A thousand Mad Marathon runners, their families, friends and support crews are arriving in the Mad River Valley to enjoy a fabulous run on Sunday, but also to take part in three days of events.
The weekend begins on Friday with registration and an Expo at race headquarters in the Waitsfield Inn, also host of the Marathon Beer Garden. Across the road at the Mad River Green a free community concert, sponsored by Crosspoint Associates with the Big Basin Band, food, beverage vendors along with activities for kids, begins at 7 p.m.
The Kids Fun Run is on Saturday, July 9, on the Mad River Green, which this year has been renamed the Kids Mad River Rainbow Run, similar to a color run. There will be a race distance for all ages, obstacles and few surprises. All runners will receive a Mad Marathon medal as they cross the finish line, along with popsicles. Parents can sign up their kids on race day beginning at 6 p.m. with the race start at 6:30 p.m. Cost includes a white shirt for the paint for the rainbow runners. Sunglasses or goggles are recommended but not required or supplied.
Again Saturday evening the beer garden will be open at the Waitsfield Inn, while innkeepers Vickie and Jon Walluck also host a Mad Carbo dinner. The band Phineas Gage Project will be playing as runners enjoy a lovely Vermont evening before their race. Other Mad Carbo dinners will be hosted around The Valley at Timbers, Castlerock Pub, 275 Main at The Pitcher Inn, The Warren Store, Hyde Away, Home Plate, Mad River Barn, Big Picture Theater & Cafe, American Flatbread, Localfolk Smokehouse and Terra Rossa.
Sunday morning, the Mad River Green will be staged and ready for runners with the finish chute lined with banners, country flags and our now famous barn gantry. Medical and food tents are ready to receive the Mad runners.
While some roads will be closed on Sunday, July 10, once runners safely pass, the roads reopen. Since the Mad Marathon starts at 7 a.m., roads generally begin to open at 9:45 a.m.
MAD MARATHON ROAD CLOSURES (Except for local residents)
6:45-7:15 a.m., Main Street – between Mad River Green’s south entrance and Slow Road.
6:55-7:15 a.m., Main Street – between Slow Road and Bridge Street.
6:55 a.m.-1:25 p.m., Bridge Street – between Main Street and Joslin Hill Road.
7 a.m.-1:15 p.m., Joslin Hill Road.
7:10 a.m.-9:30 a.m., North Road to Carpenter’s Farm.
7:20-9:30 a.m., Meadow Road.
7:25-10 a.m., East Road.
7:35-10:15 .am., Common Road.
7:50 a.m.-1:15 p.m., East Warren Road/Common Road to EWR/Joslin Hill Road.
8 a.m.-12:45 p.m., East Warren Road/Common Road to EWR/Roxbury Mountain Road.
7:55 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Main Street - between Mad River Green’s south entrance and Slow Road. (Allow access to Mehuron’s from the south end – NOT Slow Road.)
8:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m., East Warren Road/Roxbury Mountain Road and Brook Road/Plunkton Road.
NOTE: Roads may open earlier when the last runner passes that section.
