With Avengers 2 blowing up the box office this weekend, the Maximoff twins currently are the trending twins. But we think it’s time for the Rammelkamp’s to take that spotlight, for a couple of reasons: a.) the Rammelkamp’s are real and not a comic book creation, and b.) they actually are very fast and don’t depend on CGI to get through races at incredible speeds. As we continue our Vermont City Marathon invited field coverage, we turn our attention to Derek & Thomas Rammelkamp. Although each will get their own profile, it’s tough to talk about one without mentioning the other.

Before we get to the interview, let’s take a look at the highlights:

Town: Alexandria, Virginia
Originally from: Miller Place, New York
College & Year: Wagner College 2011, Stony Brook University 2014
Occupation: Physical Therapist
Club Affiliation: Capital Area Runners
Recent Race Highlights: Long Island Marathon 5/5/2013, 4th place 2:38:45
Rock n Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon 9/15/2013, 65th place 1:12:40
Atlantic City Half Marathon 10/13/2014, 7th place 1:14:39
Shelter Island 10K 6/7/2014, 8th place 33:24
Hartford Marathon 10/11/2014, 10th place 2:32:32
Anthem Shamrcok Half Marathon 3/22/2015, 20th place 1:11:00
Marathon PR: 2:32:32 in 2014 at NU Hartford Marathon
Half Marathon PR: 1:11:00 in 2015 at Anthem Shamrock Half Marathon
Other Racing Highlights: Member of 2014 Hartford Marathon New England’s Finest Program.

Here we have our interview with Thomas, who since the end of March has been competing with the Capital Area Runners squad:

How did you survive the winter? Do you think you have an advantage over runners in the north due to milder conditions around you?

Layers! Wearing lots of layers outside this winter was essential for keeping warm. Unfortunately this makes for a terribly long laundry day. Other then that I did have a fair amount of treadmill miles which is more of a mental challenge for most runners. Coming from NY I am used to a rough winter so conditions in the DC area were pleasant for me. There were definitely days where I was able to get out and complete a workout where my brother back in NY could not due to weather conditions. So maybe I did have a slight advantage in training but most distance runners will find a way to make it work no matter what the environmental barrier is.

Have races results been good so far this year?

This year has been going very well, I ran two half marathons to prepare for VCM. I ran the Shamrock Half Marathon in Virginia Beach on 3/22 and the Atlantic City April Fools Half Marathon on 4/12. Shamrock was a great race, I ran 1:11:00 which was a PR by about 1:40. I happened to tie that time of 1:11:00 at the AC half which I take as a good sign considering that I didn’t back off my training at all for that race.

First time at VCM? What does it mean to be a part of the invited runner field?

First Time VCM’er! Being a part of the Invited field will be a great experience. It is something that will give me confidence at the race and moving forward as a runner. It is really something special to be able to compete with such a talented field of athletes. This is an experience that I look forward to and am grateful to be apart of.

What goal are you aiming for there?

First goal is always to get to the starting line healthy. Second goal is always to finish the race. Third goal will be for time, realistically I think I am in shape to run anywhere from 2:27 to 2:30. 2:27 will be a good goal for me if conditions are ideal on race day. Last goal will be to have fun and to make the most of this experience.

What’s your favorite distance?

Tough question! While the marathon is certainly where my training has and will be focused I love jumping in a 5k or 10k to run something faster every now and then.

What is your biggest strength as a runner?

My biggest strength would have to be my mental toughness. Specifically being able to maintain a positive outlook and trust my training whenever I have a tough workout or poor performance at a race. Being able to focus on the next event and putting the past behind is so huge if you want to move forward as a runner.

How would you describe the competitive relationship with your brother?

Derek and I have been competitive with one another since high school and throughout college. I used to get hung up on comparing my performance to his but the past few years I have really tried to just focus on my own times and my own performance. Losing to my brother certainly gives me a little extra spark to bump up my training but I will always congratulate him on his performances.

How often do you guys compete at the same bigger races?

Derek and I will try to do mostly the same races. It certainly helps with pacing to have someone that is equal to or close to your ability level to run with during the race. It also helps cut costs when you need to split a hotel room!

Fill in the blanks…

Derek beats me at       Madden_(with the Buffalo Bills)            
I beat Derek at      Words with Friends             

Lastly, did you get one of those giant posters from being part of NE’s Finest at Harford? Just what exactly does one do with that?

The poster was somewhat of a joint poster between the two of us but it had Derek’s picture on it so let him keep it. Last I remember it was collecting dust, maybe he will get to hanging it up somewhere in the future.

As amazing a memento those posters undoubtedly make, it must cost a small fortune to frame them. Maybe that should be added to the prize purse in Hartford? Anyway, looking forward to seeing how Thomas does in Vermont. He certainly has positioned himself well for success on race day.