Vineyarders lead the charge at Vermont 50K

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From left, Pam Morrow, Chantal Desgagne, Anthony Holand, Whit Hanschka, Marylee Schroeder, and David Diriwachter plan their strategy the evening before the race. —Tom Cowles

A group of seven Vineyard runners trekked up to Mount Ascutney in West Windsor, Vt., for the annual Vermont 50 Ultra Run on Sunday. The day held sweltering heat and a 50-kilometer course with nearly 5,000 feet of ascent and descent. Marylee Schroeder placed first in her age division, and 41st overall, with a time of 6:16:04.

David Diriwachter placed eighth in his division, 37th overall, with a time of 6:03:18. Whitney Hanschka placed ninth in his division, 69th overall, with a time of 6:42:47. Erin Tiernan placed 12th in her division, 94th overall, and finished in 7:06:38. Chantal Desgagne finished 16th, in her division, 105th overall, finishing in 7:19:36. Anthony Holand placed 21st in his division, 113th overall, and finished in 7:35:29. Pam Morrow raced but did not finish.

“I was with Marylee for a while [at the start] and then she totally smoked me,” Mr. Hanschka said. “It was rather foolish of me trying to run with her.”

The course started at the base of Mount Ascutney, offering spectacular views to the racers, and cut through several towns in Vermont.

“The whole experience was a lot of fun,” Mr. Hanschka said. “The great part about it was there was this little pack of Vineyard runners. Even though the actual race was a relatively solitary experience, you have this shared physical experience.”