Olympic Trials - Local Runners to Watch

The U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the Marathon are happening this Saturday, February 29 in Atlanta - and we couldn’t be more excited to see some familiar faces at the start line! We encourage you to join us in closely following along - Josh and Matt from the HMF staff will head down south to cheer them on. Follow their Olympic Trials experience via our Facebook and Instagram on Friday and Saturday, and tune in live on NBC Saturday 12-3pm EST to watch the race.

These incredible local athletes represent different towns, track clubs, collegiate records and high school performances, but they all have one thing in common: they’ve taken on the same stretch of pavement that many of you have conquered in the past: the Eversource Hartford Marathon and Half Marathon. Read more about the connections these Olympic-level runners have to your community below. We think you might just find some great reasons to root for these athletes on Saturday:

Women's field:
Karen Bertasso, Albany, NY

Bertasso qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at the 2018 Eversource Hartford Marathon where we she took second place in 2:43:46, beating the standard qualifying time of 2:45 for women.

Heidi Caldwell, Craftsbury, VT

Caldwell crossed the finish line in fourth place at last year’s Eversource Hartford Marathon. Her time of 2:42:15 earned her a spot in the top five female winners, who all qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

Marci Klimek, Arlington, MA

Klimek, the defending female champion of the Eversource Hartford Marathon, crossed the finish line last year with a scorching time of 2:35:22, over a five-minute lead ahead of the second place female.

Ellie Pell, Ithaca, NY
Ellie Pell earned her Olympic qualifying time last year when she took third place at the Eversource Hartford Marathon.

Annemarie Tuxbury, New Hartford, CT
A Connecticut running sensation, Tuxbury is a member of the Woodbridge Running Company, Milford Road Runners and a graduate of Northwestern Regional High School. She claimed a victory at the 2018 Eversource Hartford Half Marathon and was named 2018 New England Runner Magazine New England Runner of the Year.

Elizabeth Ryan, San Diego, CA
This Farmington, CT, native took the win at the Eversource Hartford Marathon in 2016.


Men's field:
Everett Hacket, Hartford, CT

Local superstar Everett Hacket is no stranger to Hartford. He’s an active member of the local Hartbeat Track Club and holds several records at his hometown Hall High School, where he is now Cross Country and T&F Coach.

Jonas Hampton, Newtonville, MA

This University of Hartford graduate won the 2015 Eversource Hartford Marathon in his debut 26.2, where he got his OTQ for the 2016 Trials.

Brian Harvey, Cambridge, MA

Harvey triumphantly took first place in the 2016 Eversource Hartford Marathon in 2:17:56.

Sean O’Connor, West Hartford, CT

Sean O’Connor is the youngest male in the Trials field but far from an underdog. A member of the local Hartbeat Track Club, he placed second in the 2019 Eversource Hartford Half Marathon with a time of 1:05:27, less than a minute behind the winner. The Trials will be his debut marathon.

Jonathan Phillips, Boston, MA

Breaking the tape in 1:04:51 last year, Phillips is the defending champion of the Eversource Hartford Half Marathon.

Tim Ritchie, Northampton, MA

Ritchie is not only the 2017 winner of the Eversource Hartford Half Marathon, he’s also the course record holder with a time of 1:02:41. Plus, he’s the head cross country coach at UMass.

David Sinclair, Truckee, CA

Sinclair claimed his spot at the top of the podium in 2018, winning the Eversource Hartford Marathon in 2:18:23.

Ryan Smith, Auburn, ME

His ecstatic expression said it all, Smith crossed the finish line at last year’s Eversource Hartford Marathon in 2:18:25 to secure his Olympic qualifying time and take home the win.

Christopher Zablocki, Phoenix, AZ
Zablocki, an Essex, CT native and Xavier High School grad, holds a 2017 Eversource Hartford Marathon first-place title in addition to countless wins in races across the state.

When the unexpected in life interrupts race plans...

You've now got more options!

While we hope to see everyone who registers for our events show up with smiling faces on race day, we understand that sometimes things just happen. We've provided a deferral option for years, but have heard customers asking for more options closer to race day. We listened!

NEW this year - with the help of our new technology partner, haku, - we’ve expanded services to offer bib transfers for registered participants unable to make it to an event a few days before.

Transfers are now available – that means you can give your registration to someone else through your haku account if you can’t make it to an event! 

There are some basic rules, so please keep the following nitty-gritty details in mind:

• Transfer must be requested no later than the day before packet pick-up for the event.  Request must be handled online.
• Access your “Participant Account” in haku or via the link in race registration confirmation emails to initiate a Transfer.
• Click the Transfer button and follow the prompts. Remember - participants are not transferred until confirmation email is provided by haku!
• A fee will be applied, based on event distance:
• 10 Mile or less = $10
• Half Marathon / Triathlon = $20
• Full Marathon = $25

Please note, these policies are detailed and always easily accessible through the "About HMF" menu on our site: https://www.hartfordmarathon.com/policies/

If the swag for the event being transferred is a shirt, size requests cannot be accommodated for the new participant if made after the deadline (which is listed on each event's "Swag" page under the "Runners" menu). However, we will try our best to get you into that shirt! Size exchanges can be requested on site after the race whenever inventory allows.

If the new registrant wants to use a transferred race bib to run a different race distance, a request for race distance change can be made, assuming the distance is not sold out (Race Distance Change rules will apply).

AS ALWAYS - you can defer race entry if you’d rather save your registration credit and use it toward a future HMF event. Just make sure you request your deferral at least 14 days before the event; a nominal fee will be applied for this service.

As a non-profit organization, we direct registration dollars right back into the race experience, so please remember that registration for HMF events is still non-refundable.

We look forward to seeing you out there this year – visit hartfordmarathon.com to plan your 2020 race calendar!

O’Race 5K Series Insider’s Tip: Know the Course!

As part of our Lucky Friday 5K Training Tips, we’re sharing our best advice each week to get you prepped for our annual series of four back-to-back 5Ks in March.

This week, it’s all about the courses. Become familiar with the route ahead of time and you’ll get the boost in confidence and extra insights you need to guarantee a top o’ the line race experience.


O’Shenanigans 5K, March 14: Work the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail! You’ll hit the car-free, pedestrian zone around mile 1.5 on a gradual uphill. Then, pick up the pace and prepare for a fast downhill to the finish. MAP

Courthouse O’Putnam 5K, March 15: Start out slow to save energy for the second mile. You’ll face two challenging hills in this section of the route, with the steepest just after the 2 mile mark. Have no fear – the last mile is all flat straightaways and downhill. MAP

O’Niantic 5K, March 21: Here’s your competitive edge: get yourself in a good position by the 1.5 mile mark, when you’ll hit some quick turns and narrow roads as you wind through the Cove neighborhood. MAP

O’Hartford 5K, March 22: The good news: there’s only one significant hill during the second mile of the race. Conquer the peak at the 2 mile mark, then use the downhill in Colt Park to get back on pace. MAP


Follow us on Facebook to get a new Lucky Friday 5K Training Tip every week!

Not registered for the series yet? Our annual O’race 5Ks are all about fun, friendly competition, food and fantastic post-race parties to remember! For more information on each race or to register, head to hartfordmarathon.com.