The first running of this point-to-point marathon boasted enthusiastic crowd support, a few hundred appreciative runners, and an impressive contingent of tireless, endlessly cheery and encouraging volunteers, especially remarkable, given that it rained much of the time. Plenty of water and gatorade, lilacs in full bloom, two GU stops, plentiful portajohns, an adorable boy band, belly dancers (!), lots of excellent food at the end, great t-shirts and handmade pottery medallions - what more could you want? (Well, since you ask, I could have done without the hills between miles 11 and 13.)

Congratulations and thanks to the race management and all of the volunteers. This was a great effort, especially for the inaugural event, and also especially since it was pouring the entire time. Plus, the race was point-to-point, logistically the toughest to manage and of course the most fun for the runners. The course was beautiful, lots of dirt roads and beautiful vistas, and not as hilly as I expected, although I could have done without the mountain at about mile 13! There were plenty of water stops manned by lots of enthusiastic (although soaking wet) volunteers and there were also quite a few spectators given the continuous downpour and the very rural nature of the course. Traffic control was exemplary, and the course was well-marked. The food was great and there was plenty of it (and it was under a huge tent). I loved the live music at the start; somebody please tell those two kids that they were awesome. There were quite a few port-a-potties along the course, an unexpected treat! And also there were gender-specific technical t-shirts - how often do you see that? The finisher's medals were ceramic and quite attractive. Finally, cheers to the musicians and the belly-dancers along the course.

So thanks, everybody, for a job well done. Your hard work, organization and thoughtfulness were much appreciated.
Let's hope there's a number 2!

This is a brutal course. The course was described as '...a point-to-point race from Bennington to Manchester Center, Vermont. The course follows mainly secondary roads through the villages of North Bennington, Shaftsbury, and Arlington, the campus of Bennington College, and rural countryside. Sections of the course will be closed to traffic. There is a net elevation loss of 160 feet, with 500 feet of vertical gain between Miles 2 and 13. The last six miles of the course are flat. About nine miles consist of hard-packed dirt, with the remainder of the surface paved.'

I would have described it differently. More like the 1st 13 miles are generally up hill with a 500 ft elevation gain between miles 2 and 13...

I was shocked at the overwhelming local support. I expected a few people cheering but there were a lot of people standing in the pouring rain cheering us on.

We could have used more porta potties at the start line.

In my humble opinion it was a well organized and a fun event. I will be back if they offer it again.

First off: Great volunteers, great organization, great value for your registration fee.

Even with the constant, and at times driving, rain it was easy to get caught up enjoying the scenic vistas along the course. Unfortunately, given the sometimes back road nature of this course it was also quite possible to get completely lost if not for the abundant course volunteers who were as appreciative to see me as I was to see them (if that was even possible). I am glad that I didn't try to drive the course the night before or I might still be driving around looking for my next turn.

However, the constantly shifting alignment of the course breaks up any chance that monotony will set in and when combined with the 'New England rolling' terrain it provides an excellent opportunity to engage different muscle groups every couple thousand feet. Placing the major uphill climbs at the end of the first half helps improve possibilities for a negative split while reducing the 'wall' to more of a 'fence'. However, there is a major downgrade in the second mile that can lure the unwary (like myself) into going out much harder than planned as they approach the covered bridge near the 5k mark.

This was by far the BEST POST RACE FOOD selection I have experienced at ANY MARATHON that didn't require a VIP ticket. Baked goods a plenty, sandwiches, yogurt, milk, juice, HOT COFFEE (oh so welcome after 3+ hours of running in the rain), fruit, ice cream, pasta salad, and more. The only thing missing that I have enjoyed at another event was a big bowl of chili (but being mid-May...maybe not on most people's radar).

The porcelain finishers medals and Overall Winner awards provided a unique touch as did the jugs of Maple Syrup Age Group awards. Finisher shirts were simple and stylish (good use of logo on black tech-T) and having dry clothes (did I mention it was rainy?) available right at the finish line was excellent.

The only drawbacks I experienced on this course were the inconsistent camber and pothole/puddles on the unpaved road segments and the speedy drivers who were obviously unaware of our presence along these segments.

It was great to have race day packet pickup because it didn't force me to lose an entire weekend to travel just to ensure I picked up my bib the previous day. An extra portajohn or two at the start could help, especially as this event grows (if this isn't just a one off event), but having the opportunity to enjoy the exhibits inside the museum provided a nice distraction from the standard pre-race boredom/anxiety.

An excellent first edition of a marathon. It was my 49th marathon and I rank the course among the best  even though I couldn't see all the beautiful mountains they being enshrouded in clouds. The only organizational glitch was the lack of port-a-potties at the start. The volunteers were fantastic, the race director responsive to questions before the race, aid stations ample, and wonderful food at the finish (although signs indicating that the food was for participants might ensure that those finishing later on had a sufficient supply). I hope the 1st running will be followed by an annual event. While I live in the area, I can imagine that this marathon could draw like Lake Placid and is a much more runner-friendly course than Schroon Lake.

I give the whole experience 5 stars.

H.W.A.

This was my 49th marathon and it was one of the most scenic marathons, as well as the hardest. The Vermont territory has many hills and this race is not a PR or Boston qualifier race. It is a race to enjoy a well organized and great supported event. For first time event they did a great job with all water stops, road support and total race organization. The race was run under a very wet and rain day, the course has about 9 to 10 miles on dirt roads, so these had some mud issues. The course had many more spectators than most rural races and even had a belly dancer group showing off their stuff. For future changes-more parking at the start, signs at turns(hard to see green paint on wet roads), improve the finish area(the grass field need cutting) and a better map at the website. If you are looking for a Vermont marathon really consider this one, it is a old Vermont history at its best.

I loved this race. It's hilly but it's manageable. The towns of Bennington and Manchester are beautiful; it's like being at a country club. The shirt, medal, and post-race food were really good. The people are very friendly and the scenery is absolutely gorgeous. What I would work on is not allowing family members to drive along the small country roads next to the runners looking for their runner. It was very unsafe I felt like I was going to be hit by a car several time. The organizers need to make several meeting spots along the race course so that there are fewer cars on the road. Overall, I highly recommend this race.