Waitsfield is embarking on a culvert replacement project on East Warren Road that will see the road closed south of Mad River Vineyard while the project is underway, from late June to early August.
But that closure will not impact the Mad Marathon, which takes place July 9. At a recent select board hearing, race director Dori Ingalls discussed the race and the road work with the select board. At the June 5, 2023, meeting town administrator Annie Decker-Dell’Isola told the board that there was a 50-50 chance that one lane would be open for the marathon.
At that meeting the board discussed the significant financial impact of the marathon and will put in a change order for the contractor to install two temporary 32-inch-wide pedestrian walkways (runways!) served by a gravel approach with ramps in and out.
The cost to the town would be $3,000 and board chair Christine Sullivan said this week that it is understood that the select board will pay for that, but that it will need to be formalized with a motion. The cost of the project is $306,913 (or $309,913 with the pedestrian walkways). The town has received $175,000 towards the project from the state.
This year the Mad Marathon features its regular full and half marathons as well as a new 5K and 10K race. All races begin on the Mad River Green and runners head north to Bridge Street. Full and half marathoners run up Joslin Hill and out North Road to Meadow Road where they turn around. Half marathoners retrace their steps back to the finish line, but full marathoners come back via Waitsfield Common and East Warren Road, continuing to Roxbury Mountain Road where they loop around Senor, Fuller Hill and Plunkton Road before turning around and heading north on East Warren Road to head back to the finish line.
The 10K course heads through the covered bridge, up Joslin Hill Road, loops around Waitsfield Common with a short stint on East Road before turning around and heading back.
The 5K course heads through the covered bridge, up Joslin Hill Road until Brook Road. After a short distance on Brook Road, those racers turn around and trace their steps back to the finish area.
Along the various routes, there are 13 aid and water stations.
