Many NWVT members made a morning trip to Craftsbury on a mission to finish the 25th annual Craftsbury Marathon. The morning started early with a ride over before sunrise to get everything in place for a great race. Many were the challenges ahead: the 47k, the new course, feeding and drinking plans and what may have seemed to be perfect weather to race in actually made things a little difficult. On the way to the race the temperature made dramatic swings, from 30 degrees in Burlington to 11 degrees in Morrisville. Things were looking complicated. After bib pick-up and a short bus ride to the start, NWVT decided to go with a gut feeling approach to waxing. Although it was still cool, temps were rising fast, also the course was two laps, and a majority of it would see all of the days 1000 skiers at least once, and the Marathoners twice. We did not look at temperature, we just put on the warmest wax that did not slow our skis. In the process we were mistaken for the Swix Wax pros, several times, and many people could not believe what we were using at the start. NENSA poses the question "Who had the Wax?" on its marathon write up. Ask the people who doubted us as NWVT kicked by them on their VR70. It was not perfect, but it was better than anything else out there. The course began with Seth Maciejowski and Allaire Diamond (NWVT members volunteering) checking everyone in at the start. Once the gun went off it was a long double pole around Big Hosmer pond, then it looped around many of the Center's rolling trails twice, and finished as usual around the green in Craftsbury. For the most part, things went well for the NWVT racers. A couple had some wax issues but still thought things were satisfactory over all. Everyone had their strong areas and seemed to like the 20-40k section on the main trails at the nordic center (this is where most of the other racers wax failed), and the hills, and twists and turns seemed to give everyone just the right amount of challenge. Many spoke of how impressed they were of their performance, compared to those they raced with. And for the most part such was the story for the race until the final two kilometers. This is where the skiers must climb the long steep hill to the finish. What was a challenging but fun ski turned into a relentless slog up the sun-exposed hill that drained every ounce of energy out of the racers. It did not matter who you were, you hit the wall, you spent whatever you had left on the hill, and after that it was all about the finish that could not come soon enough. The last kilometer of Craftsbury was skied purely on a will to get to the line, bodies moved in slow motion, vision was blurred, delirious rants of self encouragement and ramblings to do what ever its took to get it over with. The finish looked like a war zone with skiers sprawled out on the ground, or leaning over poles or on a fence but they all had and deserved a sense of accomplishment for having what it took to complete the Craftsbury Marathon. NWVT had two volunteers, as mentioned above, many, many supporters on the course, one tourer (Mike Cain), and seven 50k racers who all finished pleased with their performance. If I missed anyone let me know and I will make it right. NWVT results follow, full results can be seen at: http://www.craftsbury.com/ski/marResults.php

24 50km m S2 Aaron Delfausse Hanover, NH 130 02:52:19
40 50km m S2 Scott Magnan burlington, VT 552 03:00:03

52 50km m M5 Dhyan Nirmegh Huntington, VT 101 03:04:34

58 50km m M6 W. Perry Bland Westford, VT 107 03:06:18

63 50km m S2 Damian Bolduc South Burlington, VT 129 03:07:21

75 50km m M4 Lary Martell Georgia, VT 465 03:13:05

And gearing up for real endurance, The Canadian Ski Marathon Gold Bar Division

186 50km m M5 Ferdinand Lauffer Enosburg Falls, VT 497 04:47:45


Congratulations to all who participated, as it turned out, it was a perfect day to race after all.