pacertrip.

PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONUS / RACE GUIDE

Champlain Islands Marathon & Half Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

USOct 18, 202642.195km · 21.1km

Ascended Dreamer · CC BY-SA 4.0

Race date in 8 days: Oct 18, 2026 Sun
City · Distance: South Hero · 42.195km · 21.1km
Entry fee: $80Varies by event and entry period
Status: ClosedTBD ~ Sun, October 18, 2026See how to enter ↗

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 10, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

The race starts at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 18, 2026.

The venue is Folsom Elementary School in South Hero, Vermont,

and both full marathon and half marathon start together right in front of the school.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 1

DavidRan in 2025 · Finish time 03:56:12

“I took second in my age group.”

David managed his effort steadily at the 2025 Champlain Islands Marathon, although strong headwinds and hills slowed him in the second half. A late push brought him home in 3:56:12, meeting his sub-4-hour goal and earning second in his age group.

Read the original on Goal-Oriented Runner

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

We haven't found a video for this race yet. We'll add one when we do.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

Next edition entry

Entry dates for the next edition haven't been announced yet

Marathon

Entry cost $80

until Oct 15, 2026 · subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Half

Entry cost $60

until Oct 15, 2026 · subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Registration platform RunSignup

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 42.195km

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 08:30

Event	Start	Time limit
Marathon42.195km	08:30	6h
Half21.0975km	08:30	4h

City center · not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet. The map shows the host city.

START

Folsom Elementary School, South Hero, VT

The event consists of Half Marathon and Marathon.

The start takes place at Folsom Elementary School, South Hero, VT, at 8:30 a.m. local time.

Field size: 500-person limit (marathon + half marathon combined, according to the RunSignup registration page)
Typical race-season temperature: around 9°C (47°F): Short sleeves or light long sleeves + arm warmers

Participant benefits

Aid stations

Event T-shirt

Finisher T-shirt

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2025 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

The South Hero Champlain Islands Marathon; race-pack pickup information has not been published.

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startNo train/bus station nearby.
Getting to the finishSame venue as start (Folsom Elementary School).
Transit cardNo dedicated transit card system; South Hero, VT is a rural Lake Champlain island community with no public…

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

No train/bus station nearby. Start/finish is Folsom Elementary School, 75 South Street, South Hero, VT.

Free onsite parking at Folsom Elementary School with volunteers directing traffic from 6:45 AM; overflow parking at nearby Allenholm Farm. Race starts directly in front of the school at 8:30 AM.

Rural Lake Champlain Islands (South Hero, VT) location with no public transit — car access only via free school parking lot.

Map

Getting to the finish

Same venue as start (Folsom Elementary School).

Same parking arrangement serves the finish.

Map

Road closures

Free parking at Folsom Elementary School, volunteer guidance from 06:45.

Transit card

No dedicated transit card system; South Hero, VT is a rural Lake Champlain island community with no public transit. Car access applies for race day.

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

The Champlain Islands Marathon only allows advance online registration;

there is no race-day on-site sign-up.

Participation is capped at 500 runners.

The half marathon course is an out-and-back along the western shore of South Hero and Grand Isle,

entirely on paved roads passing farms, apple orchards, and summer cottage areas.

The grade is generally gentle.

In mid-October, when the race is held, Vermont sees cool autumn weather with average highs around 13°C and lows around 2°C.

Times are local to South Hero. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

From Montreal: Day Trip to Nordik Spa with Admission Ticket

$125

Champlain Islands Marathon & Half Marathon

About Champlain Islands Marathon & Half Marathon — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run