This is a great, low-cost, no-frills race. For $10, you get a beautiful out and back course on a scenic dirt road with great volunteer support.

Pre-Race: Registration was only $10 online, or $15 on race day. There was plenty of parking at Jericho Elementary school, and there were two portable toilets available for runners to use. It would have been helpful to have someone directing runners where to go; there wasn't really any signage or volunteers telling runners where to go to pick up bibs or when/where the actual start line was, but by just wandering/following others, I figured it out.

Race: Out and back on dirt road with some rolling hills. Great scenery. One water stop, which we passed twice due to the out and back nature of the course. Volunteers were at one questionable intersection to make sure runners went the right way, and at the turnaround point as well. There were also volunteers on bikes going back and forth to make sure runners were ok, and to give the aid station and finish line the heads up that leaders were coming.

Post-Race: Bottled water was available right at the finish, which is a huge bonus. Back at the elementary school, there were bagels with peanut butter and cream cheese, and bananas. GMAA had some very generous prizes for Age Group and Partner categories, including chocolates, a fresh-baked pie, t-shirts, granola and gift certificates to local outdoor stores.

Overall, I was very impressed by the quality of the race, the post-race food, and prizes, especially considering the very low registration fee. This is also a USATF certified course, which is not super common in Vermont. My only regret is that they do not offer chip-timing.

Pre-Race: Registration was easy and packet pickup was available the day before the race at a local Fleet Feet. Each runner received either a white or red Bondi Band headband with the RaceVermont logo, which I was pleasantly surprised by--I was expecting a cheap cotton bandana. Long sleeve tech shirts were available for $25 extra. Parking on race day is plentiful and relatively close to the start line. I actually was running late and arrived about 10 minutes before the start, but didn't have any issues. Runners had access to the Field House, which was a huge benefit as the day was absolutely frigid. Real bathrooms available.

Race: The route is an out and back along Harbor Road in Shelburne, starting and ending at the Field House. The course is nothing to write home about--it's so short that there's really nothing to see. It's a nearly flat route, with a short, small incline right at the turnaround, so it could potentially be a PR course with minimal hill training.

Post-Race: Once again, having access to the Field House was a huge boon--getting inside and out of the cold was wonderful. I was handed a full-sized bottle of water immediately after finishing, which is a must in my book. Post-race fare included hot chocolate and bagels from Bruegger's, bananas, oranges, and chocolate. Each runner received a raffle ticket, and the prizes were very nice--Vermont teddy bears, bottles of wine, and lots of gear and goodies from Fleet Feet. Fleet Feet was also running a separate raffle for a Nathan race vest. There were prizes for top male and female, as well as 1st and 2nd place in 10 year age group categories, and prizes were bottles of wine and pint glasses.

Overall, this is a great local race. Almost all of RaceVermont's races start and end at the Field House, which is wonderful for bathroom access, and in the case of extreme weather. Great raffle prizes, and very enthusiastic and supportive volunteers and organizers.

RaceVermont seems to have some issues with communication (emails sent to incorrect recipients, emails with incorrect information, changed start date that was not communicated to registered runners until the week before the race), but on the whole, they did a great job on race day.

Half marathon finishers received a medal, and there was an option to purchase a long sleeve tech shirt for $25 on top of the $50 registration fee. Post-race food was provided by Moe's Southwest Grill.

Pre-Race: "Packet" pick-up was at local Fleet Feet store in the days before the race--fast and easy. There was plenty of parking close to the race start/finish at Shelburne Athletic Field House. There were two port-o-lets outside and a few bathrooms inside, but there were still runners waiting in line when the race director was getting ready to start the pre-race meeting. 5k and 10k racers started first, and half marathon racers started en masse shortly after--no corrals or pacers.

Race: In spite of the mass start, things moved pretty quickly at the beginning, and I did a minimum of bobbing and weaving. The course is very scenic, first winding through local neighborhoods, down through Shelburne Bay, and along the Shelburne Bay Path and Ti Path for the last couple of miles. This course is VERY hilly, and it was a windy, cold day, so it was challenging, but not impossible. The mix of road and trail was nice, and while the roads weren't totally closed to traffic, there were enough volunteers and enough of a police presence that I felt safe throughout. There were 3 water stops, one of which you passed twice, for a total of 4, and one portable toilet at about the halfway mark.

Post-Race: Having access to the field house and being out of the cold and wind was a huge bonus. The food (chili and tortilla chips) from Moe's was delicious and there was more than enough if you wanted seconds. The age group awards and raffle prizes were very generous--pint glasses, Vermont Teddy Bears, bottles of wine, earbuds, Balega socks, polarized sunglasses and two pairs of Saucony shoes. The medal was very nice, but I was disappointed that t-shirts were not included in the registration fee.

I would definitely run this race again, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a challenging, scenic fall half marathon.

Before the Race: Packet pickup was easy--plenty of parking, and I was in and out of the building in 10 minutes. The "Expo" was limited--just the "Color Run Store" with Color Run merchandise. Some of it was nice, but I didn't have any extra money to spend.

Race Day: Plenty of parking and plenty of signage to tell you where to go. There was a fun Jazzercise warm up before the race, and lots of music and an enthusiastic emcee/DJ keeping the crowds entertained. I had to wait through 4 starting waves, lined up in a big starting chute. It was a bit crowded, but everyone was happy, so I didn't mind.

The only weird thing about this race is that it took place entirely inside the Champlain Valley Exposition Fair Grounds, so we were running by fried food stands, animal pens, and concert venues, which were all empty/closed. There wasn't much scenery except for the short section where we ran out and back along an access road.

The color stations were great--the color "appliers" were great about trying to get some color on everyone without getting it in people's eyes/mouths/faces. In the moment, I was upset that there were only 4 color stations because I always thought there would be 5--one for each km. However, when I looked at the website after, only 4 were advertised, so it was my mistake.

After the Race: I was a little disappointed that after exiting the finisher's chute and heading towards the post race Color Party, I never saw any water or snacks. Supposedly, each finisher was supposed to get a Kind Bar, but I never even saw them. I brought my own water bottle and my fiance brought be a sandwich so it wasn't a total disaster, but the food should have been closer to the finish and/or more obvious.

The post-race party was awesome--lots of music, dancing, and periodic color throws. They had some great props set up to take your own pictures, or you could wait in line to have an official picture taken by Flo Photo (I didn't want to wait in line). They also took pictures during the race, but the only shot of me they got is weird. Even though I didn't buy, the prices are great--$3.99 for a high res digital download!

Overall: This is a great race to just go and have fun. Especially good for a group outing, or if someone is looking for a fun, low-key first 5k experience. They have also upgraded the T-shirt since the last time I ran the race, which made me very happy.