A Very Unusual Road Race

Matthew Vernon, MD, radiation oncologist at the Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, and his wife Elisa Donato love running road races. In just the last 2 years, the couple has completed one full marathon, nearly 30 half marathons, and a generous sprinkling of races of other distances. They love to get the finisher medals at the ends of their races and take great pride in their extensive collection of them.

In February, they set out on a trip to run a 20-mile trail race up and down a volcano on an island in shark-filled Lake Nicaragua. And they thought that race would be their most unique of the year.

Matt and Elisa were training for their second full marathon, scheduled for April 26th in New Jersey, when COVID-19 hit.

"Of course the race was canceled," Dr. Vernon remembers. "But we couldn't be marathon-ready and not run." They had toyed with the idea of organizing a race of their own, so this seemed like the time to do it.

That is how the COVID Bridges Marathon/Half Marathon/10K/5K/AnyK was born. (The name is a quippy take on the popular Covered Bridges Half Marathon that happens in Woodstock, VT, each year. And yes, their marathon course also included covered bridges.)

Once the name stuck, they designed and ordered a finisher medal for everyone who signed up.

And as long as they were going to the trouble to start a virtual/distanced road race in the middle of a pandemic, why not raise some money, too? They started a Facebook group and a GoFundMe page, set a goal of $1,000, and designated the Cancer Center as the recipient. They recommended an entry fee of $10 per person, and lots of people signed up, including many colleagues from Southwestern Vermont Health Care.

"We were originally going to pick April 26, the same day as our marathon, but we thought we had a better chance for good weather in May," Dr. Vernon shared. They picked May 9. That day turned out to include heavy snow.

As a virtual race, however, they clarified that the run could occur at the time of the participant’s choosing, over the course of their choosing, of any distance. A few even bicycled in place of running. Many participants brought their kids along.

The event raised $1,045 for the Cancer Center. And people had a good time bonding over running and walking during this unusual time.

"In the end it was a great experience," Dr. Vernon said. "We had a blast, inspired some people to get out of the house, and raised some money for a good cause. And those medals will certainly inspire unique feelings when we see them hanging there among our collection."

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