Over 1000 brave skiers from age 5 to 75 rose at dawn today to face the challenge and the cold of the 23rd annual Banknorth Craftsbury Marathon. By the 9 am Start, a pale January sun was shining on Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, but temperatures remained in the single digits for the duration of the event, and a bitter North wind howled on the open hilltops and blew loose powder into the classical ski tracks. But the grooming was impeccable and spirits were high as 150 volunteers worked relentlessly to keep both racers and recreational touring skiers warm with hot drinks and tasty snacks. Flagging racers fueled up on Fig Newman’s, Hammergel, and Smartfuel sports drink, while the tourers stopped for warm rolls, pea soup and more treats at gourmet feed stations sponsored by local inns.
The men’s 50 km race proved a fierce battle between some of the nation’s fastest skiers. Patrick Weaver of Team Atomic/Alpina was looking to uphold his 2003 Marathon title, and surged away from the lead pack with 5 km to go to win in a time of 2:52:08. Weaver, a former Olympian and National Champion, described the hilly course today as “hard… cold… and slow,” but admitted he enjoyed the scenic Vermont experience, gliding through open fields with vistas of the Green Mountains. “Hands down, Craftsbury is the best classical Marathon in the country,” said Weaver.
In the women’s 25 km half-marathon, seasoned Team Rossignol racer Sandy Tetrault won in 1:58:43, followed by Heidi Henkel of Putney Ski Club and Northeast Nordic in 2:04:03 and New England Masters racer Amy Patenaude-Gunn in 2:06:48. In the men’s half-marathon, Alpina Racing star Brayton Osgood smoked the field in a blazing time of 1:35:29. The former Dartmouth All-American leaves tomorrow for the Under-23 World Championships in Solider Hollow, Utah, so Craftsbury was a nice little warm-up for Osgood’s upcoming international competition. Vermont racers Scott Magnan and Jonathan Rodd finished second and third in the men’s 25 km, with respective times of 1:46:22 and 1:51:56.
500-plus touring skiers watched the colorful, lycra-clad men and women racers take off, then started on their point-to-point adventure from the Highland Lodge in Greensboro up to Craftsbury Common. The youngest ski tourer was only 5 ½, and many families embarked on the challenge together. The Marathon’s loyal following is growing exponentially amongst both recreational skiers and racers. “Every year, former touring skiers put on bibs and come back as performance skiers,” observed Fred Griffin, director of the New England Nordic Ski Association. “Craftsbury is growing in all the right ways. It is unquestionably the single greatest winter sporting event in New England.” Griffin noted the superb trail grooming and the unsurpassed beauty, variation and excitement of the course. Indeed, the Craftsbury Marathon has the feel of the great old-style New England marathons, keeping the spirit of Nordic skiing alive with its point-to-point format and its classical-technique only rule.
Event sponsors provided up to $10,000 in prizes for the race winners and age group winners, as well as a raffle for general participants. After hours of skiing in the arctic weather, hungry finishers re-fueled at a delicious pasta meal provided by Sterling College on Craftsbury Common. Many thanks to the National Guard and to all the volunteers who helped make this remarkable day possible-and especially, to the hard-working staff at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. Congratulations to our winners and to every single skier who was out there on the trails today!
<Craftsbury Marathon Results
Source: Craftsbury Press Release
