GIVING BACK
teamwork, goal setting, and positive behavior.“ We’ re showing kids that health is attainable, regardless of their socioeconomic status or prior experience,” Miller explains.
With a statewide reach and a scholarship program to remove financial barriers, Mini Milers ensures that any child who wants to run can participate. And it’ s not just about the miles logged— participants track progress, build confidence, and learn that their effort matters. As kids grow, they can step into the Junior Milers program for middle and high school students. This 12-week training program prepares youth to take on the Vermont City Marathon Relay as part of a team. Along the way, they learn not just about pacing and stamina, but
about race logistics, volunteering, and community.“ They train together, they support one another, and they gain exposure to what it takes to bring a big race to life,” says Miller.
The capstone events for many of these programs take place the Saturday before the M & T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay: the Mini Marathon, the Vermont City Two-Mile, and the Mascot Dash. These events are a celebration of everything the kids have worked toward.“ The Mascot Dash is always a highlight,” Miller laughs.“ You’ ve got kids running their hearts out and giant mascots tumbling down the finish chute— it’ s chaos, it’ s hilarious, and it’ s absolutely joyful.”
“ We want kids to associate running with fun,” says Miller.“ These experiences show them that movement is empowering, expressive, and communal.” Miller sees these programs as more than one-off events.“ The longterm goal is to help kids grow with us,” she says.“ We want a child to start as a Mini Miler, move into Junior Milers- and one day, run the full Vermont City Marathon— or maybe even volunteer, coach, or become part of our race committee.”
The Movement Grows
As RunVermont continues to grow and evolve, Executive Director Anthea Dexter-Cooper has a clear vision for what the next five years might look like— and it’ s rooted in both legacy and innovation.“ I’ d love to bring back the unique relay
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