2010 Course Records Broken To The Top Of Vermont

Click here for the 2010 Results for the FJG Race To The Top Of Vermont

Click here to check out Scott Livingston's blog about the Race

Check out Ken Skier's HD Video documentary page. He runs and shoots photos at the same time.

Nearly 700 hikers, mountain bikers and runners assembled at the base of Mount Mansfield’s Toll Road on Sunday August 29th in preparation for the third annual Fleischer Jacobs Group Race to the Top of Vermont.  Some of the country’s top hill climb athletes came from as far away as California, Texas, and Oregon along with 21 other states and Canadian provinces to tackle one of the toughest hill climbs in the eastern US. Runners and mountain bikers set their sights on breaking the course record. Hikers challenged themselves to reach the summit parking lot while fundraising for the Catamount Trail Association, Mobius Mentoring Movement and Girls Move Mountains.  Who would be the fastest up the mountain, a mountain biker or a runner?

Perfect weather conditions set the stage for several new course records.  Temperatures hovered near 80 degrees with light winds and clear blue skies. In the men’s running category, Andrew Gardiner of Wellesley, MA took top honors on the 4.3-mile course, winning the King of the Mountain title. The fastest athlete to the summit finish line, Gardner set a new course record of 34:49.6.  Second place went to last year’s winner, Jim Johnson (35:42) of Salem, NH, followed by Eric Morse of Berlin, VT in 36:45.8.  In the women’s division, Sara Facteau of Peru, NY took top honors with a time of 42:30.2, followed by Natalia Severy of Winooski, VT in 43:49.8. Vicky Jasparro of Bristol, RI took third place with a time of 46:23.2.

Temperatures climbed into the mid-eighties as the mountain bikers took on the 2,663 vertical ft. climb, one hour after the runners. Kip Roberts of Moretown, VT pulled away from the pack of cyclists to take first place in 36:21.2 followed by Matt Mainer of Hinesburg in 36:46.7.  Fifteen year-old Tyler Berliner of Richmond, VT placed third with a time of 37:26.6.  In the women’s mountain bike category, World Master’s Mountain Bike Champion and course record holder Marilyn Ruseckas of Warren, VT was challenged by former World Championship racer Audrey Huffman.  Huffman took the lead at the three-mile mark, but Ruseckas quickly returned the challenge and set a new course record of 43:26.7.  Huffman took second in 44:46.0 followed former world champion triathlete Donna Smyers in third with a time of 45:17.9.

In the Team division, each team was made up of three people in the same category, with at least one woman. Team Sleepy Hollow took top honors with strong efforts by runners Sarah Pribram, Eli Enman, and Ray Webster and a combined time of 2:13:57. North Medford Club, made up of Cynthia Hendrickson, David Audet, and Jeff Gould, ran to second place in 2:49:44, and Team Darling of Charlotte, VT captured third place on their mountain bikes in a time of 2:58:05 with a fine family effort by Pam, Sam, and George Darling.

Following the competition, participants were treated to a BBQ chicken dinner, bluegrass music, and over $14,000 awards and raffle prizes.  The third annual FJG Race to the Top of Vermont was organized by the Catamount Trail Association and also benefited Mobius Mentoring Movement and Girls Move Mountains. The Catamount Trail Association would like to express its sincere appreciation to all the volunteers who donated their valuable time helping with this event. A special thanks goes out to all our sponsors who made the FJG Race To The Top of Vermont one of the top sporting events in Vermont.

A Special Thanks To All Our Sponsors
(Check out our sponsors to the right by clicking on logo)
Fleischer Jacobs Group – Title Sponsor                                  
Stowe Mountain Resort
Sojourn Bicyling & Active Vacations
Spare Time Colchester
Green Mountain Power
MVP Health Care
NBT Bank                                                                       
Dinse/Knapp/McAndrew
Redstone                                                                       
Maplefields Fresh Food Fast                                           
The North Face Store @ KL Sport
Concept 2                                                                      
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Darn Tough Vermont                                                          
Salomon USA                                                                      
Stowe Today                                                                      
Sovernet Communications                                              
La Sportiva
Green Mountain Coffee Roaster
Trapp Family Lodge                                                          
Long Trail Brewery
Otter Creek Brewery                                                          
Toko
Stowe Motel & Snowdrift                                               
Commodores Inn
Golden Eagle Resort                                                          
Onion River Sports
Earls Fitness & Cyclery                                                           
Cabot Cheese
Town & Country Resort                                                           
Green Mountain Inn
Vermont Smoke and Cure                                              
Coca Cola of Northern NE
Redwood Creek Winery