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BENNINGTON — Registrations have opened for Bennington Museum’s inaugural 250th Half Marathon road race set to take place on Saturday, May 15, 2027. This event was conceived as part of the semi-quincentennial anniversary celebrations taking place around the state of Vermont. The scenic 13.1 mile fast surface USATF certified and professionally timed course starts and finishes at Bennington Museum and retraces the initial movement of John Stark and his troops from his headquarters at the Catamount Tavern prior to the Battle of Bennington. The Battle of Bennington was a moral victory for the grassroots militia that was able to overcome the well-trained British and German forces and a significant milestone leading up to the turning point of the War at the Battle of Saratoga. The battle cemented the legendary status of the Green Mountain Boys, and Col. Seth Warner and has come to symbolize Vermont’s foundational independent spirit and fierce self-reliance.

The first mile heads uphill around the Monument and onto Route 9. Next, runners head out of town on a long slow decline towards the Silk Road Bridge in North Bennington (only a short distance to the east is the historic orchard on Harwood Hill where the Green Mountain Boys camped on August 15, 1777.) Crossing at the 67A roundabout, runners head back uphill through the beautiful Bennington College campus and out onto Prospect Street through the center of North Bennington. Climbing again to pass the Park McCullough House, runners turn onto Park Street’s hard-packed gravel for about a mile before heading back down to the Henry Bridge which marks the point where Revolutionary troops are thought to have forded the Walloomsac River. On the other side, nearing the half way point, runners will pass by the Henry House, the Warner Farmstead, and Breakenridge Farm (also know as the birthplace of Vermont). Winding uphill from the river, runners skirt past the airport and keep left on Jewitt Road, passing by the site of the the battle encampment where Dimmick’s Tavern once stood. On a fairly flat stretch of Route 9, runners pass Colgate Park and the Hubbell Homestead before circling the Monument once more and moving to the homestretch on a brisk downhill final half mile.

Water/energy boost stops and portable restrooms will be available at key points throughout the race, and more than 40 volunteers and police officers will come together to keep runners safe and on course.

“We are so excited to see this event come together,” says Alexina Jones, race director and Director of Advancement at Bennington Museum. “The state and various municipalities that this course passes through have been very encouraging and helpful. The local running clubs are enthusiastic about an early season training opportunity for those who are prepping for marathons, or for others, just a fun excuse to keep in shape over the long winter. We hope to see robust participation from a fairly large area,” she continues. “The course is so uniquely beautiful and traverses some import historic sites, on foot, just as the Green Mountain Boys would have done leading up to the Battle of Bennington- a perfect way to celebrate the birth of our country.”