30 Years Of Burlington Marathons
On May 28, 1989 volunteers lined the streets of Burlington to shepherd a few hundred runners through a 26.2-mile course. It was, at the time, one of the first marathons to incorporate relay teams. The race had 525 marathoners register and 125 relay teams. The winning times back then: Joe Kreutz ran a 2:29:11 and Lea Sikora, a 2:48:22.
Flash forward 30 years. The race is now professionally run and sponsored by People’s United Bank and others. It draws close to 8,000 runners to Burlington, and often sells out. There are relay teams ranging from 2 to 5 and runners face all conditions. In 1992, it snowed and sleeted as temperatures dropped from 80 degrees on Saturday to 30 degrees on Sunday. In 2016, record heat and steady temperatures in the 80s forced the organizers to cancel the event mid-race for the first time.
Today, VCM is a sanctioned USATF race and has attracted runners from around the country. Here’s a look at some of the records:
VERMONT RECORD HOLDERS
Women: Kasie Enman, 2012, 2:43:13
Men: Justin Fyffe, 2010, 2:22:16
COURSE RECORD HOLDERS
Male Marathon Course Record: 2:17:03 by Michael Kobotov (2001)
Female Marathon Course Record: 2:35:02 by Heidi Westerling (2009)
Male Masters Course Record: 2:21:32 by Brad Hawthorne (1997)
Female Masters Course Record: 2:47:28 by Carol Virga (1992)
Wheelchair Pushrim Male Division Course Record: 1:50:29 by Thomas Foran (1993)
Handcycle Male Course Record: 1:26:33 by Jeremy Shortsleeve (2016)
Wheelchair Pushrim Female Division Course Record: 3:27:43 by Harrilyn Beehner (1996)
Handcycle Female Course Record: 1:42:11 by Alicia Dunn (2013)
