By John Saroyan and Helene Sisti
The Middlebury 1/2 has been on my bucket list of races for over five years. When I did register in 2020, COVID shut things down and I never got round to registering again until this past fall. At TNT UVRC secretary, Helene Sisti, and I decided to run it.
An early morning drive from Norwich to the ample parking and well organized friendly race was ez-pz. The course headed north through neighborhoods before turning south to the campus then down into a final three mile loop in open fields before the final stretch uphill back to the start. Ample food and shaded grass made for a welcome recovery and relaxation. The best surprise was that Middlebury foliage appeared to be just past peak despite the rest of the state having been well past. Will definitely look to run it again next year. How about you, Helene?
The Middlebury Maple Run was also my favorite race of the year. When I first moved to Vermont 8 years ago, I searched for road races to do. Back then, I was only doing 5k’s. I had fond memories of the rolling hills and the bucolic views of Middlebury’s campus from a long-ago visit when I interviewed for a track coach position there. Excited to settle in and explore my new state, I registered instantly. They had fun music, friendly volunteers and pancakes with syrup at the finish line.
Since then I have run many 10ks (Thanks, UVRS!) 3 half-marathons and 1 full marathon. I was looking for another half-marathon to do in the area this fall. When John asked me if I was interested in doing the Middlebury 1/2, without hesitation, I said, yes, let’s get registered!
Once again, the race organizers (and Mother Nature) came through! The foliage was peak, the weather was ideal (for those who ran the CHaD, it was THAT day) and again they had fun music and great energy. No syrup this time but plenty of bagels and fruit. The scenic drive back and a short visit to one of the VT general stores capped off a beautiful morning. I’d love to run it again!
