VT City Marathon 2024 – My 5th Time Running and Still a Blast
This was my 5th time running the Vermont City Marathon, and it never gets old! Every year, I seem to forget just how many rolling hills there are on the course. My usual recollection is that there’s only that one big hill on Battery Street, but once again, I was clearly wrong. This marathon is definitely not flat and features more hills than I remember!
Accommodation: The hotels in the area are fairly affordable, especially if you book early. Unfortunately, I waited too long this year and ended up staying at the Travelodge in South Burlington. The website made it look like it was the same quality hotel I stayed at a few years ago, with a cozy lobby, a fake fireplace, and fresh cookies. Sadly, this time, it was a far cry from what I expected. The outside was rundown, and I couldn’t believe this was where we were staying. Fortunately, the woman at the front desk was super nice and let us cancel our room. We bunked with our friend Angie, who had paid more for her room, and after seeing the condition of the hotel, she was relieved to save money. The woman also offered us a late checkout, so instead of 12:00, we got to stay until 1:00! The room itself was much better than expected, complete with a microwave, refrigerator, and coffee maker. But the bed—oh my! When I laid down to test it, I almost flipped the mattress as it wasn’t properly secured. It gave me a good adrenaline rush before the race!
Expo and Nutrition: The expo was the same as previous years, with many familiar vendors. This year, however, there was something new: VT Untapped Maple Syrup nutrition products were being offered on the course. I grabbed a few samples of their gels, waffles, and Lemon Tea Maple Aid. These were FANTASTIC! I know we’re all told to avoid trying anything new on race day, but I took the risk and was happy to find that I had no tummy issues. The all-natural ingredients worked wonders, and I never felt like I was starving or hitting the wall like I have in past races. The maple waffles offered on the course were a nice touch too.
Pre-Race and Start: On race day, we drove downtown to park since our hotel wasn’t on the bus pickup list, and we were running short on time. Fortunately, the parking garage was free for race day, so we parked there and walked to the start. The weather was overcast with a slight chill in the air, which I consider perfect running conditions. A nearby bike shop was blasting Queen’s "I Want to Ride My Bicycle," which felt like a good omen for a great race!
At the start, we joined the 4:00-hour pace group. The crowd was thick with support, and the sound of cowbells and cheering filled the air. My favorite part was hearing the church bells ringing—it’s magical. We ran through the famous "Church Street" with people enjoying breakfast outside, cheering us on. There were some colorful cross-dressers in the crowd as well, and one man was running barefoot, wearing only tight brown underwear and a fluffy tail. The course was filled with costumes, including hot dogs, relay-themed outfits, and even a man dressed as a Hooters girl.
As we entered the neighborhoods, we weaved through the runners, and it was great to hear people shouting out warnings like "Hole!" or "Sign!" to help us navigate the obstacles ahead. One runner even warned us about a large pedestrian walkway sign that was left in the middle of the road—I can’t believe no one ran into it! We also ran into some familiar faces from past races, including Mary Anne, a fellow runner we met at Big Sur, and it was such a joy to see her again!
The Beltway and Unexpected Hills: The beltway section can be brutal on a hot day, but with cooler weather, it went by quickly. I always enjoy this part because you get to see the leaders already on their way back, which gives me a bit of extra motivation. New this year were drummers along the middle section, and their beats seemed to sync perfectly with my foot strikes, helping to distract me from the miles. As I mentioned earlier, the "hill" I forgot about appeared as a gradual incline that lasted about a mile. It wasn’t steep, but it was long enough to surprise me. On the return, I loved looking for friends and yelling out to them—getting a big smile back made me feel like we were all in this together. It was also wonderful to hear people shouting our names, especially my friend Michelle, who was running her first marathon. Suzy, a friend we met five years ago on the course, cheered us on too. She’s run 15 VT City Marathons—amazing!
Around mile 6, we encountered the VT Untapped fuel station. I loved the products and was grateful for the energy boost they gave me.
The Final Miles: After the beltway, we looped back to Battery Park, passing by Church Street again, then headed south toward Lake Champlain. The lake views started to appear as we approached the water, and the neighborhood support continued to be incredible. Spectators along the course offered everything from fruit and popsicles to water and even beer! The entire town comes together to support the runners, and it makes the race feel so special.
As we reached mile 18, I started to get excited because we only had 8 miles left. From there, the miles seemed to go by faster and faster. I used my usual visualization technique, placing myself mentally at each mile of the lake loop we run at home.
Around mile 20, we headed toward the bike path along Lake Champlain. This stretch was beautiful—the path ran right along the lake, and the views were breathtaking. The weather was perfect—overcast with a cool breeze, which kept me comfortable as I neared the end of the race.
The last few miles were exhilarating. As we approached the finish line, the crowd was electric, and I felt almost bulletproof. This marathon was different from others—I still had energy in my tank when I reached the last stretch, and I’m not sure if it was the nutrition or if I didn’t go out too fast. Whatever it was, I’m definitely stocking up on Untapped Maple Syrup products for my next race!
In the final 0.2 miles, the crowd went wild, and I kicked up my pace. Kim grabbed my hand, and together, we sprinted to the finish line with the crowd cheering us on. It was such an exhilarating moment. We finished strong, running a negative split, and completed Marathon #54! Now, I’m already thinking about my next race—the San Francisco Marathon. Here we come!
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