What a perfect day for the 2026 Heady Trotter Race! It was the epitome of a glorious fall day in Vermont — blue skies, peak foliage, and a festive outdoor atmosphere for the runners who came from all around Vermont — and the entire east coast — to run this 4-miler in beautiful Stowe, Vermont.
On top of that, the race sold out and GMAS unlocked a generous $10K match from the Vermont Community Foundation. Through raffle ticket sales, participant donations, and incredible support from our partners we were able to surpass that, and exceed the challenge. In fact, we totalled just shy of $30,000 for the day. (It’s not too late to donate!)
“We are so grateful to everyone who donated through their online donations when registering for the race, and through the purchase of raffle tickets. Money was also raised through the sales of delicious Cheddy Topper grilled cheese sandwiches, rice balls by Miso Hungry and the highly coveted Heady Trotter beanies,” commented Cynthia Needham, GMAS’s co-founder and president. “It was a massive team effort, and with this community’s support, we are so grateful to have reached the fundraising goal!”
It’s because of our partners and volunteers
GMAS extends a huge thank you to our partners: the Vermont Community Foundation for the $10K match; and also to the awesome crew at Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company who donated 100% of its Cheddy Topper grilled cheese sandwiches’ sales over the course of 2.5 days; and to our new partner, Miso Hungry, for donating their time, energy, and 20% of their sales. It goes without saying that we are also extremely thankful to the Alchemist Brewery for selecting GMAS as the charity partner, and to the Great American Brewery Runs for putting the event together annually.
“Team Miso has worked festivals and events all over the Northeast for a decade and Heady Trotter is always one of our favorites of the year! The whole day is just full of great people, a welcoming and compassionate community and of course fantastic music, food and beer. We are so happy to be a part of it all and to help raise money for GMAS.”
GMAS also applauds all of the volunteers who helped at the race by distributing bibs, serving as course marshals, selling raffle tickets, tending to the GMAS tent, distributing food and water to the racers, and donating their time and energy through kindness, generosity and dedication.
That the day was so great
Friends. Family. Fall foliage. Heady Topper in the afternoon (and perhaps even a little before that?). Food trucks. Live music. Lawn games. What’s not to love? Heady Trotter 2026 did not disappoint. It was so fun, I even saw a few race participants call family and friends to come join them at The Alchemist Brewery to take part in the festivities. When the world famous Cheddy Topper grilled cheese sandwiches and Miso Hungry rice balls are flowing, it would be a bummer to miss out. In fact, we’re already plotting for next year and how to make it more memorable. Ideas are welcome!
Some of the adaptive athletes meeting up after the race.
And we can make adaptive sports accessible
Thank you again to the whole community — race participants, sponsors, partners, board members and our amazing volunteers. It’s because of you that GMAS can make adaptive sports accessible to Vermonters with disabilities. We are grateful.
Hope to see you next year!
Next year marks the 10-year Anniversary of the Heady Trotter. Be sure to save the date: October 17, 2027! We are already coming up with ways to make the experience all the more special. If you have ideas, shoot them our way at info@greenmtnadaptive.org. We can’t wait to make the celebration even more spectacular, and to see you again next year!