Bib pick up for the race was at the Waitsfield Inn. This was not your normal race expo. There were three tents set up. One to find your bib number, another to collect your bib and the third was for the half fanatics. So needless to say you aren't going to spend a lot of time here, in and out really. The set up was also a bit odd, the opening for the pick up was through the trees. Because of where they had you park you had to walk through the opening to get there. Definitely different from what I am used to. I would recommend them relocating bib pick up to a more easily accessible area, but it's a small set up so the space isn't really needed.

Even though the race was small, the swag was still excellent. The race shirt was basic from the standpoint that the only image was the race logo, which I like because sometimes races clutter shirts with their sponsors. It was also made of tech material and not just standard cotton. And the race bag was a nice cloth drawstring bag. Which was a nice add, considering there are large corporate funded races that even went away from this and offer you cheap plastic bags. So it was nice to see a small hometown race not cut costs here.

This race is dubbed as the "Worlds Most Beautiful Marathon". After running the course it is obvious why. However lets get this out of the way first, the hills on this course are possibly some of the worst I have faced.

Don't get me wrong, there was a very enjoyable downhill stretch between mile 2 and 3. However climbing back up to the finish line was brutal. This was honestly the first race I ever ran where I questioned if I would finish. (Including 2 marathons). No wonder the scenery was so amazing, they had to trick you away from the hills.

I very much enjoyed this race. If you are not used to small, hometown races like I am, this is definitely one for the bucket list. You will be hard pressed to find another race with the views this one could offer.
If I had to make one suggestion to the race organizers it would be more communication. I did appreciate this race didn't flood my inbox, however I also felt like I had to seek out information anytime I needed it. There were no updates sent out on schedule of events, or what was going on in the area. Instead if you wanted to find information, you had to look for it yourself. Also they were very quiet on social media. This is just a pet peeve of mine, however I like when races are very active on social because it make the runners feel more connected. But that's just my 2 cents.

Overall I would recommend this race. It's extremely challenging, but at the same time you are bound to get some sights that make the hills bearable. Plus visiting the town of Waitsfield was an interesting experience so in total I had an amazing experience.

Link to this review