Announcing-Cannondale Kids Bike Raffle at the Vermont 50 Kids Fun Rides or Runs
Vermont 50
Last Call for Online Shopping-Shop ‘Til You Drop
Online Shopping Closes Sept. 26 at 11:59 p.m. ET
Our online closes Wednesday, Sept. 26 at midnight ET but you’ll still be able to shop for OFFICIAL Race Merchandise at the Race Merch Table in the BIG TENT.
Store Hours:
Saturday, Sept. 29 noon-5 p.m.
Sunday Sept. 30 11 a.m.- 4 p.m..
Net proceeds go to support Vermont Adaptive.
Orders placed online must be picked up at the Merchandise Table during Race Weekend.
We have trucker hats and runner caps.
Lots of T-shirts styles
Any some very cool jackets, pullovers and sweat shirts for men and women.
Shop online avoid the lines and get the Sizes and Colors you want.
Your Crew-Are They Ready to Help You?
Crews-They Have the Hardest Job Race Weekend
Crews are at the race to give aid and support to their mountain biker or runner. They chase you around all day on Sunday. They keep you hydrated; they give you dry socks and sneakers; they feed you and they keep you smiling so you can finish. They tend to blisters and cuts and pick up your dirty bike or running clothes. They keep your headlamps charged with fresh batteries. They carry your drop bags. They navigate our back roads and park their vehicles in potentially muddy fields. They have the hardest job race weekend.
Family member, friend, spectator
Family members, friends are important to you too. They are “spectators“! They cheer their mountain biker or runner on at the FINISH LINE ONLY. They stake out THE BEST spot at the finish and wait, and wait, and wait for you to make your way to the finish line.
Then they help clean you up and drive you home.
Crew and Parking Permits
Your Crew vehicle must be registered with the race. You will be given an Aid Station Parking Permit on Saturday.
ONLY Vehicles displaying these permits are allowed to park at the three Aid Stations on Course (Skunk Hollow, Greenalls and Johnsons).
CONTACT of any kind is NOT ALLOWED ANYWHERE ON COURSE with mountain bikers or runners except at the three designated Aid Stations.
Family members, friends and spectators-no parking permit is required to park in the Base Camp parking lot. But space is limited and not guaranteed.
Crew Rules
There are a bunch of crew rules that need to be followed.
These rules are in place in order for us to get our local permits so we can continue to offer you a unique VERMONT experience.
We must all comply with these rules or the we might not be able to have the VERMONT 50 in the future.
It’s on us to make sure our race participants and their crews (and family members) follow these rules.
Failure to follow the rules can also result in disqualification of a mountain biker or runner.
- Each participant is allowed only (1) crew vehicle on course.
- All crew vehicles MUST have and display a Crew Parking Permit in order to access the aid stations.
- One Crew Parking Permit will be given to each mountain biker or runner when they pick up their bib # and register their crew vehicle.
- Relay running teams are allowed ONE VEHICLE per three person team.
- Vehicles without the Crew Parking Permit will be required to leave the course/aid station.
- Crews must follow the crew direction routes and stay off “closed to event traffic” roads.
- Crews must follow the directions of race officials and aid station personnel.
- Littering is taken seriously in Vermont – please help keep Vermont green!
- Parking in undesignated areas will not be permitted. This is any place that the event doesn’t specifically tell you to park.
- Do not block roads or driveways.
- Do not park on lawns.
- If you leave your vehicle in an unapproved area, it will likely be towed at your expense.
- Offering aid to mountain bikers or runners from a vehicle anywhere other than an official “crew access” aid station is strictly prohibited.
- Designated parking areas of Crew Access Stations are considered acceptable areas for participants to receive aid.
- Being at an aid station that is not an official “crew access” station is strictly prohibited.
- All roads are still open to the public at all times (with the exception of designated ‘closed to event traffic’ roads).
- Do not set up in the road, and take care when crossing the road.
Crew Guidelines
There are three (3) locations at which you will be able to meet your mountain bikers or runners along the course: Skunk Hollow, Greenalls and Johnsons.
MEETING OR HELPING MOUNTAIN BIKERS OR RUNNERS AT ANY OTHER LOCATION IS NOT ALLOWED.
A Crew Parking Permit must be used at all times. Cars on the course must be kept to a minimum so you need to follow the crew directions from one authorized station to the next.
Please don’t use your GPS; there are some very bad, impassable roads that your device won’t know about. Also, there are roads that we cannot use due to landowner sensitivity, and we need to keep vehicles off runner routes as much as possible.
Crews are not allowed to park anywhere other than locations posted and allowed by race management.
FOLLOW ALL POSTED SPEED LIMITS. In some locations, it is 25 or 30 mph. The local police know ‘visitors’ are in town and are quick to ticket. In the absence of a sign, the speed limit on dirt roads is 30 mph.
If your mountain biker or runner drops from the race, THE MOUNTAIN BIKER, RUNNER OR CREW MUST NOTIFY RACE PERSONNEL AT ONCE.
Crews Can Save You Time!
Crews can save you time at the Drop Bag Aid Stations-Skunk Hollow, Greenalls and Johnsons. They can deliver your drop bag to you so you don’t have to hunt through the piles of bags from other participants.
And they’ll have them in the vehicle so when you’re ready to leave Base Camp to head home-you don’t have to wait for you drop bags to be returned to the BIG TENT. Crews can save you time!
GAS, FOOD and ICE
We have a map made for you to easily find gas, food and ice near our base camp.
We strongly suggest downloading this MAP to your phone or tablet BEFORE leaving home. Our cell and WiFi services are spotty at best.
Map to Base Camp
You might also want to download the map to base camp to help with your navigation.
But the directions your crew will be given with their Parking Permit are pretty easy to follow.
Still have questions, visit our FAQs page.
See you all soon!
Race Start Waves-When Do You Start on Sunday Sept. 30?
Race Morning-What to Expect
- Race Check in OPENS at 5 AM for ALL 50 milers (so we know who started and is on course).
50KM you all can sleep in until 7 AM! - There will be traffic so plan ahead, carpool if you can. Make sure your CREW has their AID STATION PARKING PERMIT.
- Racer Meeting at 5:30 AM (7:30 AM for 50 Km) when we’ll go over all you need to know about the course and any changes that have been made since last year (so repeat 50 milers/50 Km-don’t miss this meeting.) And you don’t want to miss Mike and Zeke!
Race Waves
Know When You Start
- Check Your Race Wave and Bib Number (for Your Drop Bags and Clothing)
- Make Sure your follow the directions of the volunteers
- If you start in a wave ahead of your designated wave/category/age group, your start time will be moved back to the wave time you were classified in and an additional 20 minutes will be added to your finishing time.
- Your time starts when the chip in your Bib/Plaque crosses the timing mat.
Volunteers will be lining you up in the WAVE GROUPS. They will be checking your bibs and wristbands (mountain bikers) and making sure you start in the proper wave. You can move back to start but you cannot move forward. Moving forward will result in getting an extra 20 minutes tacked onto your time.
Wave 1 6:00 (EXPERT 27-34)
Wave 1B 6:00 (ALL SINGLESPEED)
Wave 2 6:05 (EXPERT 26 & UNDER)
Wave 2B 6:05 (EXPERT 35 & OVER)
Wave 3 6:10 (SPORT 35-44)
Wave 4 6:15 (SPORT 45-64)
Wave 5A 6:20 (SPORT 34 & UNDER)
Wave 5B 6:20 (SPORT 65 & OVER)
Wave 5C 6:20 (SPORT CLYDES)
Wave 5C 6:20 (WOMENS BIKE RELAY)
Wave 6 6:25 (NOVICE & TANDEM)
Wave 6B 6:25 (NOVICE CLYDES)
Wave 7 6:30 (50M RUNNERS)
Wave 8 8:00 (50K RUNNERS)
Course Closes at 6:30 p.m. for everyone!
It will be DARK-you might want a headlamp-have your crew bring one or leave one in your #10 Johnson’s Drop Bag.
Drop Bags-What You Need to Know
Vermont 50 Drop Bags-Dos and Don’t
Drop bags ARE NOT returned to the Finish Line BEFORE an Aid Station Closes-What this Means
Drop Bags-Which Aid Stations
There are Aid Stations on Course where you can have a DROP BAG.
50 milers you can have drop bags at: #3 Skunk Hollow, #7 Greenalls and #10 Johnsons.
50 Km you can have drop bags at: #2K Ralphs, #7 Greenalls and #10 Johnsons.
Use Your CREWS!
If you have a CREW, you must register their vehicle at the Parking Permit Table at the BIG TENT on Saturday. They can meet you at #3 Skunk Hollow, #7 Greenalls and #10 Johnsons displaying an Official Race Parking Permit, otherwise they will be turned away. They can ONLY meet you at these three aid stations-anywhere else on course and you are subject to disqualification.
They can TRANSPORT your DROP BAGS!
They can give you aid at the three designated aid stations but they can ALSO transport your drop bags so you won’t have to wait for our volunteers to return them to the finish line.
Label Your Drop Bags
Bags should be labeled with Your Last Name, First Name, Bib Number (lists will be online soon) and the Aid Station Name and number.
Drop Bag Check-In
All drop bags that are to be transported by our volunteers need to be dropped off at the DROP BAGS Table before 8 pm on Saturday, September 29. They will be checked for size-no bigger than 9″ x 9″ x 16″ and weighed-no more than 10 lbs. If the are bigger or weigh more they will not be transported.
NO BOXES, RUBBERMAID CONTAINERS, SUITCASES etc will be accepted as Drop Bags!!
Drop Bags back to Finish From Aid Stations
Drop Bags are not returned to the Finish Line until an Aid Station closes.
So bags should be back to the finish line: (times are approximate)
11:30 AM for #2K Ralph’s
11:30 AM for #3 Skunk Hollow
3:00 PM for #7 Greenalls
6:30 PM for #10Johnsons
Clothing and Other Items Dropped at Aid Stations
You can drop jackets, pants, headlamps etc at any aid station EXCEPT Garvin Hill and Cady Brook. Like SUMMER CAMP-label them well with your first and last name and they will be returned to the finish line ONLY after that aid station closes-not before. Be sure to check the closing times of the Aid Stations and add about 1/2 hour to when you can expect items to be returned to the finish line.
From Our Website
Download a Drop Bag Info Sheet
- A small backpack or gear bag, on the order of 9”x 9” x 16” is appropriate if shoes, a top garment and bottle are included.
- Weight not to exceed 10 lbs per bag. We will weigh them!
- Your bag must be soft-sided (no plastic storage boxes please)
- Be securely closed
- Labeled clearly with your name and most importantly your bib number
- Also include the name of the aid station to avoid confusion by you or by us.
- Make your drop bag as unique a possible within our stated guidelines.
Drop bags are allowed at: Aid Stations #3, 7 and 10 for the 50 Mile and #2K, 7 and 10 for the 50 Km.
We will deliver drop bags from the start/BIG TENT to aid stations
- Ralph’s #2K (50 Km Only)
- Skunk Hollow #3
- Greenall’s #7
- Johnson’s #10
Be sure to label your bag with the name of the aid station you want it dropped at, your name and most importantly, your bib number.
Remember do not drop any clothing at: Garvin Hill or Cady Brook. You may drop clothing during the race at any other aid stations.
Drop bags must be accepted at the Information Table in the BIG TENT before 8 p.m. Saturday night.
Drop bags will be returned to the BIG TENT ONLY after each aid station closes, not before! You will have to wait at the BIG TENT to pick up your drop bags–we WILL NOT mail them to you!!
This is your property and it is your responsibility to pick up your bag at the BIG TENT at the end of the race.
What should I put into my drop bags?
Extra pair of shoes at the first drop station, if you think there’s a chance you may need to change. Most folks never do.
Clean, dry socks
Skin lube, band-aids; If you are prone to blisters include a small ‘kit’ in each bag (i.e. band-aids, sterile wipes, talcum powder)
Electrolyte caplets or dissolving tablets, if you use them
Gels or Blocks or Stingers Gels. Gels will not be provided at the aid stations
Non-liquid snacks if your system, due to allergies, cannot tolerate items provided at the aid stations
A light waterproof or resistant layer top and lightweight cap if there’s rain in the forecast (a small pouched poncho is perfect and takes up little space)
A light jacket and even lightweight gloves if the forecast is for cold weather
I challenge you to gather the above-listed items together to see exactly how small a volume they really occupy.
What NOT to include:
Anything that could break if dropped from a height of 4 feet.
No Glass Containers
wallets
cell phone (There’s no reception anyway)
purse
watches
GPS
jewelry, etc.
Don’t ever put anything in a drop bag that you aren’t prepared to part with permanently. We are not responsible for lost or stolen articles or drop bags left behind at the end of the race.
The following items can be carried in a small pouch by itself, or as part of a water belt, or a backpack:
band-aids in a small plastic baggie
electrolyte caplets and Advil, also in a baggie
gels or chews
Runners if you wear Race Ready Shorts, you can carry most of the above and even a few more gels in them. On a decent weather day therefore, you would have no need for drop bags.
Bikers can carry these items on their backs in their packs or in shirt pouches.