I enjoyed the marathon because it was so well organized with good aid stations and food after the race. Since it is a well marked, certified course, it was a good opportunity to practice running a marathon without all the craziness of a big-city marathon. The scenery is beautiful on the islands and the dirt roads make it a very enjoyable course. The out-and-back nature of it also allow the runners to cheer each other on and see how their friends are doing.

Magnificient scenery. The course is well marked, but it isn't flat. I expected to PR but there were too many rolling hills. Suggestion: charge an extra $5 and add more water stations and food along the route.

This marathon was my 12th, and it delivered as promised in the race promotions. The course was beautiful, with rolling hills, sections of dirt roads to give your legs a rest, and gorgeous views of the lake and the fall foliage. There were a couple of short, steeper hills toward the end of the course that I found very difficult, but i think that was more my fatigue than the actual hills. The spectators are few and far between (typical in a race this size) but they are helpful and energetic.

My two 'complaints' about the race: I showed up at 6:20 to pick up my number and shirt the night before the race, when the race lit. advertised pick up starting at 6:30. Even though i was 10 minutes early, they had already started and were nearly out of smalls, despite having us select a race size when we entered. This is universal in my experience for race directors think about your demographic!! We're runners, thus we tend to be smaller and don't want to swim in our shirts (that advertise your race), so buy more smalls!!
Second, an aide station every 3 miles wasn't quite enough. Pushing them to every 2 miles would go a long way to helping runners on the route stay better hydrated.

overall a great experience!

This marked my 11th marathon. Despite getting in at 12:15 a.m. because of a delayed NY flight, and despite sleeping only 5 hours... this was the best marathon experience I ever had. The views were beautiful and DISTRACTING, which is exactly what you need. The lake, the homes, the trees with their beautiful colors... all things I will never forget. Gave me lots of time to reflect about why I run and how running has changed my life! I will run this marathon every year. I have run the 35,000-runner marathons and you know, running with 240-250 runners was the best ever. I felt like they were all my friends on this quest to fulfill a dream. Run this marathon for a memory you will never forget!

-Margaret Peralta

This was my first-ever marathon back in '86, I think. The way this race lays out just happens to be to my liking. You can see enough folks so you won't get lost, and still have the pure awesome experience of running along the lake in the fall in Vermont. Very nice! Views to die for. Weather... well it's still a nice race... lol. Count on the wind to be a factor, but enough about that. I would highly recommend this race for anyone who is not married to the hoopla of a big-city race (those are nice too, but...). Come run with us and enjoy.

For such a small town holding a marathon, and this being my first, I thought it was put together very well. I really enjoyed the scenery, the support and the route. The people along the way (water stops, etc.) were great! Many thanks to all who helped in the event. Volunteers are who make it!

Massive rain and a disappointing personal performance due to a torn calf muscle at 6.5 miles, and I still think it was a great race. Not for those who want constant screaming crowds, but perfect for a peaceful rural experience, with enough runners and spectators so as not to be totally alone, but plenty of 'space.' Plenty of eats at the end, nice simple organization, nearly flat course.

Green Mountain might be the best value marathon there is - $22 gets you a great race, well supported aid stations and an out-and-back course with great scenery of Lake Champlain. I highly recommend this slightly rolling course, which is 50% packed dirt trails.

I ran the Green Mountain Island Marathon as my first marathon in 1982, which became the Green Mountain Marathon shortly thereafter. So it was sort of a homecoming to return and run it again this year. Not much has changed! It's a small, well-organized, basic, beautiful race run along the shores of Lake Champlain. The foliage and views of the lake and islands this year were stunning, even for Vermonters who see it all the time.

If you like small (150 runners this year) races, dirt roads, rolling hills, and quiet countryside, come run GMM. It definitely evokes an era when running was simple and understated, but you still get amenities like a long-sleeve t-shirt, adequate aid stations, good post-race food, and a nice medal. The course is a fair test, although not especially hilly for Vermont. Nonetheless, the winds are the big variable for this race. When they blow like they did this year, they increase the challenge quite a bit. I've run well both times here regardless, and quick times are definitely attainable on a good day.

GMM is a great low key race with fabulous scenery. The volunteers were extremely cheerful and encouraging, which was nice since they are really the only spectators on the course. The course is mostly flat with a few rolling hills and one big hill at mile 24. It follows Lake Champlain and you have some really incredible views all along the route. While the foliage was 'past peak' in the mountains, the lowland areas were still full of color and beautiful. We got lucky and despite a forecast of rain the clouds cleared just before the start and we had great weather for the race until the wind picked up. The wind is definitely a factor, in our face most of the way back and very strong, but thankfully when we made the last turn the wind was at our backs for the final mile dash to the finish.

Having the school gym for pre- and post-race stretching, warm-up, and bag storage is a real plus. If you need crowds, this isn't the race for you, but if you like small well organized races with great views, this is a fantastic race at an incredibly cheap price! Oh, you may want to carry a water bottle, the water stations are every 3 miles so if you need to hydrate more frequently you'll want to have your own source.