'Holy cow!' Vermont City Marathon men's record broken in Boston runner's debut
· Yahoo Sports
A steady rain at the start and cool temperatures throughout the race turned into ideal conditions for the front runners — headlined by a record-breaking performance — during the 2026 M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay in Burlington on Sunday, May 24.
Visit newsbetting.cv for more information.
Ryan Smith, a 24-year-old from Boston making his marathon debut, smashed the men's open record at VCM with an unofficial time of 2 hours, 15 minutes and 53 seconds. Smith's time, which qualified him for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, broke VCM's oldest mark of 2:17:03, which was set by Michael Kobotov in 2001 when VCM was not a looped, 13.1-mile course like it is today.
"Holy cow!" Smith exclaimed minutes after crossing the finish line at Waterfront Park with VCM's fastest recorded marathon time dating to 1989. "I really didn’t think that was going to be the expectation."
In the women's open race, veteran marathoner Kellyn Taylor, 39, held on for victory in 2:35:18, good for third on VCM's all-time list, behind record-holder Maegan Krifchin (2:33:40 in 2023) and Heidi Westover (2:35:02), the six-time winner who returned to Burlington on Sunday to take second in the masters division.
In the battle for top Vermonters, 22-year-old Darius Parker of Hinesburg claimed the men's race in 2:25:51, while South Burlington's Brynn Orban-Salley, 26, captured the women's division in 2:58:12.
Vermont City Marathon & Relay results:Searchable results to be published Sunday night
From lacrosse player to runner, Ryan Smith sets Vermont City Marathon record
Halfway through high school, Smith ditched lacrosse for cross-country running. When he crossed the finish line here, the 2023 Bates College graduate has qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials ahead of the 2028 L.A. Games.
Smith, who hails from Westport, Connecticut, said his 1:05:43 at the New Bedford Half Marathon in March boosted his confidence after an injury in fall 2025 limited his progress.
"The plan for this race was always just to run a marathon for fun," Smith said. "I just enjoy the longer distance stuff. I put in a little more focus into this race."
Smith grabbed an early lead and won decisively over runner-up Kevin Heeman (2:19:27) and third-place finisher Paul Neilan (2:19:56). Alex Archer (2:21:27) and Sam Montclair (2:23:52) seized fourth and fifth, respectively.
Late entry to field, Kellyn Taylor outlasts 2019 champ for women's crown
Less than two weeks ago, Taylor booked her flight to Burlington and confirmed her entry with RunVermont, the race's longtime organizer, for this year's Vermont City Marathon.
The marathon veteran left with the top cash prize of $2,400 following a tight race with 2019 VCM champion Rachel Schilkowsky. Taylor, a two-time U.S. Olympic trials finalist who was also an alternate for the 2016 Olympic team, bested Schilkowsky by 32 seconds.
Both Taylor and Schilkowsky hit the qualifying standard for the 2028 Olympic trials.
"I didn’t really think it was much of a hindrance. It kind of ended up being a pretty ideal day," Taylor said of the weather. "It was super-fun. Beautiful scenery. The town really showed up and gave us a good cheer pretty much along the entire course."
Paula Pridgen, 40, took third (2:41:31) to reset the women's masters record; Westover came in fourth (2:47:30) and Tasha Freed raced to fifth (2:52:46).
Putney graduate Darius Parker snags top Vermont man award
Parker, a graduate of The Putney School, didn't run competitively in high school. Parker was a cross-country skier in middle school and also spent time cycling.
But about two years ago, Parker made a go of long-distance running, notably 50K distances. He won the Sleeping Giant Trail Runs in Connecticut in March with a 50K time of 4:43:03. Last fall, he took runner-up at the Vermont 50 in Brownsville.
Sunday, Parker ran his first road marathon.
"It’s fun running fast and it’s easier to run faster on roads," Parker said. "I don’t really know what to think about it at the moment. I’m kind of flabbergasted."
Brynn Orban-Salley: First Vermont woman to cross finish line
In 2023, Orban-Salley signed up for the two-person relay at the Vermont City Marathon. But when her partner dropped out, Orban-Salley opted to take on the full 26.2-mile distance.
And she hasn't stopped running marathons since.
The South Burlington resident runs about four marathons a year, and has seen a remarkable drop in time since her first VCM. Orban-Salley has gone from 4:33:32 and 270th place in 2023 to 3:06:47 and seventh in 2024 to Sunday's crowning achievement for the top Vermont title.
"I’m really proud of myself," said Orban-Salley, who has already run the Boston and LA marathons and has the Chicago Marathon in the fall.
Devann Murphy, Erik Corbett claim handcycle divisions
Last year, multi-time VCM women's handycle champion Devann Murphy had her chain snap about halfway through the Burlington course and couldn't finish.
The accomplished champion — she's won the Boston, Chicago and New York City marathons — returned to her familiar spot atop the podium on Sunday. A native of Keeseville, New York, Murphy won the half-marathon in 1:05:18.
Murphy said it was the slowest of her six VCM wins; but that was understandable given the wet roads.
"You just go with it. It is what it is," Murphy said.
In the men's handcycle division, Erik Corbett of Conway, New Hampshire, claimed the win in 54:57, his second in three years.
Contact Alex Abrami at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter: @aabrami5.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont City Marathon & Relay results, records, winners in Burlington