Mad Marathon

Great organization and super volunteers.Definitely a race for the BOP. Party in the back. Unless you run in the mountains you will not come close to the mile-long steep climbs. The downhills are rewarding for those with good knees. There are no shoulders to run on until the last 10k and not much of it. I walked backward at the famous dip to stop the knee pain. Bad race decisions make for better stories. Go for lt.

The course was every bit as hilly as advertised, but also just as beautiful, and I had let go of any time goal and just planned to walk the hills anyway. Once in Waitsfield, the logistics were SO easy - you could easily park almost at the start line even 20 minutes before start. The volunteers at the many water stops were so helpful, and I also appreciated how the late-in-the-race water stops continued to be well stocked even for the slower runners such as myself. The scenery was amazing, and what the spectators lacked in quantity they made up for in quality (people sitting out in their front yards encouraging all the runners individually, individual water/orange slice stops, etc.) We rented a condo nearby, and luckily the pool heater was broken, so a dip in the bracing water was perfect for post-race recovery - I imagine a dip in the nearby natural watering holes would have been even better. This was my first Mad Marathon, but I chatted with another runner who does it annually and said it 'kicks her butt' every year. It kicked my butt, but in such an enjoyable way. Highly recommended.

Great RD! And it shows throughout the weekend. Super easy bib pick-up, with the ability to do it the morning of the event. Hills weren't as hard as I expected. And the best part is, most of mile 18-25 is a nice downhill slope. VERY appreciated. There are a couple of doozies; I just walked up them and flew down the other side. My overall time was similar to other marathons. Waitsfield is a super cute Vermont town. The course is very scenic, as advertised. I'm on my second lap of the 50 states and glad I got to run Mad Marathon!