Mad Marathon
Waitsfield, United States · July · Independent
Why people love it
- Passes covered bridges, farms and Neill Farm dirt roads in the Mad River Valley.
- RaceRaves scenery 4.7 of 5 from 50 ratings.
- Covered-bridge medal praised; race director greets finishers.
- Gentle relief: much of miles 18 to 25 (29 to 40 km) is downhill.
- USATF sanctioned Boston qualifier.
Watch out for
- About 670 m (2,200 ft) of climbing; reviewers advise against it for a first marathon.
- Mostly gravel and dirt roads, tough on legs and pace.
- July heat of 26 to 29 °C (78 to 85 °F) with little shade.
- No shoulder until the last 10 km (6 mi).
- Few toilets at the start; sparse food at the finish.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Extreme
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.2
RaceRaves 4.2 from 50 ratings; MarathonGuide 4.6 from 3. Near-universal praise for the scenery and hard-but-fair hills; swag and shirts get mixed marks. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run4.0
RaceRaves production 4.2. Pickup and parking are easy and the director greets finishers. Complaints: too few start toilets, sparse finish food, unmanned water stops. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyDemanding1.8
Reviewers repeatedly say not to try it as a first marathon; about 670 m (2,200 ft) of climbing on gravel. · High confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialSlow1.6
RaceRaves difficulty 4.8 out of 5; one reviewer called it the hardest marathon they have run. Winners finish around 3:06 to 3:19. · High confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course scenerySpectacular4.7
RaceRaves scenery 4.7; covered bridges, farmland and mountain views. One half runner thought it did not quite live up to the billing. · High confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points3.0
Small field of about 250 finishers on rural roads; some out-and-back or loop sections per a third-party listing. · Low confidence
- Road surfacePatchy2.0
Mostly gravel and dirt roads, which slows pace and punishes quads on the downhills. · High confidence
- Road closuresPartly closed2.5
Back and dirt roads with no shoulder until the last 10 km (6 mi). Closures are not described; assumed mostly open to local traffic. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessHilly1.5
About 670 m (2,200 ft) gain over 42.2 km (26.2 mi), above the 600 m (2,000 ft) threshold; one reviewer said unrelenting. · High confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Point to point. One reviewer reports a long downhill from miles 18 to 25 (29 to 40 km); the overall net change is not published. · Low confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSome waiting3.4
Easy packet pickup and parking, but too few porta-potties at the start according to a 2024 reviewer. · Medium confidence
- Pacers and timingSome pace groups3.2
Small field. Pace groups are not documented in the reviews seen, so scored near the middle. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportSparse2.4
Rural dirt roads with few spectators; crowds only in Waitsfield. No reviewer mentions big crowds. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsGood3.6
Water and Gatorade plentiful per reviewers; no ice; a few water stations were unmanned late in 2025 and finish food was sparse. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindMostly calm3.6
Sheltered valley roads; no wind complaints found. · Low confidence
- Air temperatureWarm or cool2.8
July highs 26 to 29 °C (78 to 85 °F), little shade; heat made it much harder than expected for one 2024 runner. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
Typical July heat; evening or early-morning starts have varied by year. · Low confidence
- Spectator friendlyTricky2.3
Rural point-to-point on dirt roads; few places for spectators to see runners. · High confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeLow4.3
Mad River Valley is roughly 250 m (820 ft) above sea level. · Medium confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityBook early3.0
Limited lodging in the valley; ski-area lodging fills in summer. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal3.0
Resort-area pricing in July; no price data found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilitySome driving2.8
Race starts in the valley; shuttles and parking are used, walkable lodging limited. · Low confidence
- Travel easeOne connection2.6
Burlington airport about 60 km (37 mi) away; rural Vermont roads. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.5
Pickup and same-morning options praised by reviewers; pasta dinner $40 had few vegan options. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGood3.6
Mad River Valley has farms, restaurants and covered bridges; reviewers enjoyed post-race time at the river. · Low confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inEasy4.2
Open entry with about 250 finishers; no sell-out reports. · Medium confidence
- Value for moneyFair3.4
RaceRaves swag 3.3: shirt called average or terrible, but the covered-bridge medal is praised; fee near $155. · Medium confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Waitsfield, Mad River Valley, United States
- Typical month
- July
- Latest or next date
- 11 July 2027
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 250 athletes
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- point-to-point
- Climbing
- 670 m (2,200 ft)
- Start time
- 07:00
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Mostly gravel and dirt roads with some pavement
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Rarely
- Entry fee
- About $155
- Air temperature
- 14–28 °C (57–82 °F)
- Humidity
- Humid and little shade in warm years
- Altitude
- 250 m (820 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Burlington International (BTV), 60 km (37 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Waitsfield, Warren and Sugarbush area
- Booking
- Mad River Valley and Sugarbush ski-area lodging; book early for July.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRavesRaced 2025 · aggregator · Positive
50 ratings, 4.2 overall; difficulty 4.8, scenery 4.7, production 4.2, swag 3.3. Runners agree on relentless hills, beautiful scenery and good volunteers; complaints are heat, swag and sparse finish food.
“Absolutely beautiful course!”
- MarathonGuideRaced 2022 · aggregator · Positive
Three reviews averaging 4.6 (3.7, 5.0, 5.0). Hills steeper than advertised on gravel, great volunteers and race director, easy bib pickup.
“Plan on run/hike and you'll be fine!”
- RaceRaves (ericdean1)Raced 2025 · aggregator · Mixed
About 2,200 ft (670 m) of climbing; advises against it as a first marathon.
“Please don't try this for your first marathon.”
- RaceRaves (radumasmk)Raced 2024 · aggregator · Mixed
Called it the hardest marathon he had run.
“Hardest marathon I've ever had the pleasure of running”
- RaceRaves (JanaRugg)Raced 2024 · aggregator · Mixed
Found it much harder than expected, citing warm temperatures and little shade.
Show 3 more
- RaceRaves (charlenez23)Raced 2025 · aggregator · Mixed
Reported some water stations unmanned late and sparse finish-line food.
- RaceRaves (Christie629)Raced 2024 · aggregator · Mixed
Half runner: lovely but not at the level of the hype; too few porta-potties at the start and a poor shirt.
“Race shirt was terrible.”
- Sugarbush blogarticle · Positive
Resort-side preview describing the covered-bridge, farmland route.
Raced Mad Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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