Former champions headline field of invited runners for the Vermont City Marathon
The 2023 M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay returns to Burlington's waterfront this Memorial Day Weekend with a host of championship-caliber runners.
The VCM, in its 33rd year, welcomed participants back last spring after a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic with a looped course. Runners will again take to downtown Burlington's streets to compete in the looped 13.1-mile race.
Sergio Reyes won last year's overall title and returns, seeking to defend his crown (see below for the full list of invited runners).
More: Vermont City Marathon registrations have yet to bounce back from COVID pandemic
Long-held course records are in jeopardy this spring. Michael Kobotov holds the men's category record of 2 hours, 17 minutes and 3 seconds set back in 2001, while Heidi Westerling tops the women's record books with a 2:35:02 finish in the 2009 race.
A quick look at the invited runners (as of May 18):
WOMEN'S FIELD
Caity Ashley
Ashley, of Raleigh, North Carolina, holds a marathon personal record of 2:54:01 set in a Houston race this past January.
Caillian Colquitt
Colquitt raced to a first place finish in the 2021 Santa Rosa Marathon and ran in the 2020 Olympic Trials (finishing 175th). The 29-year-old's PR is 2:44:23.
Laura Huning
A PR finish of 2:45:48 netted Huning the top finish in the 2022 BCS Marathon in College Station, Texas. Huning runs with the Raleigh Distance Project in North Carolina.
Joy Jiang
The Massachusetts native holds a marathon PR of 2:53:45.
Abbey Kaknes
The 39-year-old Vermont native now living in Rhode Island, finished second in the Half-Marathon Unplugged with a 1:25:38 finish just last month.
Lauren Kelly
Kelly's debut marathon was the 2013 VCM, where she snagged a third place finish (2:52). The conditions were cold rain and strong winds, but Kelly told the Philadelphia Runner Track Club that the race is her favorite running moment.
Maegan Krifchin
Fresh off a 26th place finish in the Boston Marathon (2:32:46), Krifchin could challenge Westerling's VCM record of 2:35:02. The Massachusetts resident ran four marathons in eight weeks at the end of last year, all under 2:41.
Kayla Lampe
The Philadelphia resident has a marathon PR of 2:37:25 from a Chicago race in 2021. Lampe (30) qualified for the 2020 Olympic Trials.
Amanda Phillips
Phillips's PR of 2:30:57 would be a VCM record. The Oregon resident competed in the 2020 Olympic Trials, but did not finish.
Lindsay Piraino
Piraino is a marathoner (PR of 2:51:23) and ultra-marathoner with a seven-year running streak. The New Yorker has run everyday for the past seven years and won the 2022 Wineglass Marathon in New York.
Tammy Richards
Richards (49), from Williamsville, will compete for both the Masters' title and top Vermonter division. Richards was the masters' champion in 2015 and 2018.
Rachel Schilkowsky
The 31-year-old Rhode Island resident topped the 2019 VCM field.
MEN'S FIELD
Chris Bendtsen
The New York native holds a marathon PR finish of 2:17:07 and competed in the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Trials.
Ryan Jara
From Gorham, Maine, the 36-year-old set his marathon personal record at last year's VCM with a 2:23 finish, good for third overall.
Sean MacDonald
The 26-year-old MacDonald grew up in South Burlington and currently resides in Boston. He finished ninth in the 2019 VCM.
Chase Pizzonia
Pizzonia, of New York, has a PR of 2:20:26 and is making his VCM debut.
Sergio Reyes
The defending open and masters champion has the masters' course record of 2:19:50. The 41-year-old's PR is 2:13:34 set in 2013.
Connor Rockett
After scoring a marathon-best 2:16:45 at a race last year in Minnesota, Rockett (26) qualified for the Olympic Trials.
Lou Serafini
The Massachusetts native is the race's top seed with a PR time of 2:14:59. Serafini is a coach for Tracksmith and runs a sub-4-minute mile. The 31-year-old is from New York and holds the Brooklyn Half Marathon recrod (1:03:14).
John Stanton-Geddes
The Burlington native finished second in the masters' division last year. Last year's 2:38:57 time is the 41-year-old's personal record.
Zach Vaslow
Vaslow hails from Greensboro, North Carolina and will be running in the open field. His wife, Meaghan, is the women's masters' field.
Contact Jacob Rousseau at JRousseau@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter: @ByJacobRousseau
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Former champions head field of invited runners for the VCM
