyrunningclub.org. If you;ve never volunteered at a running event before, we think you’ll find it to be a fun and rewarding experience!

Race opportunity to support muscular dystrophy research! See the message below:

I’m a junior at Oxbow High in Bradford, VT, and I’m organizing a fundraising race to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The race is on Sunday, June 28. We will provide food and water, and there will be a raffle for local goods. I’ve attached our flyer, and here is a link to the registration website where you can find additional details: https://sweat.positivetracks.org/campaign/race-for-research/ 

(Picture caption: Shane Greene finishing the BarnArts 10K)

The 2026 Upper Valley Running Series (UVRS), brought to you by BE Fit Physical Therapy, had a race in May: the BarnArts Race Around the Lake 5K/10K. Congratulations to everyone who finished that challenging race on a warm day; race results are here:

https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/15854

You can find UVRS standings on the UVRS website (email me with any corrections):

https://uppervalleyrunningclub.org/upper-valley-running-series/

The next race in the series is the Upper Valley classic: Skip’s Run! This 4 miler is on Father’s Day, June 21st, in Lebanon NH see the website for full details:

https://skipsrun.org

So, what is this UVRS that you’re hearing so much about? It’s our club’s series of local road races. Full information: 

https://uppervalleyrunningclub.org/upper-valley-running-series/

As an up-to-date UVRC member, you can participate in the series, just by signing up for each race through the normal race registration (even day-of is OK). You’ll get credit as a series participant.

For 2026, you need to run 6 (of the 11) races to get the finisher prize. There’s still time, even if you haven’t done any races yet!

If you don’t want to race, or have a family member along, who doesn’t want to run, consider volunteering. Prizes available. Volunteering into:

https://uppervalleyrunningclub.org/volunteering/

Name of the Race: Free Spirit 50K, Leyden, MA

Race/Event Distance: 50 kilometers

Date: May 16, 2026

Describe the Event: Free Spirit is pretty much everything I love about races: low-key, old school 50K on hilly, rural dirt roads. No fluff. No lame t-shirts. No crowds. It is very much what you would envision running in rural Vermont is like. Pizza and beer at the finish, located at the town hall, that’s enjoyed while cheering in fellow runners.

How did you prepare for the race/event? In April, Kristina and I ran a couple tough marathons (okay, she ran 3 marathons, I ran 2) and we hiked up a bunch of state high points. I didn’t feel quite as fit as last year, but I ran a few minutes faster, so I guess my April training was successful.

Any notable moments? At the start, a woman took off like a rocket! Something spectacular was going to happen: a spectacular blow-up or a spectacular course record. She smoked everyone, including the course record. It was pretty cool to witness for 2 minutes and get reports from aid stations along the way just how much she was kicking everyone’s butt. I learned that Free Spirit was her ultramarathon debut and she is a former Mt Washington Road Race champ.

What do you wish you had known about this race/event before starting? Just how cool and well organized it is. The race director also directs the New England Green River Marathon, which is much larger with more fluff, and I appreciate that he successfully directs races that differ so greatly.