MONTPELIER — The 2021 Vermont Senior Games season is about to get underway. Anyone ages 50-plus can compete in a variety of sports throughout the summer and fall. For details about all the sports and how to register, go to www.vermontseniorgames.org.

The first event of the year will be the 10K Road Race, held in partnership with the Capital City Stampede on June 12 in Montpelier. Dubbed “the Fastest 10K in Vermont” by the Central Vermont Runners, the course is a flat out-and-back loop that will take the runners directly past the Vermont Statehouse. The start will be organized into ‘waves’ of runners for social distancing. Registration and race details can be found at: https://cvrunners.org/ cvr-races/capital-city-stampede.

Next up will be the first annual Barbara Jordan Track and Field Championships at Burlington High School on June 19. Athletes attempting the pole vault will open the proceedings at 8:30 a.m. The other field events will begin at 9 a.m., with the runners starting on the track at 10 a.m.

This year’s meet will be a special opportunity for Senior Games athletes and volunteers to memorialize the unforgettable Barbara Jordan, who passed away last fall after battling cancer. Barbara grew up in the years before Title IX and had little access to sports while in school. Nevertheless, she earned a physical education and health degree from Springfield College before pursuing advanced degrees and teaching at UVM. She did not become an athlete herself until the age of 55, and then flourished in both track and field events – she still holds national and world age- group records.

The Vermont Senior Games is pleased to be able to honor Barbara at this year’s event, and into the future. Registration and more information can be found at: vermontseniorgames.org/sports/ track-and-field.