Vermont Archives

Infinitus 100 Race Report

June 8, 2021June 6, 2021

This is Team RunRun athlete Keith Nadeau’s 2021 Infinitus 100 mile race report. He shares his knowledge of the course, his pro-tips, and other thoughts about this cool race in Vermont. Enjoy!

Race: Infinitus 100

Runner: Keith Nadeau

Race Date: 5/28/2021

Location: Goshen, VT

Results: 1st overall – 22hrs 6min

Strava Activity Link: https://strava.app.link/edmKNLkmGgb

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

1. The Endurance Society put on a very well organized event with great atmosphere. Course markings were plentiful and support from volunteers/aid stations was incredible.

2. The course is amazing! All trails and a few dirt roads but no pavement. Multiple views along the way and dense Vermont wilderness.

3. The community. Lots of the racers and volunteers were local and I could tell they loved this area.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

Can’t think of much I didn’t like!

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

The theme of the race is infinity. All races start at 8:08 in the morning, the course is a double loop forming the infinity symbol, and repeating the loops creates a feeling that you will be running the trails infinitely. They have many different distances to choose from all the way up to 888k.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

One of the coolest animal encounters I’ve had! During the day about 20 miles in I was rolling through a technical rocky section. I leaped over two boulders that formed a small crevice and noticed brown fur inside. I stopped to look and it was the smallest baby deer I could imagine crouched inside hiding from me. Mom deer was about 15 feet away still in the woods looking back scared for her little one. I talked softly to them to let them know I was friendly and keep them calm. I walked off and they slowly did the same.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

This race has very generous cut offs, so it is super accessible to anyone looking for an ultra race. With camping in the middle of the course there were a lot of runners taking naps between loops or at least in the dark hours.

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

I learned a lot about pacing and effort level on this one. I tried to keep the pace in check for the first half but looking back on it I should have gone slower to conserve a little more for the end.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

Very easy to follow with the way they mark the course. The climbs are tough! Nothing too steep but gradual uphill and downhill for most of the course. There are some really good runnable sections thrown in there too if you aren’t too beat up from the hills. It’s a 7 mile and 20 mile loop connected in the middle. The 100 is – 7,20,7,20,7,20,20.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

Very pretty course. It is in a rural area of Vermont, lots of dirt roads to get to the start. One really great Mountain View on the 7 mile loop, and some good views on the 20 but mostly in the trees. Lots of wildlife out and about on this course!

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

This is a pretty tough course but manageable. The climbs don’t last more than a few miles at a time, but they just keep coming and due to the loop nature of the course you know when they are coming. Footing is fairly flat for the majority of the course but a good amount of rocky and rooted sections too.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

This is such a well run event. They seem to have everything figured out and dialed in. Andy is one of the most cheerful and genuine RD’s I have met.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

This does not see a huge turnout or competitive field. The second place finisher Benjamin who finished just under 24 hours was working trying to catch me, but other than that it was another 5+ hours until 3rd.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

Easy to sign up, camping on site and facilities. Very chill race overall.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

No aid stations on the 7 mile loop. Two aid stations on the 20 mile loop. One of them was just water but the other was fully stocked and had cheerful faces to greet runners. They made me the best grilled cheese of my life… 3 times! (One each loop other than the first) The center of the race is the Blueberry Hill ski center and has full aid as well as many spectators and other racers.

Weather and typical race conditions

This is where things really lucked out this year. Typical weather is hot and buggy with very wet trails. This year not many bugs, overcast and between 35 – 50 degrees F, and minimal mud / water on the trail.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next runner?

I wore a Salomon vest with 2 x .5 liter soft flasks and that worked very well with the aid stations they had.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Lots of spectators at the start / finish but once on course you won’t see anyone other than the aid station on the 20 mile loop.

How’s the Swag?

I got a nice athletic long sleeve, hat, and stickers at check in. 1st place prize was a locally made pottery mug with their logo.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

8/10 I would give this race!

Beebe Farms 24 Hour Race Report – Jeffrey Zawadzki

August 9, 2020October 10, 2019

Race: Beebe Farms 24 Hour

Runner: Jeffrey Zawadzki

Race Date: 09/27/2019

Location: East Dorset, VT

Results: 1st place overall for the Friday 24 hour run

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

Beebe Farms is beautiful, set with the back drop of Vermont colors and mountains. The organization of this race is top notch and with the variety of food they can make for runners. Lastly, the mug and fleece are wonderful swag and the granite 1st place plate is unique.

Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you

Flying in across country the night before and driving 4 hours to the race. I only slept ~2 hours in 48 hours with travel and racing… No fault of the race, this was all personally induced stress.

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

Pretty mellow east coast race… not much weirdness.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

I really set out to hone my nutrition, it is a huge part of these 24 hour runs and being keto has helped a lot. Also, stay on top of the little things so they do not become bigger problems later in the night is huge. I enjoyed going and not feeling much discomfort or nausea.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

“No one cares… try harder.” -Cameron Hanes

Lessons you learned that will help you next time around

Supplements and hydration can be a wonderful help in these long long runs.

Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race

It gets cold at night… real cold.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

The course is lovely set around mountains and fall colors.

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

Course is mostly flat and not much uneven rocky areas. Tough course NO… racing 24 hours YES.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

Nor-east did a wonderful job with this race. For multiple days they were on top of everything and no issues at all.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

Not the strongest field Friday but apparently Saturday’s 24 hour had more competition. Next year Saturday for sure!

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

It’s in a small town in Vermont, so just playing with those logistics are fun. Also, it’s a multi-day event so camping on site is no problem. Yes, there are plenty of places to stay and Manchester is only 10 minutes away.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

Anything and everything you need was ready at aid stations, if not the next time around it was!

Weather and typical race conditions

Weather was perfect, cool, clear and breezy at times. High was ~75, low ~40.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

There are times it will get really warm, an ice bandanna will be key mid-day.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Very spectator friendly course, 360 degree views of runners.

How’s the Swag?

Swag is awesome, a mug, fleece, medal, and granite awards. And the buckle for a 100 of course.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

4/5… Wish they drew more runners but it’s a new race. Let see next year what come!

Jeffrey Zawadzki is a coach with Team RunRun. To learn more about him or to work with Coach Jeffrey, check out his coaching page.

Vermont 100 Race Report – Brian E

August 15, 2020July 25, 2018

Race: Vermont 100

Runner: Brian E

Race Date: 07/21/2018

Location: West Windsor, VT

Results: 22:36

3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?

The Vermont scenery. This race takes you through some of VT’s most scenic backroads and trails with mountaintop views, beautiful farmhouses, and lush forests.
It’s hard but manageable. 17k feet of climbing and descent make this the biggest race I’ve run but the rolling nature of the hills keep things interesting. There are two really notable, epic climbs which add some drama!
Horses are racing right alongside the runners!

Weird factor – What’s the weirdest thing about this race?

Weird but cool is the horses. They are racing 100 miles too with a cutoff of 24 hours. For much of the race they are on the same dirt roads and trails as the runners. When you are feeling low or lonely in the pitch dark, it’s great to hear the clip clop of some horses coming up behind you. And the riders are all very nice and in awe of the runners.

Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?

The strategy of catching and passing runners late in the race.

Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner

Coach Matt helped me with the aspect of patience, that the race doesn’t really start until mile 70. I kept that in the back of my head all day and when the time came I still had a lot in the tank and was able to pass too many runners to count.

Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?

OMG beautiful.

Difficulty – Is it a tough course?

Technically, no. But the constant ups and downs wear you down. Some people were slowed down by the somewhat technical single track at night.

Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?

TV100 is 30 years old this year and it feels like it. They know what they are doing and execution appears to be flawless. Some of the manned aid stations have vibe of a party attended by experienced ultra runners, it’s a fun place to be but they know there’s work to be done. Some of the unmanned aid stations did come up short on the basics like running out of water.

Competition – Is there a strong field?

Seems like there are strong runners but they were way ahead of me! There were many people I met who were doing their first 100 and seemed to be doing well.

Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.

You need to have a qualifying race and volunteer hours to run. General registration opens in mid January and sold out in less than 15 minutes this year and there is a waitlist. The race is a fundraiser for Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports so if you are on the waitlist, do the fundraising because people who are fundraising get priority should someone drop. Not many hotels nearby but there is camping in the field (which was pretty nice) and many Airbnbs in the area.

Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?

Polly’s makes fresh waffles all night! Cheeseburgers are on the menu at Margaritaville. You pass through Camp 10 Bear twice and they take really good care of you.

Weather and typical race conditions

The third week in July is usually sunny and dry in New England so there’s not too much to worry about. This year it was mid 70s to low 80s, low humidity, and partly cloudy. So, perfect.

Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next guy?

I brought my own supply of Tailwind as they provide BASE, which someone suggested tastes like dishwater… Other than that I didn’t bring anything out of the ordinary.

Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?

Spectators are fantastic! It’s almost embarrassing to run up to the aid stations with of the congratulations and “you look awesome” coming at you. It’s really great.

How’s the Swag?

Oh shit. Got me a hat and nice long sleeve shirt for the fundraising. A bunch of product (socks, salt thingies, etc) along with a technical t-shirt, and a sweet canvas bag for registering. A pair of Patagonia shorts, the “big” buckle for a sub-24 finish, and a nice mug for solo finisher. Pretty good swag in my opinion.

The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?

I love this race. I did the 100k last year as I was working my way up to 100 miles and I knew I would be back. It’s beautiful and difficult in its own way. And the horses!