Kasie Enman cruises to third VCM crown

Kasie Enman played it cool. She didn’t heap any unneeded pressure on herself for the 29th annual People’s United Bank Vermont City Marathon.  

“The goal today was to have fun, run within myself at a pace I knew I could hold and be strong,” Enman said. “And hopefully, I was trying, to finish stronger than I started.”

But the happy-to-be-there outlook — understandable after injuries derailed her plans last year — is something of a smokescreen for the two-time champion.

Because after Sunday, with the Huntington resident cruising to a third VCM women’s crown in as many tries, the fact is this: If Enman is at the start line, the race is hers to win.

“It was hard sitting last year out and looking at this year’s field I knew I had a really good shot,” Enman said. “I was very grateful to be able to be here racing, not sitting on the sidelines again. It makes me extra hungry to get out there.”

The 37-year-old mother of two blazed to the finish in 2 hours, 50 minutes and 26 seconds to win by more than four minutes.  Rebecca Snelson of New London, Connecticut took runner-up honors at 2:54:28 and Lauren Opachinski (Somerville, Massachusetts) claimed third.

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Enman’s victory and home address meant she snagged another championship double as the winner and top female finisher from Vermont.

“The win … I’m always looking for that for Vermont, bring one home for Vermont,” she said.

The crowd support that comes with being the hometown favorite is a bonus that never gets old.

“For somebody who’s not a local this is a great race and for me, all I’m hearing the whole way is, ‘Vermont! Go Kasie!’” Enman said.

“I can’t hear the other cheers, but I know people around me are like, ‘I want to stick by you because you’re getting the most cheers,’" she said.

Snelson, 23, pushed the VCM veteran to the top of Battery Street. But from there it was a one-woman race.

“I was able to kind of pull away,” Enman said. “I was trying to increase my pace at that point and I was able to pull away there.

“I have enough experience at this point to know how to pace it and I felt like I did that pretty well today,” she said.  “I would’ve liked to have a little faster time but the fitness isn’t all the way there right now.”

O'Connor top Vermont man

Like Enman, Burlington’s Teage O’Connor has found success at previous editions of the VCM.

Not in the form of overall titles, but O’Connor has steadily climbed the standings in each of the last four years among the race’s fastest runners — from 11th to 10th to ninth — until coming in third Sunday morning behind winner Tyler Andrews and runner-up Sam Morse for the Burlington resident’s second of back-to-back Vermont crowns.

O’Connor toured the course in an official time of 2 hours, 24 minutes and 55 seconds — about 11 minutes quicker than a year ago.

“Night and day,” O’Connor said when comparing last year’s extreme heat conditions to Sunday’s weather. “It was miserable last year and I did not race well.”

Although he snagged the Vermont title for first time in 2016, O’Connor wanted to show he truly earned it with a better performance. He got it Sunday.

“Last year I didn’t really deserve it,” O’Connor said. “This year I felt like I ran a hell of a race and I pushed when I needed to push.

“I feel great and it’s not often that you can run a marathon and get to say you felt great during and after it. I’m pretty happy it.”

O’Connor netted his best VCM to date despite fatigue in recent weeks that slowed his training. He also skipped his normal pre-race routine.

With the earlier, 7 a.m. start time, O’Connor decided not to wake up four hours before the race and do a shakeout run.

“I scratched that and I just had a relaxing morning with my dog,” he said. 

In the masters races, Bristol's Todd Smith (2:37:35) claimed the men's division and Elaine Gregoire of Mascouche Quebec (3:21:34) was first in the women's division.

Contact Austin Danforth at 651-4851 or edanforth@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @eadanforth

Contact Alex Abrami at 660-1848 or aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @aabrami5