The Maple Leaf Half Marathon returned to Manchester and the mountains of southwestern Vermont in 2010 and will run again in the late summer of 2025. Starting from its first running in the late 1970s, the Maple Leaf steadily grew in stature and appeal, attracting world-class athletes and crowds of more than 1,300 runners as summer gave way to fall each year.
Begun by local restaurateur Guy Thomas (Zoey’s), the Maple Leaf has been a well-known race across the country for years and was seen as a tune-up for the New York Marathon. In time, the race was organized by a number of other individuals and groups but faded from the local scene a few years ago.
The race is now dedicated to the memory of Jay Hathaway, the former organizer of the Maple Leaf race who passed away in 2009.
Now, the Manchester & the Mountains Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Battenkill Valley Runners, Stratton Mountain, and the Manchester Lions Club have forces to revive this major running attraction to our fall calendar of events.
Together, our goal is to revive the race to its former glory, making Manchester the center of New England’s running interest every September and returning the Maple Leaf to its status as a first-class event.
Now, the race is titled the Maple Leaf Half Marathon & Kotler 5K Run & Fun Walk, and more than 700 runners completed both the 5K and the half marathon in 2013, including just over 500 in the half marathon alone.
Featuring a course that’s open to both runners and walkers, the Maple Leaf Half Marathon starts at the Manchester Parks and Recreation Center, from which the route snakes its way along backcountry roads, over to Vermont Route 7, and then back to the Recreation Center for the finish. At the same time, there will be a 5K run/walk for both runners and walkers on a separate course.
Provided by the Maple Leaf Half Marathon race committee.
