Vermont 100 race guide

Key dates for 2027

The race weekend is confirmed, but the 2027 entry dates had not been posted by October 2026. In the 2026 cycle, early registration ran in mid-December and the lottery was held on 11 January.

1. 16 July 2027
   Check-in and briefing

   Friday at Silver Hill. The pre-race meeting is mandatory.

2. 17 July 2027
   Race day

   100 miles at 4 a.m. and 100K at 9 a.m.

3. 18 July 2027
   Course closes

   10 a.m. on Sunday for both distances.

Source: official race website, checked 19 October 2026.

How to get a place

These were the rules for 2026; check the race site for any changes for 2027. Most places go through a free lottery on RunReg in early to mid-January, which you can enter alone or with a buddy so you both get in or neither does. Every name is drawn, either into the race or onto the waitlist. In 2026 there were 364 lottery places, and the race director says 50 to 65% of entrants are usually picked. So far, everyone who stayed on the waitlist has eventually been offered a place.

Some runners can register early in December: aid-station captains, runners with four or more finishes, recent podium finishers, athletes with disabilities, local supporters and runners who have finished both the run and the horse ride. The third route is Team Run 2 Empower (see below).

In 2026 the fee was $425 for 100 miles and $375 for 100K. You get a partial refund only if a waitlisted runner takes your place: 70% before 1 May and 50% before 1 June. There are no transfers, and deferrals are only for pregnancy or military service.

• How race entry systems work
• Volunteer at an ultra

The course

The course loops through the southern Green Mountains around Woodstock, mostly on rolling dirt roads, with about 30 miles of horse trails and 2 miles of pavement. The race says it has no major climbs but plenty of small ones. It crosses dozens of private properties whose owners allow access for race weekend only, so you cannot train on the course and there are no course maps.

The 100K starts at 9 a.m. and joins the 100-mile course at Lillian's, about 44 miles in. The race says road shoes are probably enough, unless it has rained.

Aid stations and cutoffs

There are 25 aid stations on the 100-mile course, so you are never far from water. You pass Camp 10 Bear twice, at miles 47 and 69, and it is the busiest point for crews. The race is cupless: bring your own cup or bottle.

• Plan your splits in the pace planner

From the 2026 100-mile sheet. Stations close at the time shown, and you must leave before then. Unmanned stations have water and electrolyte drink only. Drop bags are only for runners without a crew. The 100K joins at Lillian's. The 2027 sheet is due in summer 2027. Source: official race website, checked 19 October 2026.

Crew, pacers and rules

Each runner can have one crew vehicle, with a pass, which can meet them only at the eight crew stations and the finish. Crews must follow the race's written directions, not a GPS. Pacers can join at the second pass of Camp 10 Bear, about 30 miles from the finish, or from the start for runners over 60. Only one pacer at a time, and pacers may not carry your kit. A free shuttle takes pacers from Silver Hill to the pickup points.

You can also run solo, with no crew or pacer, using drop bags at the crew stations. Headphones and unapproved trekking poles mean disqualification, and dogs are not allowed.

• Crew and drop bags

Records and results

Brian Rusiecki's 14:47:35 from 2014 and Kami Semick's 16:42:32 from 2010 are the 100-mile records on the current course. In 2026 James Gilbert set the 100K record of 9:09:00, and Camille Herron set the 100-mile neurodiverse record of 18:31:58. In 2024 Sarah Gage won the 100-mile outright.

In 2026, 221 of 277 starters finished the 100-mile, and 98 of them ran under 24 hours. In the 100K, 174 of 189 finished.

• Official results and records

Source: official race website, checked 19 October 2026.

Qualifiers and the Grand Slam

A Vermont finish counts for the Western States lottery: the 100-mile within 30 hours or the 100K within 17 hours. Vermont is one of the four races in the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, where runners finish three of Western States, Vermont, Old Dominion and Leadville, then Wasatch, in one summer. Vermont gives Grand Slam runners no special entry.

• Read the Western States 100 guide
• Read the Wasatch 100 guide

History

Laura Farrell founded Vermont Adaptive in 1987 and the Vermont 100 run in 1989, when 114 runners took part. The run joined an established horse endurance ride. The start and finish moved to Silver Hill Meadow in 2004, and the 100K was added in 2008. In 2017 it became the first trail ultra to give visually and mobility impaired athletes their own division, and a neurodiverse division followed in 2025. The race was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19, and in 2023 after floods damaged the course.

Running for good at Vermont

All proceeds go to Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports, which offers year-round sport for people of all abilities whatever they can pay. The race is one of its largest fundraisers: the 2026 campaign raised more than $199,000 from 1,293 donors. Fundraising is optional, with rewards from $200.

Team Run 2 Empower is the charity route in. Members pay no entry fee, give $100 and raise at least $2,000, and get a guaranteed place and a training run on the course. The race also offers free or reduced entries to anyone who asks, and especially encourages BIPOC and LGBTQ+ athletes to ask.

• Team Run 2 Empower

Getting there and staying

The race suggests flying to Hartford, about two hours away, or Albany or Boston, about three. Tent camping at Silver Hill is free on Friday and Saturday nights, but RVs are not allowed and there are no showers. The race needs at least 500 volunteers each year.

• Volunteer at the race

Questions people ask