Meet the 2015 CBHM Pacers #CBHM #halfmarathon #ultrarun #VT #NH




The Upper Valley Running Club is excited to provide pacers for the 2015 Covered Bridges Half Marathon. The UVRC pacers are a group of experienced, local runners that will be with you during the race to help you reach your race day goal. Whether you are finishing your first half marathon or hoping to set a new personal record, run with a pacer to help make it happen.

The pacers will be at the Race Start (Suicide Six Ski Area) in the starting corral roughly 15 minutes before the start of the race. This will give you a chance to talk to them, learn more about the plan, and ask any questions that you might have. They'll be wearing brightly colored shirts or vests that say PACER and holding signs with their goal time, they will be hard to miss.

Pace Groups for 2015
1:30 (~6:51)
1:40 (~7:38)
1:50 (~8:23)
2:00 (~9:10)
2:15 (~10:18)
2:30 (~11:26)

Anyone who wants to run with one of the pace groups is welcome to do so; they ARE NOT doing one-on-one pacing and there's no need to sign-up.

Basically The PACERS job is to encourage and cheer people on, and to run at a consistent pace so other runners can gauge their own progress.
For more info: uvrcpacers@gmail.com

Meet the 2015 Covered Bridges Half Marathon Pacers
In Their Own Words...


1:30 - Ben Pangie
Ben has been running for a number of years, running anything from 5Ks to 100 miles. He has completed a handful of half marathons including the Covered Bridges Half Marathon for the last three years running. While the half marathon is probably his favorite distance, he has since converted to running ultra-marathons. Ben enjoys pushing his perspective and helping others expand their ideas of what is possible.
1:30 - Alden Hall
I have run CBHM only once before, but it is a great course. I have been running and finding that I am a "distance specialist" since graduating from college where I played soccer. My senior year I ran Boston, and fell in love with the race and the distance. I ran my best time there. I think it was 1997 when I ran a 2:32:09. This is a picture of me running a more leisurely race in last year's Boston. I wore a friend of mine's jersey when he could not make the race due to treatment for brain cancer. I had hoped to lead a pace group through the race with a target of 2:55. Two days before the race, a few members said let's go 2:50 or bust. Due to the craziness of the start, I could not find them but had fun encouraging the crowd and my fellow runners as I ran a 2:47. I have enjoyed coaching and pacing others through their own marathon successes and look forward to the CBHM.

I am headed back to Hopkinton for the Boston Marathon this year so I will have a solid foundation for the CBHM 7 weeks later.
1:40 - Rob Edson
Rob returned to the running world about three years ago after a 15 year hiatus. He is very involved with the Upper Valley Running Club and loves running in the NH Grand Prix races with his fellow club members. While most of his racing is in the 5K to 10K distances, he has competed at every distance from the mile to the half-marathon with a 1:20 PR at this distance. This is his first time at the CBHM, and he hopes to see his wife Cindy (running her 7th CBHM) during the race.
1:50 - Nancy Dunbar
Nancy Dunbar is a locally competitive Women’s Masters Runner and a founding member of the Upper Valley Running Club. In 2014 she participated in the USATF New England Grand Prix earning Iron Runner status by finishing all seven races of the series including the New Bedford Half Marathon (1:35:39) and the Manchester Marathon (3:36:50). When she is not running she works as a Transfusion Medicine physician at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
1:50 - Mike Kokko
Mike is excited to be running his third CBHM this year. He paced the CHaD half marathon in 2013 and, following in the footsteps of his father who will be making a return appearance at Covered Bridges this June, has previously run several half and full marathons including Boston in 2010. Mike also enjoys hiking, cycling, and trying to keep up with his wife on nordic skis. He works as a mechanical engineer by day and loves living in the Upper Valley.
2:00 - Rebecca Stanfield McCown
Rebecca started running in graduate school to counteract hours of sitting in front of a computer staring at data. Since 2007, she has run 6 marathons and more half marathons than she can count. Rebecca has run Covered Bridge 3 times (it maybe 4) and working in Woodstock allows her to run sections of the course at lunch time. This summer she will be running her first trail marathon. Be warned, Rebecca likes to chat while she runs!
2:00 - Dave Sullivan
Dave Sullivan only began running in his late 30's, but hasn't stopped since. Last year he was a pacer at the CHaD half marathon and looks forward to helping new and returning runners to the CBHM meet their goal of a 2:00 half marathon.
2:15 - Leah Berry
Run the path ahead of you by putting one foot after the other. Moving back to the Upper Valley four years ago Leah Berry started exploring the running world in a time of hardship and self-exploration. Joining the Upper Valley Running Club gave Leah local business connections and wonderful friendly people to run with. Running with a group gave her a sense of support and rewarding accomplishment that she continued on her own. Her passion for running never stopped her, even with injury she ran to the top Mount Washington. For life should never hold you back from dreaming and accomplishing great things.
2:15 - Shiana “Sid” Schwartz
My first official half marathon was a few years ago at the end of a half iron triathlon. I have done a few half marathons since then as well as a couple of ultra relays (28-35 miles). My running style is slow, steady, and usually smiling.
2:15 - Hillary Logan Young
Hillary runs with the Upper Valley Running Club and is excited to represent the team as a pacer for the Covered Bridges Half Marathon.  She began running after college to keep up with her dad.  She has paced many friends at the half marathon distance and loves to see people reach their goal time.  This spring and summer you can find her competing in the NH Grand Prix race series and Mt Washington road race.  Her favorite race distances are the 5K and half marathon.  When she is not out running Hillary works as a nurse at Dartmouth-Hitchcock in the Surgical/ Trauma ICU.
2:30 - Rachel Forcino
Rachel Forcino is excited to be a pacer at the Covered Bridges Half Marathon! After competing for American University's cross country and track teams, she dabbled in Washington, DC area road races from 5Ks to half marathons before relocating to the Upper Valley in 2014. In addition to running, Rachel likes riding bikes and walking her dog, Peanut.
2:30 - Susannah Colby
My Name is Susannah Colby. I'm originally from Everett Washington, but I currently live in Sharon, Vermont. I'm an artist and art teacher/professor during the day. I joined the Upper Valley Running Club to meet new people in this area and stay motivated. I enjoy running long distances and I was excited to sign up to help out at the Covered Bridges Half. A couple fun facts about me are I'm a black belt and teach karate a couple days a week. I'm looking forward to running with you all in a few months.

Thank you Upper Valley Running Club!