2023 Craftsbury Marathon Classic results
GRP current, past and possibly future on the 2023 women’s 37k podium. L-R: Annika Landis, 2nd; Caitlin Patterson, 1st; Ida Sargent and baby Evie 3rd.
After a two year hiatus the Craftsbury Marathon returned today as a 1 or 2 lap race, 18.5k or 37k. Lots of familiar names populated the results, as Craftsbury GRP alumni and Craftsbury ski club athletes won all of today's races through a morning of variable conditions. Your 2023 Classic podia:
37k:
1st - Caitlin Patterson, M1, GRP Alumni, 2:26:39.3
2nd - Annika Landis, SR, Craftsbury Green Racing Project, 2:27:45.9
3rd - Ida Sargent, M1, GRP Alumni, 2:28:23.3
1st - Adam Martin Caldwell, SR, GRP & Wildcat Alumni, 2:00:59.3
2nd - Leo Grandbois, SR, Club ski de fond Orford, 2:01:35.7
3rd - Kris Freeman, M3, Caldwell Sport, 2:06:42.0
18k:
1st - Amelia Circosta, U20, Craftsbury Ski Club, 1:14:53.8
2nd - Greta Kilburn, U20, Mansfield Nordic, 1:18:42.0
3rd - Maddie Leopold, SR, 1:20:21.2
1st - Leo Circosta, U20, Craftsbury Ski Club, 1:01:43.9
2nd - Parke Chapin, U20, GMVS, 1:03:08.7
3rd - Elvis McIntosh, U20, Green Mountain Valley School, 1:03:44.6
Women kicked off racing - and many of them would've likely opted to turn down the honor. The field faced tracks filled with freshly fallen snow from a passing morning snow shower. Many of the top 20 would negative split the event, after acting as snowplows for the opening lap.
Craftsbury Junior Amelia Circosta led the women's wave home after skiing with the 37k leaders thru about half of the first lap, pulling out a minute over that group to take the win. Mansfield Nordic's Greta Kilburn, whom Craftsbury also knows as the repeat winner of the Black River Grand Prix Mountain Bike race, took second over Maddie Leopold.
The 37k podium remained together thru lap one, with one-time teammates Landis and Patterson eventually battling it out for the win in the closing stages of the race. Each trip thru the Black River valley brought icing difficulties with wax into play - even the leaders were dealing with icing and caked up wax in between chasing one another. By the last ascent of Kirby's, Caitlin Patterson had pulled a gap on Annika that she'd never relinquish. Third placed Ida Sargent had a comfortable buffer in the contest for the last spot on the podium.
On the men's side, Leo Grandbois went out early, pulling thru lap one with a two minute and a half lead over recent GRP retiree Adam Martin. The Upper Valley's Martin skied with Kris Freeman early, before setting off in pursuit of Grandbois. By the time they went thru the last feed with 4k to go, Adam had made the catch, going on to pull 30s or so of time in hand to take the win. Freeman comfortably nailed down the bronze in the longer event.
The 18.5k men's podium was an all junior affair. Leo Circosta, Amelia's older brother, took the win after skiing in and around the lead of the men's pack all race. 2nd and 3rd were a GMVS duo of Chapin and McIntosh who had each other to work with much of the race, as well as a pack of 4th thru 6th from the 37k race.
It was such a treat to have the Marathon running again this year after what may be the longest hiatus of the event's history courtesy of the pandemic and weather conditions. Hope everyone can rest up; tomorrow will be here before you know it!
