Just ran this on Sunday... nothing to say but good things. Burlington is full of extremely kind, nice people. The course is slightly more difficult then Boston Marathon, with lots more downhills. Crowds are so great. Hills are not as bad as you would think with only one really big hill. Tho I would not do this to qualify for Boston... definitely a tough one.

Every aid station was well supplied. There was an endless supply of water, gatorade, and crowd support, even in the neighborhoods which were further out. My spouse was able to see me in three spots because the marathon goes up and down mainstreet 3-4 times. Some parts have few spectators but they are flat and easy. It ends on a bike path with various lovely views of the lake and mountains... just stunning...

I was in pain those last miles; however, those views really strengthened me and kept me going. I felt really lucky to experience the beauty of VT and the good will of all its people... at 100$ this race is a total Bargain. Expo was fun... got some free pics, cool swag, nice t shirt. Good vibes around. I am so glad I did this! And Burlington, Vermont is just a really nice town... :) Definitely consider it... we had great weather... slighly hot... but still an awesome experience!

Agree with previous comments. A few other things:
LOVED that they had your numbers available the morning of the run. THANK YOU to the folks who got up early to help us w/ that.
There WAS food at the end. Pizza, yogurt, Ben & Jerry's, bagels, etc. They even said 'take a couple of slices' of pizza ... I must have looked hungry.
Real nice course. That hill isn't really a big deal. Just take it easy.
Neighborhood support was fantastic. Even got offered a beer, but it was mile 18 so I passed:)
Burlington is a great town. Loved it there!
I stayed at the Handy Suites. Nice people, great value.
This was state #14 so far this year. Really enjoyed the entire experience.

First the negatives. Lousy 'cotton' shirt. Cmon guys! No pace bands at the expo, don't know why pace groups don't run boston qualifying paces!! I found the course great,residents were awesome with their garden hoses bless them i also liked running on shaded paths on a hot day it made a huge difference did not find the course unduly hilly with the last bump coming at mile 17. And the last 4/5 miles were on a mild downhill.The finish area was great i must have finished earlier than the other runner complaining about lack of food.i have run the big marathons, marine corps, boston,chicago and new york where you are handed a brown bag with food and then shunted out of central park and found the marathon experience here a lot more pleasurable.Congratulations to the race director and thanks to the residents of burlington

The Vermont City Marathon manages to offer the class, organization, and amenities of a big city marathon without the congestion and mass stress those marathons put on resources. Run in Burlington, an idyllic, latte town on the shores of Lake Champlain, the scenery and the support of the citizens combine to make this an excitingly,pleasant Memorial Day Weekend marathon experience. I'll run VCM again!!

2012 was my second VCM (my first having been in 2010). Organizational improvements have been made in the two year interval, and definitely helped. I really like this race, and knowing what to expect this time was an advantage. I had a great time before, during and after the race in Burlington. I did not run a great time, and it was a beautiful day but a bit too sunny and a little too warm for me (hey, what can I expect on Memorial Day weekend?!), but really enjoyed the experience once again. Parts of the course are just beautiful, the people are great, and I just love it in Burlington. One of the 4:00 pacers burned out, but he was great before that, and I burned out, too, so could empathize. Overall, another great experience in VT.

I did this marathon as part of a 50 states quest and absolutely loved it! It is one of the most fun marathons I have ever done! Everything was well organized. The expo was a nice size and had plenty of merchandise. The course was beautiful with one major hill, which was tolerable due to tons of loud cheering spectators. I also liked the course design, which allows runners to pass through the downtown area several times ( also lots of spectators). The course was well supported with plenty of aid stations.

I did not have any problems getting to the start since I stayed at a hotel that had a shuttle to the start. It was also easy getting back to my hotel after the race with the shuttle buses. I liked the medal.
The BEST reason to run this race is the community support, which was INCREDIBLE!! Every neighborhood we ran through had lots of cheering spectators. Most of these spectators offered water, Gatorade, oranges, watermelon, bananas, and ice pops at their own aid stations.

They also offered lots of sprinklers, which felt great on a warm day. Out of 48 marathons I have run, the crowds in Burlington were the best and seemed to really enjoy having the race in their neighborhood. As always, the volunteers were great also. Burlington is also a nice town to visit with plenty of things to do.
The only negative for me was that after the race I had a container of chocolate milk, a bottle of water, and a banana. For me this is just not enough after running 26.2 miles! If there was other more substantial food, it was not to be found.

The shirt is a cotton T shirt instead of a tech shirt. A tech shirt was given out last year so I'm not sure why they changed it.

Overall, a great experience that I would definitely repeat. Do this marathon just to experience the neighborhood support! Don't let a cotton shirt and one hill deter you from a great run. You will have fun!

Loved everything about this race, even the challenging hills.

The course is well done, with its weakest part (fewer spectators, some longish hills) occurring in the first ten miles. Thereafter you make your way, back and forth, through the city, ending with a long, beautiful, quiet, and flat bike path run along the lake (although the lake becomes visible only near the very end).

Spectators are best I've witnessed in a mid-size marathon. Truly supportive and positive. A real help. Everything you've heard about Vermont spirit is real!

Post-race food is very good. Includes (in the two years I've done it) a small cup of Ben and Jerry's. Salt and sweet and cold, minutes after you're done. Reason enough to run it.

If you're driving to the start, settle for the first spot you find on the hill that leads to the start line. Otherwise you will need to be super lucky to find a legal spot.

This was my first KBRVM and my first marathon (that I finished, but that's another story). I ended up finishing a lot slower than I anticipated, but it was pretty muggy and I went out a lot faster than I wanted to, which had a lot to do with the fantastic crowds. My impressions, coming from a first timer:

The Course

The four leaf clover course allows you to pass through the downtown and the throngs of spectators several times, which is great for morale. Two brutal hills (and this is coming from a seasoned Boilermaker veteran).

On the downside, the course got pretty tedious at times, especially running through the twists and turns in suburbia. Two very brutal hills, so be sure you train for those. Some parts get pretty cramped, especially running through the downtown portion and along the lake trails. More water stations than you could shake a stick at.

Crowd

Exceptional! Hardly a spot where you were running with no spectators, and although the crowd on the out and back wasn't great, you doubled back and saw the rest of the field. Nice touch.

Expo & Schwag

Pretty standard hotel expo, great finisher's medal, crummy shirt. Poorly fitted, low quality material, bad sizing. Hey, you don't do it for the shirt, though.

Overall, I'll definitely do this again in the future, but I'll prepare a lot better this time (more hill training). I wouldn't recommend this for a first timer, though, as far as the course is concerned, but its scenic, great crowd support, and a great destination marathon for a long weekend.

Having completed races in 48 of the 50 states, I can say without question that this race is at the top of my list. It has it all, from a beautiful course to the best spectators in the country. There is nothing lacking here. Burlington is a lovely town with great restaurants and a variety of shopping choices. I stayed at the Hilton Burlington which was an ideal location. They have free shuttle service to and from the airport and it is less than a block from the start and finish, not to mention within walking distance of many great places to eat and socialize, eliminating the need for a rental. I was fortunate enough to get a room with a view of Lake Champlain, which was priceless. The expo was very good, much better than those twice the size of this race. Although the weather started out rainy, the skies were clear by mile 5 and remained that way for the rest of the race. It was indeed humid, but being from the south, I was used to it and several homeowners along the course were gracious enough to spray cool water on those who wanted it. The volunteers were plentiful and very kind. I especially appreciate the fact that many wore gloves at the numerous water stations, and the water and gatorade were nice and cool - just what we needed on a such a humid day. Many people complained last year about the difficulty in getting around in the finisher's area and finding their friends and family. However, I had no problem at all finding my mother, who was front and center at the finish line cheering me on, thanks to the great announcer who called my name loud and clear prior to my crossing the finish line. I also very much appreciated all the great nourishment available for everyone upon finishing, especially Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and some great chocolate milk. There is really nothing negative I can say about this race. This was my first time visiting the state of Vermont, but thanks to this race, it will not be my last. I look forward to returning again and again. My warmest appreciation to the race director and fine staff who put together one of the best events in the country. Bravo!!