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Vermont City Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Vermont City Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.2 
Organization 4.4 
Spectators 4.7
Number of comments: 303 [displaying comments 101 to 111]
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Loretta Miner from Buffalo Ny
(5/31/2010)
"Awesome event - will definitely do this again" (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Vermont City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The course started at Battery Park; the first loop was up South Willard St., then back downtown. Running up Church Street, with musicians and people cheering, was awesome. The second loop went straight out and back along the beltway; this was the tough part of the marathon for me. You then came back in the city, back down Church Street with all of the musicians. The third loop headed south of the city, and then looped back through a beautiful park and back up a bike path that ran along lake Champlain. From the bike path you run up the Battery Street hill; there were drummers along the hill, and people cheering you along. You then ran through Battery Park and back out on North Street. This then loops around along a bike path that runs next to the lake. There are beautiful views of the Adirondacks and Lake Champlain. The finish line ends in a park right next to Lake Champlain. I was very impressed with the amount of crowd support - the New England hospitality was at its best in Burlington. There was tremendous crowd support during this race. This race was well planned out and well orchestrated. My only suggestion is to start the race at 7 a.m., as it got a bit hot toward the end. Awesome race - i would highly recommend it. | |
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J. B. from Chicopee, Massachusetts
(5/31/2010)
"Again this year, a super race!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Vermont City Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is my second year in a row competing in the Vermont Marathon. This year there were more pacers, thank goodness, and I was happy to run with two super women setting the 4:45 pace. They represented the slowest pacers, perfect for me, but next year hopefully you'll have more pacers. Slower runners could certainly profit from this courtesy. | |
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M. M. from Wayland, MA
(5/31/2010)
"Fantastic Marathon" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Vermont City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Overall, this marathon is extremely well put together, even though I have a couple negative comments. First, the positives: The course itself is relatively flat (depending on what you're used to) and easy to follow. When the course goes on a bike path, they closed the path to bikes. There were billions of aid/water stations, and even some crazy kids handing out Dixie cups of beer. The spectators were fantastic and really turned out for the entire course. The finish area ran out of bottles of water and ice cream. Yeah, really, who the hell runs out of ice cream?! Although I got both water and ice cream, my wife was really disappointed that she didn't get ice cream when she finished. Also, the number of relay runners sucked, because these jerks are whizzing by in the last few miles making marathoners feel slow. At minimum, no one who didn't run 26.2 miles should be allowed ice cream, in my opinion. That's all I have to say that's negative. | |
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E. S. from Connecticut
(5/31/2010)
"Fatally flawed" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Vermont City Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 This is a race that caters to people who want the "marathon scene," with plenty of events and photo ops. The course is well marked and there are plenty of well staffed water stops. Unfortunately, this race has gotten too big for its location. Water stops were crowded, forcing you to either skip the stop or walk past the table. But worse yet, THERE WAS NO WATER AT THE FINISH. At the finish I asked for water and I was sent to the food tent. After a 20-minute line to get food, I was told that there was no water at the food tent but to try by the buses. Unfortunately, the area was so poorly marked that runners wound up pressed against a fence, being yelled at by state troopers. I ran this race 5 years ago and the size was perfect, but with the increase in relay teams and marathon field size, this is a zoo - a zoo with no water for the tired runners. | |
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M. S. from Pennsylvania
(2/18/2010)
"Exceeded expectations" (about: 2009)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Expo was large, with a good number of vendors. Best were the many sessions and book signings. Pre-marathon: Well organized start. Hundreds of restrooms directly next to the course in a park where you can do all your pre-race stretching. Marathon: Miles 1-4 offer a quick tour of a couple of streets in downtown Burlington. Miles 4 through 8 for me composed the only disappointing portion of the course. You basically run down and back on a closed highway with no spectator support. Miles 8 through 16 offer the best of Burlington - a tour of the main city, a bike path along the water to the south, and a half-mile uphill coming back into the city. Tons of local support, including musicians and families. Miles 17 through 22 slack a little, running through a suburban community. Would have been more enjoyable if traffic were not riding alongside of the runners. Miles 22 to the finish: run along the same bike path, but this time you are north of the city. The bike path leads back the city and you finish near the water with an amazing number of spectators cheering you every step of the last half-mile. Overall, there are some hills but they seemed minor with only mile 16 offering a real uphill that itself was not really that difficult. If you have family watching you, they can easily see you at the start, mile 3, mile 9, mile 15, and the finish - all while only having to move a couple of blocks. Great quality medal! Tech shirts very nice (they run small in size). Overall, a great running experience. Thanks, Burlington, for a great run! | |
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W. A. from Boston, MA
(11/8/2009)
"Well organized, fun, mid-sized marathon" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Vermont City Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my second year doing the Vermont City Marathon and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The race is well organized from start to finish and the crowds are enthusiastic and supportive. Expo/Packet Pick Up: The packet pick up process was very easy; they let you get your bib Friday, Saturday or even Sunday morning (somewhat unusual but appreciated). Plenty of parking, which it was very easy to get in and out of. The expo itself wasn't fantastic, but had all of the basics and was well organized. Start: The race is self-seeding, so you can line up wherever you want. There is a half marathon and a five-person relay, and all of those runners are mixed in with the marathoners. I really didn't have an issue with it. Everyone was respectful and having more people on the course seemed to pump up the spectators and added to the liveliness of the event. I heard a few people complain about having others on the course, saying that it messed up their pacing. I would say this: after the first mile there is plenty of room on the course and it is not at all congested. If you don't have enough confidence in yourself to settle into an appropriate pace, that's your problem, not the race organizer's fault. Stop complaining. The Course: I loved it. You get to see a lot of different parts of Burlington and even run down Church Street (a pedestrian mall). There are some rolling hills, enough to add some challenge and keep you honest, but nothing too terrible. The biggest hill (at mile 15) has tons of spectators, and even some very loud drummers to help you up. The second half of the course is pretty flat with no notable hills, so that helped. The final portion is along the lake, which I've heard can be windy, but I found there was enough tree cover to prevent this from being much of an issue. The only non-scenic part was an out-and-back part, but it was early in the race, so it was fun to see everyone ahead of and behind you. Post-Race: Again, very solid. A good selection of food, and plenty of water, bathrooms, and helpful volunteers. All of the essentials in an easily accessible layout. The park where the race finished can be tough to get out of, but that is a minor complaint. Overall, a great mid-sized race, with a very friendly atmosphere - highly recommended. | |
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A. M. from NY
(8/15/2009)
"What a pleasant surprise!" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Vermont City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Prior to this one, I did 56 major national and international marathons. And I didn't expect to be pleasantly surprised anymore. The organization of the 2009 Vermont City Marathon was simply perfect, starting from the expo and ending with an outstanding food service for the finishers. And in between, there was a very beautiful course, with lots of very enthusiastic and kind spectators offering more water and food (oranges, bagels, bananas, apples) than any runner could possibly consume. And that was in addition to a lot of official water and gel stations with extremely efficient volunteers. Even the weather was perfect - cool and cloudy with a light drizzle for the first three hours, and then cheerfully sunny for the last beautifully shaded miles through the forest. I assume that the organizers took care of the weather as well with a call Upstairs. The course elevation chart indicates a hilly marathon, but it certainly didn't feel tougher at all than an average marathon. I would definitely recommend it both to a novice and to an experienced marathon runner. | |
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J. A. from West Hartford, CT
(6/9/2009)
"The best in so many categories" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Vermont City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Of my 25, this is the best. Best city, best crowd, best course design (I love the figure-8 style), best traffic control (very few cars!!), my best time. PR's are common. The fishhook turn at M26 is outstanding. Two possible improvements: an earlier start for all, and a staggered start for each group (wheels/marathon/half/relay). | |
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N. P. from Rochester, NY
(6/4/2009)
"Amazing - I have been officially spoiled!" (about: 2009)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Vermont City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 1. Course: As a result of this marathon course, I have confirmed my love of short, intense climbs and rolling hills. Everyone who I talked to about running Burlington said that I had better do my hill repeats, but I found the course to have the hilly sections well spaced, and most every climb had either many spectators along the way to encourage us or was rewarded by a flattening out or an immediate down. 2. Organization: Food tent had food specifically set aside for those doing the full distance... 'nough said. 3. Spectators: Even the section that another runner warned me would be ill-attended had a great deal of crowd support in comparison to my past races (Rochester, NY; Hamilton, Ontario; Buffalo, NY). The drummers from Boston and the various bands along the course also helped to liven up the areas with fewer spectators. | |
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A. L. from kenilworth, nj
(6/4/2009)
"BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ;)" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Vermont City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Great experience. It was beautiful, but the course is tougher than you expect. There were nice people all around (many people congratulate you afterward when you wear your medal - yes, a praise hog I be ;)). There is excellent organization, and a great city. The weather was tough - cold rains, then warm sun - and the course has more hills (Battery Park being one you have to look forward to) and elevation changes than you might expect. The one concern I had was that I finished around the 4-hour mark, and the finish area was way too small for the number of people crowded into it, and the free food area had a very long line. Maybe it would be possible to make this area bigger so people can spread out a bit more. The bus pick-up at area hotels are a huge help, and I wish more runs would do this. If you happen to stay at one of the exit 16 cheaper hotels (like me ;)), you may have to wait about 30 - 40 minutes for a return bus, but they pick you up on time in the morning, so no complaints. Everyone was very friendly, and there is much to do other than the marathon in Burlington, so take some time and enjoy. I did make one mistake = I drove 6 hours on Saturday and attempted to get enough rest, but it must have not been enough because my leg was very, very sore around mile 18, so it messed up my time. In other words - give yourself some time if you are traveling. ;) |
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