MIDDLEBURY — Local runners and walkers enjoyed pleasant early fall weather and good trail conditions during the 12th running of the annual TAM Trek, this past Sunday.
The event, organized by the Middlebury Area Land Trust (MALT), benefits conservation work and trail maintenance on the 18-mile Trail Around Middlebury, affectionately known as the TAM. By the end of Sunday’s races, MALT raised $10,000 in sponsorships and registration fees, an amount that MALT’s Executive Director Carl Robinson said is comparable to funds raised in past years.
“We were happy that it was the same amount,” he said. “It would have been nice to get more people, but it’s a busy time of year.”
A total of 80 people came out to run and walk on three courses for this year’s Trek, including 37 runners on the 18-mile course around the entire TAM, 15 runners on the six-mile course and 28 runners and walkers on the two-mile “fun-run.”
Robinson said the TAM Trek will be held on the same courses next year. MALT also plans to promote the event earlier to attract more runners.
“I had a lot of people tell me this week they wished they could have made it,” he said. “It’s an issue of timing, people have to make choices about what events they attend.”