Mad Half Description

The Second Annual Mad Half is scheduled for July 8, 2012 in the gorgeous Mad River Valley,
located in Central Vermont.

You will be running through this extraordinary rural community on 13.1 miles of back and dirt roads, with
breathtaking views of the Green Mountains, tough rolling farm lands, quaint villages, historical barns, covered
bridges and fields of our famous Vermont cows!

Although you may know Vermont for it's brilliant foliage, the Mad River Valley is equally beautiful during
the cool and breezy summer months.

The race starts at the Mad River Green in central Waitsfield Village, and the course travels north on Route 100
for a short .6 mile before turning onto our first secondary road and through a covered bridge...on yes, Bridge Street.  
You will face your first climb about one mile into the race running up past an aid station and hitting a second station at
the top of your climb on Joslin Hill Road and 2.2 miles into the race.   Joslin Hill meets North Road and rolls along gently down hill for about another 2.5 miles, through Pine Brook Covered Bridge to your third aid station at
Meadow Road.   You are now traveling within Neill Farm on dirt roads and an absolutely fabulous introduction to our farmlands. Just before the junction of Meadow is your turnaround

Back along North Road you retrace your path up North Road and just before you hit the Common Road intersection,
and like the Mad Marathon, there is a short out and back section on East Road.  Common Road is a lovely dirt road
with more extraordinary views of barns, farms and country homes all in a delightful rural setting. 
This stretch of the run is just under 3 miles and joins East Warren Road which is 9.6 miles into your race. 

You will then turn right onto East Warren Road beginning a gentle rolling downhill slope
back to Bridge Street and then a short mile sprint to the FINISH LINE! 

Walkers are more than welcome and in 2012 we have a new category for Mad Half Walkers. Walkers
will start at the back of the field so as to avoid clashing with runners early in the race. Walkers will
also have a different color race number. There will be walker officials on the course and if a walker
is deemed to be running they will be moved to the Mad Half runner category.