Vermont City Marathon - Race Reviews

This course has always had a lot of twists and turns and variety but it no longer tours all the city as it was a reduced to a double loop course recently. Cheaper for the organizers, less of an experience for the runners. Gone is the best part of the bike path with views of the lake.

A wonderful race to do to get Vermont in if you are trying for 50 states as I am. Logistics are easy as the airport is only a few miles to downtown Burlington. Plenty of motels, Airbnbs and restaurants to choose from. The town is clean and safe, although there are some homeless folks in the area like most cities. The expo was the best I have attended of the 3 marathons I have done this year. A nice selection of vendors and free samples of items from several venders. I really liked they had a CPR brief training you could take, just in case you need to use it on another racer. The two loop course was very nice. It was hillier than I thought, not a lot of elevation gain, but long gradual up hill climbs. Also a bit warm, especially during the 2nd loop. The fan support was much greater than I anticipated and the 'cherry on top' was running down Church Street. The neighborhood areas had residents out with water cooling hoses and freeze pops! Race organization was excellent and a special thank you the bicycle EMT that helped me when I took a fall around mile 19! The swag was very good with a nice shirt, medal and a runners hat at the end. The finish area had pizza, beer, soda, chocolate milk and snacks. I thought for sure they would offer Ben and Jerry's or a maple creamee as they are a local favorites, but they did not. I really liked this race and highly recommend it.

I have run this marathon 20 times and have always loved it UNTIL this year. Organizers changed course to a double loop and added more neighborhoods. I was extremely disappointed.

2 loops through beautiful Burlington were terrific fun. The spectators were wild: drum kits and deep bases on many front lawns! The mix of relay runners ensured big spectator crowds. Running up Main St.'s short hill, 2 city blocks, was a breeze with loud throngs yelling their lungs out. I liked the loop format, as you knew what to expect in the back half, and could really let it out on the bike path return to the city. So pretty to view boats, lake, and long views of the Adirondacks. Very well organized. Terrific support. Don't miss New England's 2nd largest marathon! (Only gotcha: The tracking app does not allow your fans to track you if you don't carry a phone. Splits could be posted online, no?)

This was a much larger race than I had expected for Vermont. Organization is fantastic with several email reminders in the weeks leading up to the race. The area is absolutely beautiful, and the crowd support was amazing. I think some families in the neighborhoods just sat out and cheered for 4 or 5 hours. The course is tough, and the double-loop (figure 8) means you get to 'enjoy' a big hill at mile 6 and again at mile 19. There's also a smaller hill within the first mile that comes up again before mile 6, around mile 14, and before mile 19. The weather was beautiful on race day, but it warmed up quickly. I don't think there were many negative splits this year! I recommend staying in one of the downtown hotels or B&Bs. Everything is very walkable if you're in the downtown area. The Church Street Market is a neat, car-free shopping district in the center of downtown (and part of the racecourse). Pascolo was a good place to carbo load the night before the race, but you'll definitely want to make reservations in advance.

We've been waiting since the postponed 2020 marathon to run this marathon. Pros: Beautiful, scenic course of rolling hills through downtown Burlington, neighborhoods, parks and along Lake Champlain. Enthusiastic, friendly spectators, especially in neighborhoods and downtown. Expo was easy to navigate. Nice kids runs the day before race. Nice medal. Cons: Course is two loops repeated, psychologically hard to know that a long steady hill is going to be waiting for a second go at mile 19-20. I loved the scenery but wish that not all of it was repeated. This race has many more relay runners than folks running the full. So fresh runners are constantly zipping by and exhausted marathons almost immediately spilled out into a crowd of spectators and relay runners and had to totter over to a line for runners food tent. I wish that had been set up as one chute instead. Hotel HQ not close to race start- had I realized that sooner I would have booked a hotel downtown instead. A bit warm this year- 50s at start, 70s when I finished. Overall a lovely, challenging run with terrific local support. I'm glad I came to run it!

3 years ago I did this race and they cancelled after a few hours because it got hot. In the summer...Seriously. WTH? After 3 years of being angry about it I signed up again, mostly because it was the only Vermont race I could make work with my schedule and as we're waiting for the start they announce they need to evacuate the park, because rain is coming. Are you serious? The rain came and went and we started about an hour late so it was hot, but surprisingly they didn't cancel again, but all those angry feelings came back. Only do this race if you want to go to Burlington for no reason, and treat the race as a happy accident IF it happens. This race is utterly ridiculous.

This was my first time running the Vermont City Marathon and wow - what a race! First off, Burlington is a great little New England city with wonderful restaurants, breweries, and shops all located in a city center that is near the start and finish of the race. The spectator turn out was beyond my expectations (genius idea for the race to have a 'spirit competition' between the various neighborhoods that are featured on the course) and my personal favorite was running through Church Street and high-fiving the patriotic drag queens. Course is smartly planned out with only two major hills, no easy feat for a race in New England. Racers all seemed to be enjoying themselves and the pacers added a lot of excitement. Aid stations were plentiful and the party at the finish line was awesome. Overall, this ranks up there with Boston and Twin Cities, MN as one of my favorite races to date!

This is my second VT city marathon. I ran it back in 2016 during the heat wave. The 7:00am start time was nice, can't control the weather delay. The bike path from miles 22 to the finish were in much better shape as was the lower leddy park road since I was last here. I loved the change going to the bike path after Oakledge park instead of doubling back up on pine street. Good job Burlington another good experience. I finished almost 7 minutes faster than my first time here. I will be back for sure.

The Vermont City Marathon is a terrific event. First off, scoring Meb Keflezighi as not only a race ambassador, but a participant in the relay, means this is a quality race. The course features varying semi-out & back loops (I say semi since only one is a true out and back, the others a combo out/back loop). This gives you a nice tour of Burlington, which is quaint New England city / college town. Yes, there are some hills, but given you are in the foothills of the Green Mountains, you can't really expect it to be flat. That being said, it is flatter than I expected, especially the last leg. I ran as both a member of a relay team and a marathon participant. This was a great treat for me as our relay team was my wife, daughter and son. Since none of them are ready, or at least willing, to run a marathon with me, this was the next best thing. It's the first time I've done a relay, but this ran like clockwork. The relay stations were well placed so there was ample room to pull off and find your teammate, transfer the timing chip, and head back out on the course. I will note that the timing chip is on an ankle strap, which by leg three gets wet with sweat, which is a bit skeevy even if it is family sweat. The event is extremely well supported by the community, this includes the water stops, supporters along the course, and downtown Burlington. The expo is well run with multiple vendors. We got free samples of Untapped energy products, which has become my go to for my long runs (both the gels and the waffles). The airport is very close to the downtown, though isn't necessarily cheap to fly to. Burlington and the surrounding area, Winooski in particular, has great food and drink, as well as other attractions. So add a couple extra days to your stay if possible. You can watch our video of the race and weekend on our YouTube channel Race The Nation.

I ran this twice - in 2017 and 2018. I had a bad race in 2017 - blew up really early on. Slogged through just to earn the damn T-shirt because I'm old-school like that. Friendly volunteers who were packing up their aid stations in the later miles would go into their cars to get me water; race staff checked on me in the final miles, and I was completely surprised and moved that a couple of volunteers hung out at the finish, long after it was dismantled, with food, water and a medal after one of the most grueling race days I ever had. So I came back in 2018 to redeem my race. This time I got to experience it all - selfies with the drag queens on Church Street, the Taiko drummers on Battery, the nonstop party in the north end, and the finish line!! I was the last official finisher this year and am used to having few people other than my family at the finish but there was a raucous crowd and I felt like a Rockstar this year. People complain about Battery hill, but it's pretty short and 'it's just a hill - get over it'. (or maybe since I live in Vermont, that does not bother me). The part I hate is the 4+ mile out and back on the Beltline, a closed-down highway. BORING and disheartening for us back of the packers. The only bright spot are wonderful Samba drummers near the turnaround. The rest of the course is lovely and the last 4 miles on the bike path along Lake Champlain are soothing and wonderful. I'll be back - it's a great race, where they take care of the turtles as well as the gazelles!

My friends and I really enjoyed our time at the 2018 VCM! We had decent weather (especially compared to other years, it seems), but the course was much hillier than I anticipated-while the spectators were fantastic and lined much of the course, the later parts through the neighborhoods and on the bike path were tough. I felt the first 10K was quick and downhill-try to not go too crazy at the start! The final stretch was a treat and the energy from the spectators was incredible-even better than Boston! Well-organized, fun, and quirky (which I would expect nothing less of Burlington!). Having Meb high five us at the end of the race was a treat! Would highly recommend this race!

I liked everything about this marathon. Yes, there was a tough climb at mile 15, but you know about it well in advance and the crowd was 2 and 3 deep - and loud - along that hill and it was really encouraging. The start and finish area were perfectly run and throughout the course, there were no quiet, lonely miles. People were out on their front lawns cheering on runners in a party-like atmosphere. There are enough emails ahead of the race to keep you informed of everything from expo vendors to free parking on race morning.

My 4th run here did not disappoint, nor did the other 3 which is why I came back. Quite simply, and there is nothing simple about hosting, organizing and running a marathon - everything about this one works Perfectly. It's a beautiful youthful and Bohemian and proud city, the volunteers at the expo, on the course and at the finish are all helpful and encouraging, the course is a perfect blend of city, neighborhoods, scenic, one tuff climb at 15 and then a wonderful shaded trail finish along beautiful Lake Champlain. Most impressive to me this time was how wonderful the neighborhoods supported us all with water, juices, and fruit and more popsicles which I needed and ate more than I have since I was 6 years old and I was fortunate enough to meet a number of the race directors and staff - to a person, they were proud, interested and wanted your feedback and they all made this old guy feel pretty good about my finish. Keep the Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Chunky Monkey ice cream at the finish and I will definitely be back next year...Thank you and Kudos!

This was my first trip to Vermont and driving up from the Midwest was awesome. Beautiful country as you get into up state NY. The city of Burlington is worth the trip as Church street is pretty cool and everyone is very friendly. They started the race an hour earlier than last year due to the issues they supposedly had in 2016. Plenty of bathrooms, good organization of the start line, and announcements were clear. The first several miles were awesome as you ran through the city. Miles 4-8 were on an open stretch of highway that opened the course wide for some of the faster runners to get past. Miles 9-15 were back in the city with some residential running. After passing mile 15 - you have to run up the battery park hill...and it is a HILL! Do not underestimate how steep it is. The remainder of the course is a mix of trails and local roads. The spectators were the highlight of the event! 20k people lined the streets to cheer, pass out beers, and entertain...They made the latter miles fun! Medal and shirt were average but not unique to the state of Vermont. The only criticism I have is that when the finishers got through the food lines - we were dumped into general population and it was crowded. Getting run into by toddlers and mothers with strollers after 26 miles is not cool. To sum it up - if your goal is 50 states, than this is the one to do in Vermont!

One big hill ('assault on Battery') at 15.5 miles; otherwise mostly flat with some smaller uphills. Absolutely fantastic fans and Vermont at its best.

This was forecast to be a hot day, so hot that Buffalo moved their marathon start time from 7:00 to 6:30. Vermont City said they could not coordinate to move the start time earlier than 8:00 because of volunteer/police/bus schedule. Apparently, the past year was still not enough time to move the marathon start earlier, because despite cancelling the race at 12:00 last year they didn't think to move the start time. They had an out and back on the highway that they try to have one aid station for both directions, but it is too early and too crowded in the race to do that. The finish was confusing too. Apparently there were refreshments on the other side of the park, but I never was told. This was the first time I ran a marathon that didn't have refreshments right at the finish. The worst was the letter the management sent out after the race. Apparently some people asked for refunds who were not allowed to finish. The letter in a very condescending tone said there will be no refunds, tough luck. It would have been better if they didn't send a letter. Better yet not offer a refund but offer a discount to next year or another race. Lots of locals handed out water and the volunteers were great. Other than the highway Burlington is a beautiful city.

I am a long time Burlington, Vt. resident and have run all 28 of the Vermont City Marathons so I obviously have a hometown bias towards this race. I have also run a number of the big city marathons jncluding Boston and New York. There have been many different changes with the race over the years with RunVermont has really tried to make improvements based on runner and community feedback. I know that the decision to close down the race last year due to the heat was frustrating for many runners but the weather presented an unusual set of circumstances for which there had been no precedent in previous years so RunVermont had to make a decision that focused on the safety of the runners as the most critical factor. I also know that there were things that RunVermont was not able to adequately deal with at the time but they are an organization that always seeks to improve the quality of the race each year and I think that were similar weather conditions to occur again they would be able to make the necessary changes to accommodate for these conditions. All this being said, if you want to run a marathon that has a scenic course, a community feel to it and a manageable numbers of runners, this would be a good race to consider. This is a great race for spectators as there are at least 5 places along the course within a short walking distance that you can watch family or friends running the race. The runners go through the main downtown street, Church St. twice so you can easily get breakfast and watch the race at the same time. For the runners, the course takes you through many different parts of the city and the best part of the course is the last five miles which takes you on a shaded, flat bike path that runs along Lake Champlain to the finish. Much of the Burlington community comes out to watch the race so there will be people all along the course cheering the runners on, especially, on tougher parts like the Battery St. hill at mile 15. The finish is in Waterfront Park which is close to downtown so it is easy for runners and their families to find a place to relax after the race.

I have run 12 marathons and this by far is the best one I've done!!! The crowd support is fantastic. If you want your family and friends to support you, this is the race to run!!! There are so many places to cheer and watch. The people that organize this race are so passionate about what they do!!! They want this experience to be the best one for each and every runner, whether you're a marathoner or a relayer!!!

So the Vermont City Marathon, in beautiful Burlington, Vermont was cancelled mid-race due to an exceptionally hot for Vermont 82 degree day. This cancellation came on the heels of completing a 50 miler in the Keys the weekend before where such heat was simply to be expected. The idea that a race would be cancelled simply because it was warm is absurd. The race directors seem to believe that 82, or what we in Florida call a 'cold front', was dangerous. I would seriously consider a different marathon if I were you since the race director might cancel next time because the Gatorade isn't sweet enough. The people of Burlington are wonderful, and the city itself is fantastic, but the race is apparently for the gutless.

If you're thinking of running this race you do it for one thing...the fans. Best fans ever!!! I've never seen that much race support from fans in a marathon before! Unfortunately I cannot say as much for the RunVermont folks that put on this race. Extra water and ice were promised but there was no water at the Mile 4 hydration table and I didn't even see ice until after Mile 14. This was an exceptionally hot day for Vermont. We were under a red high warming alert within the first hour. Multiple other communication issues too numerous to mention after the race was eventually black flagged. RunVermont could have smoothed all this over my simply offering a discount for next year for marathoners that were effected by the race closure but they've posted a response on their web page saying they don't have to because runners signed a no refund agreement. So much for customer service or service recovery. Considering how incredible the people of Burlington were during the course they deserve a better outfit than RunVermont managing their race.

VCM is one of New England's classic marathons. The brutal heat challenged everyone this year, but once again, the city came out in full force to cheer, party and support the race. This year looked like Season 1 of Walking Dead toward the end, but I imagine that I will come back and hope for cooler days to savor it not suffer it. The organizers and volunteers did their best in extreme conditions. I was impressed throughout and was pleased at how well most everything went in spite of the inevitable chaos when the weather throws a fireball. I finished before the cutoff, but I talked to many others who DNF'd and were disappointed but surprisingly understanding. Runners are a tough bunch. The course is not Napa or Big Sur or Mt. Desert Island, it is plain ol Burlingtonprobably a lot nicer running than where most of us are from. The heat of 2016 made VCM one of the most miserable running experiences in my entire life but I'll be back.

My comments are about what happened after the marathon was 'stopped.' I'm a 50-stater and came to VT for marathon #37. I spent hundreds of dollars on airfare, hotel, food, etc. I was not upset about the high temps on race day; I happen to like running in heat and was prepared for it: I paced myself and stayed hydrated, crossed the finish line, which was still open, and got a medal. Many running around me did the same. My husband got notice of my 4:36 finish time, which was accurate and matched my watch, on the race tracker app. Although I think race officials made the wrong call to 'stop' the race, that decision was made and I get it. But the race wasn't actually 'stopped.' HUNDREDS of us crossed a finish line, and we got medals and finish times. Messages about the race being called off were mixed and confusing. I first heard about it at around mile 21. Then, after I finish, I find out that race officials won't do a simple task that they are capable of: list the finish times of all of us who finished after 4:30. They say there wasn't an 'official' race going on. But there still were aid stations and there was a finish line, which we crossed (and we got finisher medals). Race officials don't want to call us 'official' finishers. Well, call us something else then; just list our earned finish times. What is the harm in this? Intransigence? Laziness? All of us who finished after 4:30 are being penalized for doing what we should have done: pace ourselves and stay hydrated. Race officials say that medical needs went down after they stopped the race. I don't think there's a connection to their decision; many of us at the 4+ hour pace didn't need medical attention because we were properly pacing ourselves and hydrating. It seems like the runners who were not properly hydrated and who were likely pushing themselves and needed medical attention are being rewarded with their finishing times, while those of us after 4:30 they don't care about. While race officials did an admirable job putting on the race, their decision to not now take the simple step of listing results after 4:30, whether listed as 'official' or something else, is all the more disappointing and frustrating. I expected way more from a purportedly experienced group of race directors. We won't be coming back to VT or recommending this race to anyone.

The course had 2 big climbs around mile 8 to 8.5 on the beltline coming back in. Battery street hill around mile 15.3 to 15.8. Then finally around mile 17.3 a 1/4 mile climb just past Burlington High school. If training on a treadmill, a 5% grade for these distances should do. Overall an incredible experience, the spectators are the rock stars of this event, easy to feed off the energy of the crowd. Having been living in Florida the last 13 years the heat didn't bother me that much. A 7:00am start time should be strongly considered. Also the lower leddy park road was in very bad shape when you got closer to the hockey rink. I would definitely come back to do this race, it was a lot of fun. The out and back on the beltine was just under 5 miles, I didn't think it was a big deal, relatively early in the race. There were spectators on the overpasses and in the medians. Great job Burlington. Just an earlier start time which I think a lot of the runners would agree to after this year.

My comments are about the decision to 'stop' the race and the decision to not list all of the finish times. I was stunned to hear, at about mile 21, that the race was cancelled and to stop running. Yes it was hot, but not that hot. I was prepared for the weather (and even like hot-weather running!), paced myself well, finished in 4:36, and got a medal. My husband got notice of my finish time, which was accurate. Now we're told that the HUNDREDS of us who finished after 4:30 don't get an 'official' time? This is wrong, especially considering that accurate finish times exist. I heard there were many who passed out. But the race staff said there was adequate medical personnel. And why do those of us who paced ourselves and stayed hydrated and never needed medical attention get penalized because others may have run too fast and failed to hydrate? Many participants came from all over the country and spent lots of money to run this racethe very least we deserve is to have our finish times, which are undisputed and accurate, listed. I'm a 50-stater and this was my 37th marathon; to not get an 'official' finish time because I finished 6 minutes after your deadline is ridiculous. I think you made the wrong call about stopping the raceI've run races in much higher temps and they've never been stopped. The least you can do is list the finish times of all of us who finished.

The Vermont City Marathon race management is the biggest joke in the history of the world. I've run over 200 marathons and completed the 50 state circuit three times. The RD is the biggest crybaby I have ever met. They canceled the marathon mid race when the temperature hit 86°. Yes, 86°. If the Vermont population cannot handle running a marathon and 86°, they should not have any business running a marathon. And certainly should not be managing a marathon. Their decision to cancel the race is the biggest joke in the history of marathons. Huge thumbs down. Do not support these people. They have no idea what they're doing and they should not be in race management.

As others have said the 1700+ volunteers and wonderful citizens of Burlington made this race. I can't even express how thankful I am for their hard work and support. On to the race and race director. This year's cancellation was a huge disappointment for many and unlike others blaming the weather I solely blame the race director. Other marathons this weekend moved to an earlier time, yet this race continues to be one of the only 8 am races in May every year knowing that hot weather can happen. I understand the difficulty in moving the race earlier at the last minute, but the RD continues to say it would not have made a difference. Bull, 7 degrees makes a huge difference. The race director posted a post-mortem breaking down the logic behind decisions such as official timing, why the race was cancelled etc. If the medical staff wasn't overwhelmed why was this cancelled. Cloud cover started at 11 a.m. and the race actually got easier. Combine this with the last 6 miles being net downhill and shaded it baffled a lot of people. The fact that there is a random time cutoff makes it truly hard to swallow especially given how horrible the communication was on the course itself. As a 50 stater and marathon maniac I won't be back until Peter Delaney resigns as the RD. People have been extremely sympathetic as it was a tough situation, but honestly as someone with many races under my belt I have to say it was really poorly organized. Crowded start, no extra aid stations for the beginning out and back in the sun when it really mattered, logjam at the finish and illogical cancellation and poor communication. I think if everyones time that finished counted more people would be understanding. But with 500+ with racejoy times and no official finish, many people are understandably upset. Peter, RD is truly one of the hardest jobs in the world, but its time to step down. You've failed in previous years when the conditions were fine, its no wonder you failed this year.

The best parts of the race were the scenery and spectators. Parts of the course were dreary with no shade and no water. Race management was poor. I will not do this race again.

This was my third Vermont City and it has been hot at all of them. We know the weather can not be planned and is equal for all. The race group did as good as job under rough conditions with the high heat issue. An early start should be considered for anyone who knows they are going to be out a long time. I finished the race before the stopping, but the shut down left people wondering what was going on. The finish area was a total mess. This was my 64th marathon and I have never seen a finish area that bad. The marathon support by the fans and support people was great. The area does support the event. The course is NOT a PR race, but does give you the good and bad areas of Burlington. The race does have a large relay run, this does make for crowed areas and is very hard in spots. The relay should be changed to a 2 leg only. The amount of relay runners passing you at the end of a hot marathon does make finishing much harder. I would still recommend anyone wanting to run a Vermont marathon to do this one.

First, the spectator and volunteer support was the best I have ever encountered (I have only run 1 previous marathon, but have run 7 half-marathons and countless shorter races). Everyone was out with their sprinklers, water, ice, etc. to help runners beat the heat. The course was only scenic in a couple parts, hills were not so bad, but course was very crowded - they really need to reduce the number of runners. The highway section of the course was brutally hot and boring - would much rather run through a neighborhood, even if there were more hills. I was one of many who were almost finished (5K away) when they decided to halt the race due to heat, but received conflicting info from many volunteers and no solid instructions as to what to do. I was almost there anyway, so kept going as I felt fine and was being very conservative the whole race. No one around me was in distress - most were being very sensible about the heat. I think it could have been handled better, but don't have enough space here to elaborate. The finish line was a cluster-F. Total mess, and others have mentioned this as well. Instead of celebrating, I wanted to get the heck out of there, and I did. People of Burlington, you are awesome, but I will not be back.

2016 was a HOT year for this marathon, and the race was called off shortly after the 4:00 mark. I should state that as a runner who finished before this time, my experiences may be different than other participants. I think that its very difficult to determine how to proceed with a race when weather conditions are extreme, and I applaud the organizers for staying in frequent contact with the participants and for making additional preparations for the heat. I very much appreciated the added water stations and the availability of ice on the course. What was truly incredible about this race was the tremendous support from the residents of Burlington. I couldn't begin to count how many people turned on their hoses or sprinklers to help keep us cool, passed out extra water and Gatorade, or simply came out to support the runners. They made this race very enjoyable for me despite the heat. The course itself is nice, but there is a six mile section at the beginning that is run on a state highway (which wasn't particularly enjoyable.) It then turns back into town and goes through some neighborhoods and along trails by the lake. As someone visiting from out of state, I would have been willing to run some of the larger hills in order to see more portions of the city. The post- race party was well- organized with lots of food and beverages as well as a huge massage tent. I realize that this race must have been a frustrating one for many, but I do think the organizers and volunteers did the absolute best job that they could under unusual conditions.

This year's VCM featured humidity and high temperatures in the 80s - it made for an extremely tough run, but that's not something the race director can control. The timing in late May seems to bring pretty reliably hot temperatures, so I may be sticking to the relay options at VCM in the future. That said, I have to give kudos to the race for excellent communication about the heat and for excellent aid stations and support. There was aid pretty much every single mile, and the roving ice trucks were a godsend. The local community really stepped it up with their own aid (ice, water, food) and sprinklers all over the course. Overall, I thought that the organization and experience was excellent despite the challenges of the day. My one criticism: the finish area was a cluster, even with the changes made this year. Runners were faced with a crush of spectators who were allowed into battery park. After finishing a hot marathon, the last thing I wanted was to push my way through a thick crowd.

For a race that bills itself as having a beautiful course ... it wasn't. Much of the course is run on ordinary, suburban residential streets, and another few miles was on a (thankfully-closed) divided highway. The portions of the trail along Lake Champlain were outstanding, but they accounted for a fraction of the overall course. And running alongside water treatment facilities didn't serve to inspire. Spectators and course-side volunteers were outstanding throughout the course, especially considering the size of the city. Their support was surprisingly substantial and truly appreciated. I was shocked at the disorganized state of the finish line. Organizers ran out of food - and chocolate milk, Gatorade, and cold water. Finishers over 5 hours (about 20%) didn't receive a medal; they ran out! Race organizers did dismissively apologize for this 'snafu', but the damage was done. As a first-time marathoner, it was heartbreaking not to receive a medal, and fully enjoy my accomplishment. I can never get that moment back. I understand from other runners that the organizers also ran out of medals in 2013. This is utterly unacceptable. Overall, while the city served as excellent hosts for such a large event, the course was disappointing and the organization was disastrous.

I thought this was a great marathon. The runners had beautiful views of Lake Champlain. Tons of spectators were out to celebrate marathon day. While there were a couple of significant hills, it wasn't nearly as hilly as you would expect a Vermont race to be. In fact, the terrain for the final approx. 4.5 miles was slightly downhill and flat. I would love to run this race again.

This was a fun race in a beautiful setting. The course was OK, a little crowded at the end. It seems like the race organizers were unprepared for the numbers of runners. The weather was HOT. I realize this is out of the control of the race directors, but perhaps a 7 AM start? All in all, a fun race that I would definitely recommend.

There are plenty of positives about this race. Well organized start area, plenty of porta johns,pacers were excellent, beautiful course with hills and scenery. I would run it again if it was closer to my home. However as an experienced marathoner, I was surprised and disappointed at how crowded much of the course was. Most of the greenways, and some of the streets were packed with runners even the last 3 miles of the course and I was in sub 4:00 pace. My biggest issue was the water stops. with so many runners you did not know you were at a water stop until the pack simply stopped in front of you. At two stops I ran around the table to fill my own cup instead of wade through the crowd or wait for cups to be filled. The relay teams are a great idea but maybe providing them with some race etiquette might make for better experiences for marathoners.

As for my first marathon, I really enjoyed everything about this event! Hotel accommodations are plentiful and shuttle to start and back to hotel were easy. The course was awesome. Thousands of people out all over the course cheering everyone on. Could not have asked for a better experience in Burlington! Would definitely return for another!