This one time during a run race, my dear friend Will lost me in a port-o-potty and presumed me unconscious or possibly dead from heat exhaustion before he tried to beat down the door to rescue me.
True story. Seriously.
Oh wait, that’s the wrong race, wrong story, but the right friend.
This is a story about the Carbon Valley Half Marathon (CVHM) and all the craziness Will has brought to it to raise money for autism research.
Click here if you’re one of those people who likes to skip to the end want to go ahead and donate for 2022!
Will, Monica, and their two boys Hunter and Logan, have participated in the Carbon Valley half marathon and 5k every year since it’s start in 2013.
They do this because it’s literally right out their back door and because Hunter strives each day on the spectrum.
Will started coming up with clever ways to fundraise, which is also how he became not only a half marathon runner, but a 100-mile ultramarathon runner and every stupid distance in between. This is a journey through his craziness over the past 10 years.
There once was a family named the Vickers. The Vickers’s son Hunter had been diagnosed with autism. The Vickers’s town was getting ready to host a half marathon for autism research.
The Vickers were not runners.
But then Will decided to run it.
Then, Monica decided to run it.
Next, Hunter decided to run it.
And finally, Logan decided to run it.
Will said, “I knew I had to do something to help with this after watching how (my son) struggles with school and with friends and all of the therapies he has to do.”
And even though Monica still doesn’t consider herself a runner (which is silly because if you run you’re a runner), she has run this half marathon every year until last year, when she took over as the race’s president. She struggled through the distance, the pain, and often the heat, to honor Hunter’s daily struggle and that keeps her moving forward, one foot at a time.
She says, “Hunter doesn’t get to quit when it gets hard, so neither do I.”
The rest is history (as you’ll soon see).
Anyway, let’s journey through a photo history of the Vickers Family’s clever support/fundraising for this very, very, very special race.
2013 – Will’s First Half Marathon
Will runs his first half marathon distance. Will had only ever run 5Ks before this–just an extra 10 miles tacked on…no big deal, right Will?
Moni went for the 5K distance!
2014 – Moni’s First CVHM/Will’s First 100-Mile Run
Team Vickers grew to include the whole Vickers family–aunts, uncles, grandparents–as well as several friends.
Oh, but wait, this is where the plot thickens. This was the year Will’s fundraising strategies started going off the deep-end to actual Crazy Town.
You see, Will realized the ticket to fundraising is making lofty goals. So, in exchange for donations to Carbon Valley’s autism research goal, he declared his commitment to finish the Leadville 100 later that summer.
And he did.
2015 – A New House on the CVHM Course
Will and Monica move to a house that happens to be on the Carbon Valley course.
Monica goes for the half marathon distance and crushes it. She’s also the top fundraiser for 2015.
2016 – 4 Laps of the CVHM Course
Will let his creative juices fly and decides to celebrate the 4th Annual Carbon Valley Half Marathon by running the half marathon course 4x in a row–that’s a total of 52.4 miles.
No big deal, right?
Will and his equally crazy friend Steve started running at midnight to perfectly time their final lap to start with the rest of the runners.
When they were finished, they both decided it was harder than running 100 miles.
2017 – CV Cinco (CVHM Course 5 Days in a Row)
Will was determined to one-up his effort in 2016, but decided doing 5 loops at once is too much.
So instead, we ran the half marathon course five days in a row. Muuuuuch easier!
Except for the one night with the lightning storm or the next day in the snow when I lost a glove.
But besides that, it was ridiculously satisfying…
2018 – Hunter’s First CVHM
This was such a special day.
Hunter braved a brutally rainy and windy day to compete his first half marathon. He kept moving through the cold and the mud and yet, still had energy to run around in circles at the finish line.
And even though John Elway didn’t come to his after party, we celebrated the day like crazy.
2019 – Hunter’s Second CVHM and Leadville Heavy Half
Hunter’s dedication to finishing the CVHM for a second year earned him a plaque.
Honestly. I couldn’t be prouder if I tried.
But that’s not even close to the most important part of 2019.
Hunter has watched his dad finish so many incredibly difficult trail races, he set his sights on Leadville for 2019.
Not only did he finish his second CVHM, he made his way to Leadville the next month for the Leadville Heavy Half Marathon–aptly named “heavy” because of it’s 15.5 miles and elevations starting at 10,200′.
It’s not for the faint of heart, but luckily Hunter’s braver than most.
If you do nothing else today, please watch Hunter’s Leadville Heavy Half video. It’s easily one of my favorite things.
2020 – Ruined by COVID
2021 – Logan’s First CVHM
Logan. Where do I even start with Logan?
Just thinking about this day brings a big dumb smile to my face.
This kid is quiet, yet lethally athletic.
So it came as absolutely no surprise when, in 2021, Logan decided to run the half marathon course.
Not only did he get himself to the finish line, despite the heat and distance, but he landed second place in his age group.
This kid. So proud. He got two medals that day.
2022 – CVHM President Moni
For 2022, let’s celebrate Monica in her big transition as president of the Carbon Valley Half Marathon and 5K, which technically happened last year, but I didn’t give her the honor or credit she deserves last year.
Let’s give it up for Moni!!
This is a different type of challenge–one that doesn’t necessarily require callused feet and unreal physical toughness.
Monica works full time and she raises two boys. She takes care of EVERYONE. She doesn’t have a ton of spare time. And yet, this race is her heart and soul. This is her baby.
This year, for the first time in 10 years, let’s support Monica’s efforts.
This endeavor requires as much mental toughness as any ultramarathon ever could. Probably more.
This lady works so hard. And it’s time we work just as hard for her.
Let’s show up on race day, or donate, or volunteer, or do all of the above.
How You Can Support Our Moni
So without further adieu, please give back to the lady who gives so much to us by doing any or all of the following.
- Share this post on social media.
- Donate to Hunter’s fundraising page (all donations go to Children’s Hospital Colorado and research through the Autism Treatment Network). Click here to donate.
- Join us on Saturday, May 7th for the Fun Run (1 mile), 5k, half marathon relay, or half marathon–so there’s a distance for everyone. Walk, run, or crawl…no excuses! Click here to register.
- Don’t like running or walking or crawling? Fair enough. Come volunteer! Click here to sign up.
The Pickle Writer 