2026 Information - TO BE UPDATED FOR 2027
Race Day Parking | Shuttle Bus | Street Closures & Delays
Race Day Parking:
There is plenty of free parking available within 3/4 mile of the start/finish area. City meters and garages are free parking in Burlington on Sundays unless otherwise noted. Click here for an interactive city parking map. Please do not park in any of the church parking lots. Those who park in the Waterfront Park area may find it difficult to exit prior to noon due to racers on the course.
Shuttle Bus from/to DoubleTree by Hilton:
On race day we offer shuttle buses between Waterfront Park (College Street/Lake Street) and the DoubleTree (5:30 AM to 7:00 AM and 11:45 AM to 3:00 PM) and between Church Street/Main Street and the DoubleTree (7:00 AM to 11:45 AM). Anyone may ride these buses (participants or spectators).
Shuttle Bus from Route 2 Hotels (South Burlington):
On race day we offer shuttle buses from a limited number of hotels on Route 2 in South Burlington to the start in Waterfront Park. Check the Lodging Page for more information.
Street Closures & Delays:
Due to the nature of this city-wide event there will be major delays from 6:45AM to 11:15AM on Race Day. Please see our full color street closure map below and complete list of street closures and delays here.
Traffic Advisory FAQ’s
All street closures and parking bans related to VCM are made to ensure the safety of our participants. It is the goal of VCM to have as minimal negative impact on our community related to traffic delays as possible. We recognize the inconvenience that our event causes to some of the public and hope this document will help answer many questions.
Q: My house is on the marathon route. Can I park on the street?
A: It depends on where you live. “No Parking” signs will be posted on Saturday, the day before the event. If your neighborhood is posted then you will need to move your car off the street by 4:00AM. Cars on the street in violation of posted signs will be towed at the owner’s expense.
Q: What areas should I avoid?
A: We find that the congested areas tend to go in waves, depending on where the racers are. For example, from 7:15AM until 7:45AM racers will be on Pine St. This causes backups for vehicles trying to exit the Lakeside Avenue neighborhood and the homes near Oakledge Park. From 7:30am to 12:15pm racers are downtown, Main St, Church St, Chery St, Battery St. This causes traffic backups in the central core downtown. It is best to consult our color coded maps to figure out when runners will be in certain areas.
Keep in mind that due to the nature of our event the runners will spread out as the race goes on. That means that earlier (7:15AM-9:00AM) traffic may be completely delayed in an area, but the runners will be through those areas relatively quickly. Later (9:45AM-1:00PM) when the runners are more spread out the delays will last longer, but there will be bigger gaps between runners so we will be able to cross cars more often.
The new course that we started using in 2021 is more condensed and makes it a lot easier for residents to drive around the city and avoid the course.
Q: Why don’t you let more cars through?
A: Our #1 priority at all times is the safety of the runners in our race. We do not stop our racers, except in the case where an emergency vehicle with lights on approaches. Whenever there is a break between racers our Police and Course Monitors are instructed to let traffic through. We trust the Police and Course Monitors' judgment on when it is safe to let cars cross.
Q: What is the best way to get to North Beach or Leddy Park or the Ethan Allen Shopping Plaza?
A: Accessing North Beach and Leddy Park, in or out, between 8:00am and 1:00pm is very difficult and at times impossible. The Ethan Allen Shopping Plaza is north of the new course, so no problem with access during the race.
Q: What is the best way to get to Oakledge Park?
A: The entrance to Oakledge Park at Flynn Ave and streets west of Pine St in that area are closed to cars until 7:15AM-7:45AM and 8:15AM-11:00AM. After 11:00AM Oakledge Park access will return to normal.
Q: I will be driving from the north end of Burlington to Shelburne Rd on Sunday morning. What is the best route?
A: The new course makes getting from the NNE of Burlington to Shelburne Rd or Williston Rd at lot easier! And the same if you are traveling in the opposite direction. The race course is no longer on the Beltline. Motorists departing the NNE should plan to turn onto the Beltline, and will want to stay east of Church St through downtown. Same if you are coming from the south, just stay east of Pine St and Church St and make your way to the Beltline to get to your destination.
Q: I will be driving to North Ave near BHS on Sunday morning. What is the best route?
A: North Ave, between Battery Park and the North Avenue Alliance Church, will allow northbound vehicles only 7:45AM-1:00PM. To access homes and businesses on North Ave between these locations during the race, use Pearl St to Park St to North Ave at the police station. There may be delays turning left when there are a lot of racers in that part of the course. Please be patient and drive safely!
Q: What is the best way to get to Church St for Sunday brunch (and to watch the runners of course!) at 9:00AM?
A: It is recommended that you drive no further west than South Winooski Ave and walk to Church St. The parking garages on Cherry St and Bank St will be accessible, but you will not be able to drive west of Church St.
Q: I need to come downtown in the morning and leave by 8:30AM. What is the best way to avoid getting stuck downtown?
A: If you are going to need to leave downtown before noon we recommend that you park to the east of Church St and walk into downtown.
Q: I need to put my boat in the water at the Coast Guard ramp on Sunday. When can I do this?
A: We recommend early morning (before 6:00AM) or after 2:00PM as access times if you wish to use the Coast Guard ramp to launch your boat. The College St entrance to Waterfront Park and Lake St are closed from 6:30AM until 1:45PM. After 2:30PM you should have full and unrestricted access to this boat ramp. As an alternative we recommend the boat ramp at Delta Park in Colchester.
Q: I see some vehicles on streets that you said were closed. Why can’t I drive on those streets?
A: Any vehicles on closed streets are official VCM vehicles with course passes, or they are local traffic.
Q: What if I get stuck? How do I get through the gridlock?
A: It is the nature of our event that some delays are inevitable. If you are caught in gridlock it is likely that it will clear up in 20-30 minutes at the most, please be patient. Feel free to ask the Police Officer or Course Monitor in your area about any alternative routes that may be available. They are your best resource for where our course goes. Keep in mind that it is their goal to minimize your inconvenience, but they must first keep in mind the safety of the racers.
