51 YEARS RUNNING
$51,000 for 51 Years of the GMR!
Every spring, Burke Mountain Academy athletes take on one of the school's most memorable traditions: the GMR.
DONATE FORM
JOIN THE RUN IN REAL TIME
In 24 hours, Burkies run the length of Vermont, 211 miles, up Rt 100, from the Massachusetts border to Canada, traveling through the night in what's ultimately an exhausting, funny, sometimes chaotic, competitive (any record holders out there?), and meaningful 24 hours that reinforces our sense of community, which defines the Burke experience.
GMR Gives is an opportunity for alumni, families, friends, and supporters to follow the run in real time while supporting the student-athletes who make this tradition possible.
This year, we’re introducing text updates.
We promise not to overload your phone; messages will only be sent during the GMR Gives campaign. Use the QR Code or text the number below to opt-in!
Text 844-536-0655 to opt in.
The Birth of the GMR
In the winter of 1975, two BMA staff members were turning over ideas for how to keep the athletes motivated through mud season. The competition calendar was winding down, but the Burke drive to train, to challenge, and to do something just a little wild was still burning.
“What if, we ran the entire length of Vermont..”
It was the kind of half-serious idea that could only come from Burke — part training plan, part community builder, 100% type-two fun. Run the entire length of Vermont, on foot, as a relay. From the Canadian border to Massachusetts.
There was only one route that made sense: Route 100, Vermont’s most iconic road, winding through the spine of the Green Mountains and past every major ski area in the state. It didn’t actually touch either border, but that detail was sorted out, quite literally, on the run.
It was when a student's mom reached into her purse and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. “I’ll pay you to run it.”
With that, a fundraiser was born. That first year, the Green Mountain Run raised $40,000 for BMA. Even more importantly, it brought the community together after a long winter of ranked, individualized competition. It gave students something to chase together.
The Green Mountain Run — or GMR — became a tradition. Each year since, students have taken to Route 100 in a 211-mile, all-hands-on-deck relay, running in shifts, cheering from vans, staying up all night, and sharing one of the most unforgettable adventures.
JENNY BRUELL FISHER '01
Director of Advancement
jbruellfisher@burkemtnacademy.org
802-427-8018