Green Mountain Marathon

Following a pattern of races cutting costs this once original beautiful loop course went to an out and back for years and more recently to a double out and back. The best marathons offer a new view the whole way so this is no longer one of the best marathons. The original loop course around Grand Isle was fantastic.

You won't get a fancy medal, a fancy shirt (though both are nice) or any swag -- fancy or otherwise -- but this race is an inexpensive ($60) and wonderful way to spend a New England fall morning. The out-and-back course is beautiful, both along Lake Champlain and in rural areas. Because it is on the same road, you know what you're going to get on the second half. So while smiling as you zip down a big hill between miles 1 and 2, you can look forward to trudging up the same big hill between miles 24 and 25. I hate to give low ratings for spectators because the ones that were there were great. There just weren't too many of them, but it's a small race and you can expect that. And the water stop volunteers were enthusiastic. It helped that the weather was close to perfect, especially since the year before there were 40 mph winds and the day after this year was cold, rainy and windy. It was often quite lonely after the half-marathoners split, but that was OK for me. And we did see marathoners coming back after the 13.1 turn who were encouraging to us slower types. This race was great and I certainly recommend it, but one of the best things was before the race: the pasta dinner. Not only was the food great and inexpensive, but it benefitted the local middle-schoolers, who were delightful servers.

This was my 14th marathon and definitely a favorite!The course was beautiful and pretty much just as described. It was rolling hills...a couple rolled a little higher than others but nothing too challenging.It was an out and back on scenic country roads and by Lake Champlain. There were water/Gatorade stations every two miles with super friendly volunteers. One of the things that I loved about this race was that it was low key and low waste but had everything you needed. Packet pick up included a shirt and a bib, no wasteful plastic bag filled with coupons that will just get thrown away. The expo offered some great running clothes from the Green Mountain Athletic Association. The after party had delicious Veg chili which made the vegans at the race very happy! Start and finish were at a school and there were more than enough porta-potties. The only drawback of the day was the wind. It gusted up to 40 mph in some points. It's just part of running on an island in Vermont. It made for an interesting and fun running experience! The race was about 20 minutes from Burlington which is full of friendly people,cool shops and restaurants. I would definitely recommend this marathon!