This Camp Director Fran Cusick here, just wanted to wrap up an amazing week with one final blog post. I am happy to report that Stowe Running Camp this year was a huge success! Not only did we have the most campers in our history (103) we also had an amazing group of counselors and CITs who helped keep everything running smoothly, despite the larger numbers.
A few thank yous:
Parents/guardians:
Thank you for trusting us. We know sending your kids off to a week of running camp in the middle of Vermont is a bit of a leap of faith, but I’m really glad you all took it.
CITs
You all did an incredible job and were so attentive and thoughtful. You provided great feedback and also did a really nice job navigating this sometimes confusing role: you all had fun while also making sure that the camp ran smoothly. Thanks so much!
Counselors
Simply an amazing group of people who went above and beyond what I could have expected. Many of the counselors came to Stowe as campers and return each summer to help recreate that same magic. For referenceL
- Rachel Sessa – Camper 2015–2018, Counselor 2019–present
- Sierra Fisher – Camper 2016–2021, Counselor 2022–present
- Kate Swann – Camper 2019–2021, Counselor 2022–present
- Tyler Sheedy – Camper 2019–2023, Counselor 2024–present
- Vera De Jong – Camper 2021–2024, first year as Counselor
- Makayla Paige – Camper 2017–2021, first year as Counselor
- Jeff Moretti – Counselor since 2018
- Brian Axelrod – Counselor since 2010
You guys are the best!
Campers
You were an amazing group! You all were fun, curious, interesting and you struck a great balance between knowing how to be goofy and have fun and knowing how to be serious. We had 100 plus people, so I know I didn’t get to talk or interact with everyone as much as I would have liked, but just about every interaction I did have was positive.
When we were at Lake Bomoseen last Wednesday, a HS teacher who was visiting the lake with his family came up to Vera and asked how the heck we had managed to get a massive group of HS kids to not be on their phone. When he found out we hadn’t, and that you all were just choosing not to be glued to them, he was stunned. That says a lot about your willingness to engage with each other and enjoy the experience.
I can’t wait to follow your cross-country seasons and hear about all the PRs, team wins, and breakthroughs.
Thank you to everyone who participated in Stowe this year, at any capacity. The VERY tentative dates for 2026 are Sunday, July 19 to Friday, July 24, 2026. In the early fall, I will finalize these and send out information on this page as well as on Instagram and Facebook. Until then, enjoy the waning days of summer and see you on the XC trails this fall.
-Coach Fran Cusick
Stowe Running Camp 