With races on hold these past few months, we thought a virtual challenge would be a positive goal to help you keep running, stay fit and be ready for when in-person races happen once again. This blog describes a segment – namely the eastern segment – of the 553-mile ‘All-Around Vermont’ Challenge course around Vermont’s perimeter. This segment covers the 199-mile course heading south from Canaan to Brattleboro. For this Challenge you don’t have to run around the perimeter of the entire state to meet the 553-miles-in-99-days challenge (although that would be quite a feat) – you can run or walk your miles anywhere. 

Mileage information below references the perimeter loop which runs clockwise starting from Burlington (Mile 0) and heading north through Alburgh and Highgate where it then picks up Routes 207/235 heading east to Canaan. For this Eastern Segment we are starting at the northeast corner of the state near Canaan at around Mile 165, near the intersection of routes 114 and 141, and finishing in Brattleboro at Mile 364. There is an overall net downhill of approximately 1050 feet, but that does include a ~495-foot climb around Mile 212 heading toward Lunenburg. 

Heading south from Canaan on Route 102 toward Lemington and, at around Mile 178 – 179, check out the Columbia Covered Bridge to NH which will be to the east.  

Heading west toward Lunenburg near Mile 214, a slight detour on Town Hwy 1 and a right on 135 is the Mount Orne Covered Bridge heading into NH. 

Just to the west of Barnet is Harvey's Lake – home of Jacques Cousteau’s first dive. Speaking of dive, near Fairlee (mile 277) you’ll be close to Lake Morey in case you need to cool off.  

Some rolling hills around Mile 300 from White River Junction heading into Hartland where you can check out the Martin’s Mill Covered Bridge. From there you’ll run through Windsor where, in 1777, the Constitution of Vermont was adopted. The next 50 miles will take you through Charleston (after a brief ‘tour’ of New Hampshire after crossing the Connecticut River at ~ Mile 331). 

Then through Bellows Falls and Putney (home to Landmark College) and, finally, Brattleboro and the intersection with Route 9 (~Mile 364). 

Our eastern segment journey ends here, but for those continuing west on Route 9, there are a couple of significant climbs over the next 30 miles. Not sure how they got there – they just showed up one day and refused to leave. 

To learn more and to register for The RunVermont Virtual Adventure click here: https://runsignup.com/Race/VT/AnywhereYoudLike/TheRunVermontVirtualAdventure