The People’s United Bank Vermont City Marathon & Relay will run in 2021 and has been rescheduled for Sunday, October 24, 2021 from its traditional Memorial Day weekend date. Guidance from Vermont state officials, who have provided one of our country’s most effective responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, has led us to conclude that moving forward with a large gathering in late May might not be possible. We will turn our attention to presenting the event in the Fall, allowing for more time to prepare a better experience for runners and the community at large.
"We would like this race to be a celebration of our freedom to run and share that joy with our entire community. We’re optimistic that we’ll be in better shape to make that vision a reality with a few additional months to let COVID conditions settle out,” stated Peter Delaney, our Executive Director.
Our title sponsor, People’s United Bank, has remained a loyal partner throughout all of the complications that COVID-19 has created. “People’s United Bank is proud to partner with RunVermont and to collaborate with their dedicated team. The success of recent events demonstrates that RunVermont is highly capable of creating safe and unique opportunities for individuals to remain active by participating in these runs. Especially today, we all need to focus on finding activities that bring people from many differing backgrounds together for a shared positive experience. At People’s United Bank, a healthy community is important to us and it’s a primary reason that we continue to partner with RunVermont,” stated Michael Seaver, President of People’s United Bank.
Our focus for the next eight months will be on creating an event in October where marathoners and relay runners can safely conquer 26.2 miles in a new, two-loop course that includes many of the highlight’s runners have loved about the course for over 20 years. With many 2020 runners having deferred their race registrations to 2021, we will not immediately accept new registrations for the October race. All 2020 registrants will be contacted with instructions to re-register for the October 2021 date or defer until Spring of 2022. We may provide registration for new participants once the 2020 registrants have completed their decisions for the 2021 date.
“For more than 30 years, the Vermont City Marathon has provided an outstanding race experience for runners and a weekend of connection and festivity for the Burlington community,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “I am confident that when the 2021 marathon events take place on the rescheduled date this October, they will have those same elements and also be an opportunity to celebrate life on the other side of this pandemic. I fully support RunVermont’s decision to postpone this year’s race, and I’m grateful for their work to both prioritize public health and ensure that this special event will continue once it is safe to gather again.”
We will be offering a socially distanced, timed running event on Sunday, May 30th in lieu of the traditional marathon. Details about the alternative event will be announced shortly.