The Heady Trotter 4-Miler: Stowe’s Beer-Fueled Fall Race for a Great Cause
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On Sunday, October 18th at 10 am, hundreds of runners will gather in front of the Alchemist Brewery in Stowe for the Heady Trotter 4-Miler, a chip-timed race that doubles as the biggest fundraiser of the year for Green Mountain Adaptive Sports (GMAS).
The race draws runners of all ages and abilities from across the country, and every dollar it raises helps GMAS fund annual scholarships for youth and adults with disabilities who want to take part in its adaptive sport programs.
It is a festive four miles, perfectly timed for mid-fall, after the leaves have peaked and before the slopes open. The Heady Trotter sells out quickly, so put it on your calendar so you don’t miss it!
The Details
The course starts and finishes at the Alchemist Brewery at 100 Cottage Club Road in Stowe, Vermont. You can run it solo or pull together a team of friends and family. Registration opens June 22nd on RunSignup, and you can follow @headytrotter4miler on Instagram for updates as race day approaches.
Adaptive athletes who want to participate can reach GMAS at info@greenmtnadaptive.org for details and a special offer. Anyone who donates $25 or more while registering online will also receive a prize.
Registration covers the race entry, custom swag and a koozie, a Heady Topper at the finish for runners 21 and up, and access to the day’s Music and Beer Festival, lawn games, and food truck lineup.
Your Donation, Doubled
Thanks to families and individuals contributing through their VCF giving accounts, the Vermont Community Foundation is matching every dollar raised for GMAS at this year’s race, up to $10,000. Give $25 or more, and you will also snag one of those special prizes.
You can donate directly here.
Win a Custom Heady Trotter Ski Chair
After the race, GMAS will raffle off a one-of-a-kind, custom-made Heady Trotter Ski Chair.
You can buy tickets at the GMAS tent on race day, or purchase them online ahead of time and let the team fill out your stubs and drop them in the bucket for you.
You do not have to run, or even be there, to win, though the winner will need to pick up the chair in person since it cannot be shipped. Every dollar from ticket sales goes straight to athlete scholarships and adaptive equipment.
The Post-Race Party
From 10 am to 2 pm, the Music and Beer Festival takes over the grounds at the Alchemist, with ice-cold Heady Toppers on tap, food trucks dishing out tasty grub, and a lawn game zone at the ready with cornhole, life-size beer pong, and Kan Jam.
The tasting room will be open if you want to take a few cans home.
Do not skip the Vermont Cheese Farmstead Company tent, where Rick Woods and his crew will be grilling the best Cheddy Topper grilled cheese sandwiches. They’re donating 100% of the sales to GMAS, so ordering a second one is practically philanthropy.
While you are wandering the grounds, swing by the GMAS kiosk on the Green to buy raffle tickets, learn about the programs, meet a few of the athletes, and pick up a sticker with any donation.
Make a weekend of it in Stowe
Since the race brings you to Stowe, why not stay a while? This guide to the best things to do in Stowe covers everything from easy strolls along the rec path to steady climbs that reward a slow, scenic pace.
About Green Mountain Adaptive Sports
Green Mountain Adaptive Sports is a Vermont non-profit founded on the belief that access to sports and recreation is a powerful way for people with disabilities to build independence and physical and mental well-being.
The organization focuses on getting people outside and having fun, and on the ripple effect its programs have on entire families.
Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Vermonters with disabilities by creating access to inclusive sports and recreational activities, partnering with organizations to deliver those experiences.
The organization carries out its mission by providing financial assistance for Vermonters with disabilities, hosting events that bring adaptive athletes together with coaches and families, supporting advanced training for coaches in adaptive programs, helping partner programs acquire specialized equipment, and awarding grants for adaptive athletes competing at higher levels.
About the Alchemist
The Alchemist is a family-run brewery specializing in fresh, unfiltered IPAs.
John and Jen Kimmich opened the cult favorite in 2003 as a 60-seat brewpub in Waterbury, and after eight years of growing popularity, they opened the production brewery that anchors the operation today.
The Alchemist now runs two Vermont breweries and is known for brewing some of the best beer in the world, including the Heady Topper, an 8% American double IPA, that gives this race its name.
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