The much anticipated 2023 Vermont 100 Endurance Race has been canceled. In a statement on the event website, race director Amy Rusiecki announced that after the extreme flooding that inundated Vermont over the past few days, the 100-mile and 100-kilometer races will not be happening this year.
“...due to the devastating flooding that hit the race course yesterday and the lasting damage due to this weather event, the race committee has reached the unfortunate decision that this year’s event must be canceled,” Rusiecki wrote.
Vermont is still under a state of emergency and currently declared a federal disaster area. In the statement, Rusiecki laid out how the extreme weather has affected the race course, indicating that Lincoln Covered Bridge at mile 39 of the course is currently covered in a foot of mud, and the Taftsville Bridge at mile 14 was under feet of water as of two days ago. Several roads are also washed out and impassible to runners and vehicles. There are also no emergency services available to support the event due to the circumstances.
“The second worst thing a race committee wants to do is cancel an incredible event,” she wrote. “However, the worst thing a race committee wants to do is to conduct an unsafe race for the runners, volunteers, and communities.”
The competition, a premier ultra trail event and one of the five 100-mile races that comprise the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, will not be rescheduled; in just a few weeks, the race organizers will be hosting the VT50 and a spate of other events lined up for the fall season, so it’s not feasible logistically. Perhaps most disappointing for participants is the non-refundable entry fee, though the race organizers are offering the option to switch their Vermont 100 entry to the Vermont 50 in September for no fee or defer their entry for next year’s Vermont 100 for a 25% discount. Participants are also able to donate their entry fee to the organization behind the event—Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, a non-profit that provides sports and recreational opportunities to people with disabilities—and the communities impacted by the disaster.
All of the food for the race has already been purchased and prepped, and will be used for community dinners this weekend for local residents who have lost their homes and been displaced by the flooding. Aid station food is being donated to local shelters and survival centers.
Rusiecki ended her note reiterating how heartbreaking it likely is for runners to learn this news. “Trust me, this is equally devastating to share,” she wrote. “I know that many of you have trained for months and years to have your opportunity to run at this incredible event. I get it, and I am nearly as upset as you are about this decision. My favorite day of the year is the 15+ hours I spend greeting each of you across the finish line – and I am completely devastated that I will miss that in 2023.”
Abby Carney is a writer and journalist in New York. A former D1 college runner and current amateur track athlete, she's written about culture and characters in running and outdoor sports for Runner's World, Like the Wind Magazine, The New York Times, and other outlets. She also writes about things that have nothing to do with running, and was previously the editor of a food magazine.
