By Duncan Nixon
Correspondent
Although it was decided that, for safety reasons that Lake Monticello would have no fireworks on the Fourth of July in 2025, the traditional Spirit Run and the traditional swim across the lake continued. The Spirit Run is held starting at 7 a.m. The race got off on time starting at the Bunker ball field and continuing for 5K (approximately 3 miles) mostly over the cart paths of the Lake Monticello golf course. Every year, there are over 100 participants. The early start time is designed to miss the possibly stifling heat that can assault Central Virginia in early July. This year the weather was nearly perfect.
Most who run are not competing to win, although there are metals for various age groups. For many, the run is a nice way to warm up for the holiday and at least two families fielded 10 or more participants stretching over three generations. Some participants trot along pushing strollers and some trot along with their dogs. There are also serious elite runners in the field.
This year the men’s competition yielded a first-time winner for the second year in a row. Chris Aldrich, who ran track and cross country for UVA finished in an impressive time of 17:16 with a comfortable lead over multi-time Spirit Run winner Matt Barresi.
In the women’s competition, there always seems to be a first-time winner and that pattern continued in 2025. Sophie Farley, who ran in a patriotic American flag inspired outfit, was first across the line in an impressive time of 18:19. John Platt and his early rising crew of volunteers ran an efficient operation as usual.
The lake swim used to be held in the afternoon with a 3 p.m. start time. The swim has now been moved to a 10 a.m. start which avoids the possibly scorching heat. With the two event starting times so close together, few can participate in both events. This year over 100 participants swam the lake from Beach 3 to the Main Beach, which is a swim of slightly less than a quarter mile. Serious open water swimmers would consider it a sprint, but it is quite a challenge for most who elect to participate.
This year’s men’s swim was won by a repeat winner. Cooper Dillman from Richmond won as he did in 2024. Dillman has just graduated from high school, and he said that he will be attending Oakland University in the fall. Dillman was first out of the water by a wide margin. For the women, the first finisher was 15-year-old Isabelle Thompson. She is a rising sophomore who is currently home schooled.
Of course, the swim is closely monitored to insure that all the swimmers finish.
