Weather can definitely be an issue. I was there for the relay in 2016 and the race was black flagged and runners were pulled from the course after about 3:30 because the heat index was over 90. Burlington is a nice town to visit, though. If you want a fall option, the Champlain Islands Marathon is very close to Burlington in October. Weather should be better.

In terms of BQ potential, have you considered running Buffalo? It’s the same weekend as Burlington and a pretty fast course and apparently nearer to you.

I ran it pre-Covid. It was well organized with some of the route through Burlington and then out into some of the suburbs. The way back was along Lake Champlain. There are some hills, one of which was short but steep. I feel like I heard they changed the course last year, though, so all of this might be moot! It was mid 70s and humid the day I did it, and yes, the weather can be touch and go around Memorial Day in New England. Could be 80, could be 50. I love Vermont and Burlington/surrounding area is beautiful!

I ran this race this year! It did get into the high 70s by the time I finished but with a proper prep/hydration plan it didn’t derail my race. A lot of great local support along the course including bands/drum groups, people handing out ice/freeze pops/etc, and sprinklers to cool off. I think the total elevation gain across the whole race is around 800ft which I didn’t think was too bad (although I am from upstate NY). A lot of the course runs along neighborhoods or the lakeside bike path so I thought those section were nice. The one weird part is they also do a relay (anywhere from 2-5 people I think) so there was a lot of people running different paces at any given time around me. I was never sure who else was running the marathon lol. I definitely enjoyed hanging out in Burlington for the weekend too.

I’ve never run it, but weather can be a bit of a grab bag that time of year. A few years ago they shut it down because of heat mid race and with the direction races have been moving, that only seems more likely to happen again

Burlington is an awesome city but I’ve never run that race!

This is my home town marathon, heat is less likely to be a problem than rain. Elevation can be intense for a midwesterner but it’s not particularly notable for around here. Scenery is pretty cool for stretches, but may isn’t particularly scenic here. Vibes are off the charts though, we don’t really have “athletics” in Burlington and the whole city treats the marathon like their chance to act like they’re at a college football game.