Coaching Staff
Craftsbury running camps have been a sought after running destination for 40 years. One crucial reason is our coaching. Every session, our coaches share their knowledge of speed, strength and endurance training. Whether you are a long-time runner working on your tenth marathon, a fitness runner hoping to train more progressively or a new runner who wants to advance their fitness and knowledge, our time-tested mix of structured runs, videotape analysis, lectures, drills and circuit training will help you to achieve your goals. Plus, you'll enjoy swapping stories with our coaches on runs and in the dining hall all week!
Alanna McDonough
(she/her) Running Director
This summer will mark Alanna's sixth season with Craftsbury Running Camps. She holds a Masters Degree in Exercise and Sports Studies, and is currently the head cross country coach and assistant track coach at Thomas College in Waterville, ME. Alanna's impressive coaching resume includes coaching stints at Hamilton College, Smith College, Colby College, and Falmouth High School. During her undergrad years at Colby she competed in a little bit of everything but excelled at the mile and steeple chase in which she earned All-American honors. When not running, Alanna likes doing a wide variety of outdoor adventures such as hiking, biking, backpacking, skiing, and hanging out with her cat, Wilbur!
Jefferson Tucker (he / him)
Jeff, is a running and ski coach based in Waterville, Maine. Jeff ran and skied for the Colby College Mules. After graduating, he went on to be a Nordic ski coach for Harvard University, Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club, Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks, and is now the Head Coach of the Quarry Road Ski Club. In addition to his ski coaching, Jeff has coached several running camps at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center (2019, 2021), was the former head Track coach at Craftsbury Academy, and now occasionally helps volunteer coach for the Thomas College XC/TF teams where he can be found forerunning muddy XC courses on a mountain bike or dodging implements as an official at a track meet. Jeff is excited to return to Craftbury this summer, and go for some long dirt road runs, followed by maple creemees of course. When not running or skiing, Jeff enjoys building bike trails, boogie boarding, and taking care of his cat Wilbur.
Sam Davis (he/him)
Sam has been running for over 45 years. Beginning with his collegiate career at the University of Vermont, Sam was a Cross Country Champion and record holder at both the 5,000 Meters (outdoor) and Distance Medley Relay (indoor). As a post-collegiate runner, Sam has had a well-rounded running career competing in the Marathon (2:32 PR), Half Marathon (1:08 PR), 10k (30:00 PR). He was the 2012 inductee into the RunVermont Hall of Fame. In addition, Sam has certifications from USATF (Level 2 Endurance), Road Runners Club of America (Level II), Lydiard Foundation (Level III) and is VDOT O2 and UESCA Certified. He has been the marathon instructor for RunVermont since 2005, and currently he serves as the on-line coach for RunVermont's Rdy2Run training program. Sam works with runners of all abilities including a world record holder and an Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier. Sam has also completed 6 Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim excursions of the Grand Canyon.
Craftsbury is in the backyard of where I grew up and developed my love for running. I thoroughly enjoy helping others as we come together in the shared fellowship of running!
Meg Voisin
Meg Voisin is from Montpelier, Vermont, and will be graduating from MHS this spring! At MHS, she's a captain of the Varsity Track and Field team and has been a part of the program for 6 years. Additionally, she plays soccer in the fall. Her main sport is cross-country skiing, and has been training with the Craftsbury Ski Club since she was in 6th grade. In the fall, she'll be on the Bates College ski team! This will be her 7th summer at Hosmer Point, and her first-ever session was a week-long overnight with Little Bellas, so she's excited to have this full-circle moment and now be a running counselor for the Run and Ride Camp! One way she loves to spend her time other than sports, is practicing perfecting the art of grill marks.
Isabel Vivanco
Isabel’s love of running started when she would join her dad for a jog around the block as a young kid. Coming from Burlington, Vermont Isabel ran cross country, track and Nordic skied throughout middle school and high school. Isabel is currently a rising senior at Smith College where she runs cross country, track and is co-president of the Nordic Ski Club. She has had the opportunity to race at the NCAA Division III Championships during two cross country seasons with her team and loves getting to be part of a fun and motivated group of runners. Isabel grew up Nordic skiing and racing at Craftsbury and is excited to return to run for the first time on the trails. During the summer, she coaches youth track and field in Burlington. When not running, Isabel loves to spend time outdoors, wandering around parks and gardens, reading, kayaking on Lake Champlain and doing puzzles. This is Isabel’s first year coaching at Craftsbury! She is super excited and ready to share her love of running and the outdoors and is looking forward to creating a community around running where all members can gain confidence, find joy and grow.
Jack Pilla
Jack Pilla, from Charlotte, VT has been coaching at Craftsbury since 2016. Jack was late coming into his running career but was always an endurance athlete. After his first marathon in 2001, he continued going farther and longer and started to compete in the ultra events in 2004. Jack can be found running a local fast 5k or traveling to Europe to run a 200+ mile race in the Alps but is happiest when running along mountain summits and on the trails. To date, Jack has run over 80 ultra distance races, 30+ road marathons along with hundreds of other road and trail races. Jack has been a personal running coach since 2009 and was the assistant XC coach for the girls at SB High School. He has certifications from USATF and Road Runners Club of America, is a member of the Green Mountain Athletic Association and is the Pace Team Coordinator for the Vermont City Marathon. Jack currently coaches through The Run Formula and has helped numerous athletes accomplish their running goals whether it’s a win at a 100 mile race, achieving their BQ marathon time or just finishing a challenging 5k.
Craftsbury is a wonderful place to run with fabulous trails and quaint Vermont back roads. I'm looking forward to coaching there again and sharing my experiences and knowledge with many athletes.
Cormac Leahy
My name is Cormac Leahy and I grew up in Greensboro, Vermont. At the age of four, I learned to ski on the Craftsbury trails. When I started to train for ski racing, the Craftsbury Outdoor Center was a second home for me. I attended the Craftsbury High School running camps throughout high school. My love for running and competing was sparked by those camps. I just completed my freshman year of collegiate running at Siena College. When I’m not running, I try to stay as active as possible. Some of my favorite activities include exploring, biking, skiing, and ping pong. I look forward to working with campers this summer in what I hope is my first stepping stone towards becoming a running coach.
Sam Langlois
Sam started running in high school in western Maine where she ran cross country primarily as a training tool for her Nordic ski season. She graduated to trail running while working as backcountry hut crew for the Appalachian Mountain Club and has never looked back. Her adventures on foot (and on skis, bike, and dog sled) have taken her all over the country from Alaska to Maine, as well as New Zealand, Mexico, and the French Alps. Today, Sam coaches runners privately through her own business, Perennial Endurance Coaching, and coaches middle school cross country running, Nordic skiing, and track and field. She is happiest on the trails with a furry friend leading the way. Sam is super excited to be joining the team at Craftsbury this summer. She is looking forward to supporting runners on their personal running journey. Nothing beats a week of run, swim, eat, rest, repeat except when you add a great group of people!
Stephen Kerr
Ever since joining his high school XC team in Central Mass, Stephen has been hooked on endurance sports. They have served both as a gateway for him to discover a greater connection to the natural world, and as a means of connecting with a community of similar values. In 2012, Stephen undertook a cross-country bicycle trip culminating in racing the St. George Ironman Triathlon. His experience instilled a commitment to deep consideration and solitude, as well as the process of committed training and passionate competition. Stephen is a team member of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project as a trail runner, nationally and internationally competitive at short to mid-distance mountain running events. He is a two-time winner of the USATF-NE Mountain Series, and has multiple top-10 finishes at US trail championship events. As a coach, Stephen has been involved with various programs over the past 15 years, initially as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Sutton Middle & High School. In the years since, he has coached individual clients, and has assisted with the Sugarloaf Youth Track program in Western MA. His ethos as a coach and teacher is centered fostering a synergistic approach between playful engagement and goal oriented focus. He lives with his fiancée Charlotte, in Portland, ME, where he spends his time composing and performing music, teaching (and learning) wild edible plants, and taking naps when necessary.
Haley Markos
Haley ran collegiately at Smith College where she is now assistant coaching the cross country and track & field teams while pursuing her masters in exercise science and sports studies. In her time between Smith degrees, she lived in Portland, ME, working in the Portland Public Schools and coaching at Memorial Middle School, Bowdoin College, and the Portland Porpoise Swim Club. In addition to running, Haley has a background in competitive swimming and triathlon. When not outdoors or in the classroom, Haley enjoys musical theater, napping with her cat, and cooking with her friends. 2023 marks Haley's first year at Craftsbury and she could not be more excited to join the team!
JP Krol (he/him)
JP has been running on and off since high school, where he was 5th on his cross country team and now has no memory of his 18 year old self's PR.
JP cycled across the country after his sophomore year at Indiana University, then competed in the storied Little 500 bicycle race. After college, he hiked the Appalachia Trail and fell in love with long days on that sinuous green tunnel. His next logical step was to become a trail runner and has since completed many ultramarathons, including the Vermont 100. He enjoys runs of all types and paces, but his all time favorite place to run is on the rolling dirt roads of New Hampshire's Sandwich Notch with his puppy Felix.
When he isn't running, his favorite activities include reading in bed with his cat, Beast, commuting to work on his gravel bike at Ledge Brewing & spending quality time with his wife Mackenzie and their puppy, Felix. JP is a third year coach at Craftsbury. This Fall will be his third season as the Head Coach at Fryeburg Academy, ME (Go Raiders!). He previously spent three years as the Assistant Coach at Montpelier High School. JP is thrilled to share his enthusiasm for running with Craftsbury’s athletes and explore a new set of dirt roads and swimming holes!
Clare Salerno (she/her)
Clare is thrilled to return to Craftsbury for her third season as a coach. She grew up in Johnson, VT and found running at Girls on the Run in 6th grade. Clare ran cross country throughout middle school and high school and was lucky to have close friends to join for long dirt road running adventures. Clare walked on to Wellesley College’s cross country and track teams and enjoyed participating in a more competitive and close-knit women’s team. After college, Clare spent several years working (and running!) in Washington, DC before returning to Lamoille County in 2021. She works at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture providing grants to farm, food, and forest businesses across the state. In her free time, Clare coaches Girls on the Run and middle school nordic skiing and jumping into local races or going for outdoor adventures. She also enjoys watching soccer, reading YA fiction, coming up with cooking and craft projects, and hanging out with her angora rabbit. Clare looks forward to providing spaces at Craftsbury for everyone to connect and grow through running and to gain confidence in running and life.
Shams Ferver
Shams first fell in love with running when she beat her 6th grade classmates in a race up a hill. The next year she started to run cross country and track at U-32 middle and high school in Montpelier, Vermont. She also was on the Nordic Ski team to U-32. Shams is currently a rising second semester junior at Smith College where she runs cross country, as well as indoor and outdoor track. At Smith, Shams has raced at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships twice, and recently became a NSCA All-American.
When Shams is not running she enjoys doing other outdoor activities like hiking and swimming. Last summer she hiked over half of the Long Trail but unfortunately could not complete the entirety of it due to heavy endless rain storms. She will return and complete the Long Trail in the future. Another goal of hers is to explore as many swimming holes in Vermont as possible.
Shams was a member of the Craftsbury Nordic Ski club in 2019 and 2020. She also participated in the Craftsbury running camps in the summers of 2016, 2017, and 2018. She is still friends with her roommate from her last camp, and they see each other every summer. This will be Shams’ first time coaching at Craftsbury and she is so excited to share her love and knowledge of running with others. She feels like this is a full circle experience because Craftsbury as a whole encouraged Shams’ enthusiasm for running.
Tara Nelson
Tara is a native of the Northeast Kingdom and the Assistant Athletic Director at Northern Vermont University’s Lyndon campus. She started running in high school and has done 13 marathons and numerous road races throughout the years. She also enjoys swimming and loves the beach. She is thrilled to be a first-year coach!
Thorin Markison (he/him)
From the dairy farming/ hippie tradition of Vermont I’ve been an aficionado of barefoot running long before it became trendy. Manure feels remarkably good after trodding on thistles.
I was exclusively a runner through school, but various circumstances led me to find the joy in multi sport training and racing- triathlon and adventure races- though running will always be my first love.
A carpenter by trade, I use the quiet time of winter to put in miles, on Vermont back roads or trails of a warmer clime that calls to me.
I am relishing the opportunity to share in the joy of self propelled locomotion with this wonderful community.
Emma Pyles (she/her)
Hi everyone! My name is Emma Pyles and I am from Amherst, New Hampshire. I am a recent graduate of Connecticut College. At Conn, I ran cross country as well as indoor and outdoor track where I focused on the 5k and 10k. I started running through the Girls on the Run program in third grade and have returned as a running buddy and coach in recent years. Out of season, I also love to run outdoor adventure races such as Winter Wild, Ragnar, and recently gave the marathon a try in Rome. In my free time, when not running, you can find me hiking, nordic skiing, reading, or knitting!
I am so excited to be joining the Craftsbury Running Camps again this summer. I am looking forward to sharing my love of running with other athletes and can’t wait for some great runs and fun this summer!
Grace Erholtz
My running career began in 6th grade when I determined that I liked the running around part of soccer more than the game itself. After recently finishing my college running career, I am excited to be able to share my love for running at camp this summer!
Richarda Ericson
Richarda (she/her) is a social impact consultant with a background in conservation, sustainable agriculture, health equity and community organizing. She lives and works in Montpelier, Vermont, where she loves to explore the roads, trails, and especially tracks nearby with her running sneakers on, and ideally a running partner or two by her side. She is also a personal trainer and running coach with expertise working with women of all ages and experience. Richarda attended the Women’s Running Retreat a couple years ago and is thrilled to come back this year as the Head Coach. When not running or working, she loves doing Wordle with her spouse, following her three teenagers around to soccer and ultimate frisbee fields, and throwing a ball to her crazy black lab Caspian (named after the lake in nearby Greensboro).