Leaf Peepers Half Marathon and 5K is Sunday, Oct. 4
September 28, 2026 | By Lisa Scagliotti
Suju Abraham of Fremont, California, is the final runner to cross the finish in the 2025 half marathon. Photo by Joe Viger
The countdown is on for a fall tradition in Waterbury with the Leaf Peepers Half Marathon and 5K set for next Sunday, Oct. 4.
A week out, just shy of 400 people have signed up for the races, with registration closing at 5 p.m. this Friday, Oct. 2, according to the race website.
Since 1984, the annual event has attracted runners of all ages from near and far to downtown Waterbury.
Timed for optimal fall scenery, the route for both lengths starts and ends at the State Office Complex on South Main Street. The course sends runners out of downtown, over the U.S. Route 2/Vermont Route 100 bridge to Duxbury and then along the Winooski River down Duxbury’s River Road.
Runners make their way back to downtown Waterbury along River Road in Duxbury. Photo by Joe Viger
Most of the half marathon route is over the well-maintained dirt road with a few miles of pavement at the start. The finish brings participants back to the Horseshoe Drive lawn at the state offices via the Cross VT trail. The 5K course has less gravel road with the same start/finish.
Overall race registration is capped at 800, with a maximum of 500 in either event, according to the registration site. As of Sunday, Sept. 27, 287 runners were signed up for the 13.1-mile half marathon; 109 were registered for the 5K.
Entry fees are $75 for the half marathon and $50 for the 5K. The fee includes a T-shirt for each runner.
Awards are announced for the overall male and female winners, along with winners in each age category. Half-marathon finishers all receive a commemorative medal.
On Sunday, runners will be able to pick up their bib numbers starting at 7 a.m. Roads in Waterbury and Duxbury are not closed for this event, but motorists are urged to use caution along the race route and expect some delays.
Start times are 9 a.m. for the half marathon and 9:15 for the 5K.
The Leaf Peepers Half Marathon began in 1984 with the shorter 5K race added in 1990.
More information, including course maps and registration, is online at leafpeepershalfmarathon.org.
Runners at the start of the 2025 Leaf Peepers Half Marathon and 5K. Photo by Joe Viger