The Maple Leaf Half Marathon traverses truly gorgeous Vermont landscapes. Your run will take you from the downtown community to picturesque village settings to country roads past farm lands back to the finish. Adding to the beauty, Vermont will be in the early stages of fall foliage. The Maple Leaf …
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The Maple Leaf Half Marathon traverses truly gorgeous Vermont landscapes. Your run will take you from the downtown community to picturesque village settings to country roads past farm lands back to the finish. Adding to the beauty, Vermont will be in the early stages of fall foliage.
The Maple Leaf Half Marathon is a fixture on the late summer calendar in Manchester and the mountains! Beginning in the late 1970s, the Maple Leaf had grown in stature and appeal, attracting world-class athletes and crowds of over 1,300 runners. The brainchild of local restaurateur, Guy Thomas (Zoey’s), the Maple Leaf was nationally famous, being seen as a tune-up for the New York Marathon. In time, the race was organized by a number of other individuals and groups, but faded from the local scene a few years ago.
The Manchester (VT) Lions Club, along with some very generous sponsors have revived this major attraction and added it to the regions fall calendar of events. The goal is to revive the race to its former glory, making Manchester the center of New England’s running interest every September and return the Maple Leaf into a first class event.
The Maple Leaf will begin at the Manchester Parks and Recreation Center and snake its way along backcountry roads, over to route 7 and then back to the Recreation Center for the finish at a certified 13.1 miles. At the same time, there will be a 5-Kilometer run/walk for runners/walkers who aren’t up to the challenge of a half marathon. A celebration will be held with food and beverages, music and an awards ceremony immediately following the races. Any profits from the day’s events will go toward funding Manchester Lions’ charities in the Northshire.
For over 50 years the Manchester Lions have lived up to their motto, “We Serve.” The Lions focus on helping those in need: families and individuals with medical problems, school and educational programs, youth scholarships, area recreational needs. Lions have traditionally been interested in those with sight or hearing deficiencies. Seventy years ago, Helen Keller challenged Lions to be her “Knights for the blind”, and we have taken the challenge. Worldwide, millions of people have benefited from Lions sponsored eye care programs. Locally, we fill the unmet needs of our deserving neighbors. Lions are your neighbors, both men and women, young and old. The Lions are proud to say that all revenues from Lions’ projects are spent on those in need.
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Countryside Run
I hoped to see some colorful leaves but we were a few weeks early. Manchester is a neat country town. The race would have been nice to held in early … MORE
I hoped to see some colorful leaves but we were a few weeks early.
Manchester is a neat country town. The race would have been nice to held in early October in order to see the leaves.
This was a smaller race, it also had a 5K.
They had an Expo but I picked up my bib and shirt the morning of the race. Super easy.
There was plenty of free parking at the starting line.
There was a track at the park where you could warm up before the race.
The course was about a mile through town then you were out to the country. The race was open to traffic.
The course was super hilly. The hill between miles 8 and 9 was no joke!
Aid stations were sufficient and well staffed.
Swag was a super cool medal in the shape for the state of Vermont with a maple leaf on it. The shirt had the same design as the medal on it, but it was cotton blend.
The post race was smaller but had fruit, granola bars, cookies, chips, hydration, and water.
You also got maple syrup.
I recommend this race if you need Vermont.
Spur of the Moment Half!
Really enjoyed this spur of the moment half while visiting Rhode Island. Me and another runner drove 4 hours to get there. We didn't expect a medal nor a t-shirt. … MORE
Really enjoyed this spur of the moment half while visiting Rhode Island. Me and another runner drove 4 hours to get there. We didn’t expect a medal nor a t-shirt. We absolutely LOVE both the medal and shirt!! We had such a good time running in Manchester. What a beautiful area of the country. Amy and her helpers organized a great race. Thanks for letting us join you at the very last hour before start time!
Small Race, But Nice
This was my 2nd half marathon of 3 over 3 days in 3 states. I chose this race for my Vermont half because it paired well with a New York … MORE
This was my 2nd half marathon of 3 over 3 days in 3 states. I chose this race for my Vermont half because it paired well with a New York race the day before. With that said, I know there are “better,” more popular races to run in Vermont but this one was very nice, albeit small – about 150 half marathoners.
This was quite a hilly race (it’s Vermont) so be warned. It was mostly run on country roads that were not closed to traffic, so you did have cars driving by although the country roads weren’t very busy. I didn’t really feel unsafe give the # of cars that drove by. At Mile 8 there is a mega hill to drag yourself up but otherwise most hills are rollers and not so bad.
The swag was okay. The medal was small but nice, in the shape of Vermont and designed with a bright orange maple leaf. I love it. The shirt is nice too, same design. I heard runners were supposed to receive a small bottle of maple syrup, but I have no idea when I was supposed to get that because I never got one. The race director seemed to appreciate that I’d come out from California for their race 🙂
I would recommend this race as a nice choice for Vermont.
Hometown feel
This was a very, very small race event, with 150 half marathoners and 102 5k'ers. The course was mostly on roads, going with traffic. There were no cones to separate … MORE
This was a very, very small race event, with 150 half marathoners and 102 5k’ers. The course was mostly on roads, going with traffic. There were no cones to separate us. I hoped that the cars were paying attention (it was a concern). There were mile markers and an occasional arrow to point you in the right direction but I felt like I had to be super aware because I was basically running alone. The course was very hilly but the scenery was pretty. The shirt and medal are nice and we got a small bottle of maple syrup. The finish line had water, bananas, pringles and bags of white cheddar popcorn. For me personally, the race was a little too small but it was a nice way to visit Vermont.
Very open course!
Overall a pretty good race. Hills galore! I wasn't expecting it to be quite so hilly. The production of the race was a bit lacking. I had a question weeks … MORE
Overall a pretty good race. Hills galore! I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so hilly. The production of the race was a bit lacking. I had a question weeks out, emailed the director, never got a reply. They had theor speakers sitting on the table at the start line, so it was impossible to hear anything being said, and the start was lack luster. Me and some fellow runners were like, “Did the race start?” No countdown, gun, and if go was said we didn’t hear it.
The course was open in all the ways a course could be. We ran with traffic mostly, with no police presence or traffic safety at all. This was hairy in a few places bridge and traffic circle.
The swag was fine. A shirt, maple syrup, and a small medal. If you’re close or just need to knock VT off your list, it’s one to consider.
Beware of Hills
This is a smaller race in a super nice little area of Vermont. More of a small community vibe, but well put together. Packet pickup the day prior and the … MORE
This is a smaller race in a super nice little area of Vermont. More of a small community vibe, but well put together. Packet pickup the day prior and the morning of, nice shirts and medals and good communication leading up to it. I didn’t look at the course ahead of time so the hills kicked my ass – they just keep coming and it was absurdly humid that morning. Small finish line with bananas, fruit snacks, and donuts, but overall well put on event.
About As Vermont As It Gets!
This is a great quintessential “Vermont” run that starts at a nice park, runs through the small town of Manchester, winds you through some back roads (paved and gravel), and … MORE
This is a great quintessential “Vermont” run that starts at a nice park, runs through the small town of Manchester, winds you through some back roads (paved and gravel), and ends back at the park. You get to experience Vermont’s “small town” feel and the countryside in the same race, while looking at beautiful mountains in the background. There are 2 sections of the course that are pretty long, grueling mile long hills (miles 1-2 and 8-9) but your then rewarded with an equal amount of easy down hill glides and a fairly flat last couple miles to the finish. Post race had an ok spread of snacks like fruit and chips along with gatorade and water. Medal was nice too, and was part 3 of a 3 year series and shows the state of VT w/ a small rind stone where the race took place and ribbon custom to the race. Would definitely run this race again!
Hills, Views & Even a Petting Zoo
This race is located in Southern Vermont right across the NY state border so it's a pretty convenient race for me. I was looking to run 2 half marathons this … MORE
This race is located in Southern Vermont right across the NY state border so it’s a pretty convenient race for me. I was looking to run 2 half marathons this weekend in lieu of the traditional 20 mile training run in preparation for my upcoming marathon since I don’t really do long runs any more just races. This seemed to be the most convenient race to do before the one I had planned in RI on Sunday. Manchester Vermont is about a 4 hour drive straight East of Rochester. If you run this race, I recommend booking lodging early. I have been waiting about 1 to 2 months before races to book hotels given the uncertainty of things and had very limited options. Pretty much either a cheap motel or a very expensive bed and breakfast. Went the cheaper route which was fine since this was an in and out trip but would have liked a nicer room. There is race day packet pick-up which is great since it’s a Saturday race. The race starts in a park. There is easy parking and packet pick-up was also easy. Packet included bib and technical shirt. The shirt was a nice, red short sleeved shirt. The race started in the park and had a different start and finish and had timing mats at both the start and finish. There is a 5K and a half marathon that start at the same time. This is a mid sized race. This year it was capped at 400 but I don’t think there is usually a lot more than that. This is a nice number to make the race not stressful but also generally be running with people. It was a mass start. The course is mostly a loop through some of the streets around Manchester. Like pretty much all Vermont races, it is very scenic and very hilly. It was nice to do a half that wasn’t just an out and back. The course goes through the charming little downtown, then some mountain and farm views. There were also some cool sites along the course including going past a sculpture garden and my favorite part when we ran right past a petting zoo. I did not actually stop to pet the animals as tempting as it was but they were right by the course and I walked over and said hi and took pictures of the animals lol. I should mention I wasn’t taking this race too seriously since this was the hillier of the doubles so I took it pretty casually. The hills were pretty tough. There was over 800 ft of elevation gain. Not quite the hilliest half I’ve done but it was up there. It was mostly ups and downs but mile 8 to 9 is pretty much all up one giant hill and it’s a slog. The last 4 miles are great though and mostly downhill which is why I rated difficulty 4 not 5 sneakers since the end was nice. Also the weather was absolutely perfect. The course was pretty well marked. There were course marshalls at all the most important intersections but there were a few spots I thought could have used a volunteer and there was one spot I thought could have used a sign. The course was open to traffic. Some of the streets were on the busier side. I was never in danger but I did think there could be cones or signs or something to make it safer and/or give us more space to run. There were mile markers and frequent aid stations. There was no on-course nutrition but this was communicated. I also didn’t see any bathrooms on the course. They said there would be some around the half way point. Maybe I missed them but I had to go and had to wait until I got to the finish line. Finish line is nice with announcer and arch and clock. At the end you get your medal. The medal is okay. It is a wedge and the medals for 2020 (which was virtual), 2021 and 2022 connect. On it’s own it’s not that special and on the smaller side but it does have a nice covered wagon design that is very “Vermonty”. This is a pretty cheap half marathon though so the medal and shirt are fine for the price. My finishing time was okay. I took this race easy and just wanted to run under 3 hours and I did that. I probably could have broke 2:45 if I spent less time looking at the animals at the petting zoo but what’s the fun in that. At the end they had typical race food including bagels, fruit and chips. They also had an ice cream truck where you could buy treats and they were giving samples of a drink called “Tost” which is non-alcoholic champagne alternative. The Tost was good I am going to buy some for New Years. After the race I got a delicious vegan tofu banh mi and an oatmilk latte from Bonnet and Main in the downtown area. The downtown is cute but I had to head to my next destination. Overall this was a very good race. I wouldn’t call it a “must run” but it’s a good choice for Vermont. I wouldn’t go out of my way for this race but it’s on my way to NH and other New England destinations so I’ll likely end up running it again.