On Memorial Day weekend I found myself in the beautiful small city of Burlington, Vermont. My objective was to run in the Vermont City Marathon (VCM), while finding time to enjoy the nice environment with family, friends, and our new dog Maggie.

Burlington is located on the shore of Lake Champlain, in the northern part of the state. The city is home to the University of Vermont, as well as other colleges, and has a fairly diverse and healthy economy. Politically the state boasts the only Socialist Congressman in the country, Bernie Sanders, who is a former mayor of Burlington and is originally from Brooklyn.

The running community in Vermont is vibrant. There are numerous races throughout the state, including the 100 Miler completed by our own Firdaus Dotowilia last summer.

Bove’s, on Pearl Street, is a must for the pre-marathon pasta feast. In business for 40 years, the food is excellent and priced very reasonably. Arriving at 7:30PM, we had a very short wait and the service was efficient and friendly.

The VCM Marathon is a great race! As well organized as any I have run, its course takes advantage of the tree-lined city streets and shore front, as well as probing into the countryside to provide awesome views of the Green Mountains. The initial few miles take you through the city streets and near the University, then you head out into the countryside, come back to the south side of the city and then run along the shore bike path. Back on the streets at mile fifteen, you encounter the only real significant hill. At this point there are lots of spectators and the Taiko Group, drummers who provide extra lift to help you maintain pace over the hill. Leaving the hill and drums, you travel north another five miles and then come back south, running the last five miles along the shore bike path, overlooking the lake and the Adirondack Mountains in New York, finishing in Battery Park.