Elite runners master looped course in return of Vermont City Marathon & Relay

Runners bolted out of the start in waves instead of a sea of humanity.

There were no long, lonely treks out to the Burlington Beltline. Rather, marathoners looped a 13.1-mile course twice through the streets of the Queen City. Relay runners got acquainted with new exchange zones.

The return of the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay might've looked and felt different. But the scene and imagery had that all-too-familiar backdrop: Runners battled the weather, volunteers were at every turn and spectators lined up to cheer.

For the first time since 2019, the VCM was back in full and in its traditional slot: Memorial Day Weekend. Veteran handcyclist Alicia Dana of Putney was the first to clip the finish line, while Sergio Reyes followed as the first marathoner to complete VCM under near ideal conditions before temperatures soared into the 70s later Sunday morning.

Sergio Reyes surges to overall crown

Sunday wasn't Reyes' first go-round at VCM. The Palmdale, California resident was the marathon's most-recent men's winner in 2019. His second victory, though, meant more to him.

"I’m in this new age bracket, my body’s been doing some weird stuff lately that doesn’t compare to what it was in 2019," said the 40-year-old Reyes. "I've been struggling to keep up with workouts. The fact that I was patient out there today and I was able to hold on and run a smart race, it blew me away.

"Honestly, I wasn’t expecting that much from how things were going."

But things went Reyes' way. Three-time VCM winner Tyler Andrews set a blistering pace early, according to Reyes, but started to fall back in the final 4-5 miles. Reyes reeled in Andrews and made his move to take the lead around mile marker 23.

Reyes' winning time of 2 hours, 19 minutes, 50 seconds was about two minutes slower than his 2019 performance — which is the second-fastest in VCM history — but good enough Sunday to topple the record in men's masters.

Reyes, a former U.S. marathon national champion, relied on his veteran status and remained calm.

"I was praying the last few miles just to keep it together," Reyes said.

Andrews crossed in 2:20:47 for runner-up honors.

Annmarie Tuxbury bests women's field

Nearly matching a personal-best time, Annmarie Tuxbury’s post-race smile beamed off Lake Champlain.

A native Rhode Islander, Tuxbury called Vermont’s course a hometown race as she grew up running in the relay and visiting family in the Green Mountain State.

"I grew up coming here with my grandparents and they couldn't be here today, so I really wanted to win it for them," Tuxbury said.

With family in mind, the 28-year-old dominated the women’s division, placing 36 slots higher than the next runner and dusting her 2018 second-place finish with a time of 2:39:18.

"It's been a goal of mine since I was second in 2018, so it (the first-place finish) means a lot," Tuxbury said.

Not even the new course could disrupt Tuxbury’s determination. The vaunted double loop? It helped the experienced VCM relay runner.

"It was very similar to the second half of the old one and I've run that as a relay quite a few times," Tuxbury said. "I honestly I liked it."

As other runners started to hit a wall with a few miles to go, Tuxbury, who couldn’t compete in 2019, was calm as she passed the 20-mile mark. She cherished her family supporters who had their presence heard at Oakledge Park and the finish line.

"It just feels really good to be here," Tuxbury said.

Former Stowe star William McGovernnotches VT men's title

The Memorial Day marathon for Stowe’s William McGovern is a family affair.

The 24-year-old grew up watching his older sisters compete in the VCM and after a long break from Burlington’s holiday spectacle, McGovern returned to seize the top finish for a Vermont man.

"I love this race,” McGovern said. “It's so exciting that it's back. It's always been one of the best races of the year and it's so much fun."

McGovern, who hadn’t competed in the VCM since 2016, finished with a time of 2:29:13, which was good for 8th overall in the competition.

The former high school star from Stowe also won the half-marathon in the fall said that the double loop format added another layer to the 2022 event.

"Definitely coming up Battery (Street) twice is a little rough," McGovern said. "The old course didn’t quite do that, so that was pretty tough."

But when McGovern turned onto the familiar Waterfront straightaway, an energy boost jolted him to the finish.

"Getting back on the bike path I sort of found a little motivation. I knew I was close, knew no Vermonters had passed me and just kind of used that as motivation to cruise the last couple miles."

Teacher, Margaret Gish, captures VT women's race

A teacher from The Sharon Academy and former University of Vermont runner made it her mission to seize the Vermont women's crown at this year's VCM.

And she did it without knowing when she crossed the finish line in Waterfront Park on Sunday. But that didn't diminish Margaret Gish's satisfaction.

"It’s a goal that I’ve had for a long time. I’m very excited that I met my goal," Gish said. "I’m especially excited because I had a lot of mental health challenges through COVID, really severe COVID anxiety.

"I’m really grateful for everybody who’s helped me. I’m really proud of myself."

The 26-year-old Gish motored to a 3:11:47 time to earn the victory. She was also 15th overall in the women's field.

The 2018 UVM graduate and Weybridge resident moved to Vermont when she was in middle school. Gish is also a graduate of The Sharon Academy, where she now teaches math and special education.

Alicia Dana pedals to fifth VCM win

The course changed, there were a few years off, but Alicia Dana still rolled to another title.

The now five-time handcycle champion from Putney captured the VCM crown in an official time of 1:34:26.

"The course was totally different," Dana said. "In the past, it's been one big, long loop. This time it was a double loop like two times of a figure eight, which meant that the hand cyclists and wheelchairs were crossing over with the runners quite a bit. There was a lot more foot traffic, which made things pretty congested in a lot of places."

With the added challenges of a new course, the 2016 U.S. Paralympic silver medalist and 2020 bronze winner, who said she bumped into the lead motorcyclist a couple times, finished more than six minutes back from her 1:27:45 mark in 2019.

"I really love being in Vermont, doing a marathon in Vermont and there's a certain kind of pride in being able to win it and being from Vermont," the 53-year-old said.

Erik Corbett of Conway, New Hampshire was the first male handcyclist to cross the finish line with an official time of 2:00.

Contact Alex Abrami at aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5.

Contact Jacob Rousseau at JRousseau@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter: @ByJacobRousseau

This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont City Marathon & Relay 2022: Elite runners, big winners