We’ve fielded lots of questions about our 2024 schedule. It’s exciting to see all the interest!

Thanks for your patience while we sorted through what was possible. After hosting last year’s USARA National Championships, we needed some time to see who had energy to focus on this year’s events.

We will be hosting the 24-hour Hard Fall in southern Vermont. We expect this event to sell out well in advance, so please sign up as soon as registration opens to guarantee your team a spot. We are determining if we can also hold a shorter Test Your Nettle event that same weekend; we’ll have an update on that front in a few weeks.

We’ll also be hosting, in partnership with Women of AR, a weekend training clinic to help women grow in the sport. Details will be posted to the site soon.

And inclosing, some disappointing news to many – we will not be holding a Bitter Pill in 2024. Our organizers are either focused on the two events above or spending some time racing themselves. We do expect the Bitter Pill to return in 2025!

What’s that you say? The USARA National Championships are coming to Vermont in 2023?

In this case, the rumors are very true! GMARA is proud to be designing and hosting Nationals next year. We are hard at work on designing a worthy 30-hour race course. The race is currently full and many teams are on the waitlist hoping that a space frees up.

If you are new to GMARA and wondering what type of events we offer, we suggest you peruse our various write-ups from two decades of putting on adventure events large and small. We look forward to showing you what Vermont has to offer.

We’re exploring options currently to see if we can host a Test Your Nettle event in 2022. There’s a chance we’ll be able to align one with the Bitter Pill. If it comes together we’ll update the site and announce it via our mailing list.

We’ve decided to wait a year to bring the Hard Fall back. It’s a lot to put on two major summer events; it’s important that we keep our organizers energized and our volunteers happy. Never fear – we expect to return with another 24 hour race in 2023!

The Bitter Pill Returns!
We’re excited to announce that we’ll be opening registration for the Bitter Pill on 4/1. Event basics are posted. It’s safe to say you’ll get to enjoy all the summer classics – paddling, trekking, navigation, and mountain biking.

We do expect to fill up again, and fill quickly, regardless of how many boats we can source from our suppliers. If you plan to race, sign up quickly to reserve your spot!

Taking place in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, the course highlighted the beauty, the challenge, and the remoteness of this amazing area.

Teams received their maps after completing registration early Saturday morning in St. Johnsbury. Depending on when they completed check-in, they had almost two hours to review the course and make their plans.

They were then loaded onto buses at 9am to take them the race start at the north end of Lake Willoughby, Vermont’s deepest lake.

There were no checkpoints on this initial section section, just a paddle due south to the far end of the lake to get to the first transition area (TA).

Teams looks determined on the beach as they heard the final set of pre-race instructions. They had spent months getting ready for what was moments away. As they looked out at Lake Willoughby, the magnitude of the challenge took shape.

In 1915, Robert Frost wrote about this body of water:
“I see it’s a fair, pretty sheet of water,
Our Willoughby! How did you hear of it?
I expect, though, everyone’s heard of it.
In a book about ferns? Listen to that!”

If only it were a sheet of water…in reality, there were incredibly strong headwinds greeting racers as they stood on the beach. It was clear their paddle wouldn’t be a fast cruise over glass, but instead a brutal paddle straight into the wind and through some whitecaps.

Given the wind and waves, boats were taking on water faster than most teams would have liked. A few teams did indeed capsize, and in true adventure racing fashion, either self-rescued or were assisted by other teams. Many teams stopped at least once to drain their boats and continue on.

In contrast, the last quarter mile was quite smooth!

After reaching the first TA, racers headed into a multi-hour trek with a twist. The points in this area were worth varying amounts (25, 50, 75 or 100 points). Every one hundred points would count as one full checkpoint. There were 1100 total points available, and racers could score up to nine checkpoints in this section. This led to lots of strategy decisions: Which points to get? How many to get? What order to get them in?

There were some truly spectacular views from a few of the points – well worth the hike even when not part of an adventure race!

After finishing this trek at TA 2, racers got on their bikes for the first time and biked to a mystery discipline, picking up one checkpoint in a culvert along the way. There was a lot of speculation from racers as to what this would entail. Everything from axe throwing to summer dog sledding was suggested, but several teams got it right: a corn maze!

Teams arrived to TA 3 at the Kingdom Corn Maze, with not one but three corn mazes. In an adventure racing first, racers would actually be biking in two of these mazes, and trekking in the largest of the three. Racers had a detailed map for the two larger mazes, but only knew where the next checkpoint was located at any time, discovering the next one as they went.

For most teams, the sun was setting as they were in or just leaving the corn mazes. It was a glorious evening! Teams now headed off to bike the Kingdom Trails – a massive network of excellent biking trails, a true gem of this area. There were many points which could be retrieved in any order. Teams again had to decide which points to get and how to attack them.

To finish this section, most teams had to hike-a-bike, gaining more than 600 feet, and then coasted down into TA 4. Some teams found other creative ways to wind their way to TA 4. Here they were greeted by the volunteer staff with access to their gear bins, water, a hot meal provided by Good to Go, and a warm fire. That fire was seductive, tempting teams to stop moving.

From TA 4, teams had the option to head out onto a fully off-trail bushwhack to retrieve more points, before returning. An altimeter was definitely an asset in this section.

Teams then had a fairly short bike ride to get to TA 5, where they would begin the second paddle of the race.

Far from open water with chop, this was on the slow moving Passumpsic River. Water levels had dropped considerably, and racers found themselves initially having to pull their canoe or kayak over rocks and sandbars until things got a bit deeper. The ability to read a river and pick the best lines was definitely an asset here. Most teams had the sun rise while on this paddle, and a fresh batch of daylight definitely helped keep away the sleepies.

Just in case the in-river boat dragging wasn’t enough “fun”, teams were treated to multiple required portages. On their third portage, about 8 miles into the paddle, racers were surprised with their bikes. Given how slowly the paddle leg was going, race organizers called the audible to cut the paddle short and get them on their bikes earlier.

A tough call to make during the race, but overall this allowed the majority of teams to experience the timing of the race course as designed and not be overly penalized for something outside of their control.

Racers then biked a few miles to TA 6, and for those teams with time to spare headed off into the St. Johnsbury town Forest for three quick trekking check points. Finally, teams biked a short distance via a specific route on their map, to the finish line, where a breakfast buffet and hot coffee awaited them!

Special thank you to our sponsors!
– Mammut
– Outdoor Gear Exchange
– Good to Go
– Kingdom Coffee Roasters
The premier 3 person coed division was incredibly close, with the top 3 teams being separated by a mere 2 checkpoints. In the end, it was Strong Machine AR that edged out the competition and took first place overall, with an impressive 51 checkpoints! Check out the full detailed results here.

Thanks to all the volunteers, and racers for making this another great day in the woods. We couldn’t do it without your support!

A special thanks to spouses and kids who put up with adventure-planning craziness. They know that these events aren’t just a huge amount of work, they’re a huge amount of fun – like a family reunion — but a family with some really odd traditions.

Photos are up in the usual spot. If you’ve got photos, videos, blog posts, GPS tracks or stories from the trail, please send a note to staff@gmara.org with details and we’ll get them up here.

– Writeup from Strong Machine
– Writeup from NH Trail Vets
– Writeup from Rootstock

Thanks for racing!

– The GMARA Crew

The 2021 Bitter Pill featured a record number of teams, discipline changes, and comments about swamps and marshes. All of which were completely positive! People love swamps. And marshes.

This was our first course in Craftsbury since 2012, so we were excited to explore some new terrain and showcase what the Craftsbury Outdoor Center has to offer.

Teams received their primary map at check-in that morning, giving them longer than usual to plan overall strategy.

We held back the map for the first leg (a six-point navigation section on Craftsbury Outdoor Center property) until 5:58am, to help add that feeling of frantic confusion customary at the GMARA starting line.

Planning on their feet, racers hit the trail network. Thankfully, some early rain made sure that nobody overheated.

Teams switched to bikes after the first section. With rain increasing, they followed:

• remote roads
• trails that once were roads
• trails that were never roads
• former roads that became small ponds

Racers expressed their appreciation for the intense storm, keeping them cool and preventing these not-really-roads from being too fast.

They arrived at TA 2, a pond near Eden Mountain Lodge & Dogsledding, where one team stayed the night before! We enjoyed listening to their conversation as they realized where they were. Sad for them, the beautiful cabins were on the other side of the road, and pausing for a hot shower would lead to a DQ.

Leaving from the pond on foot, racers began the most navigationally-challenging section of the day. Twelve points, two of which were more difficult and worth extra credit.

After a surprise gear check, teams were back on bikes. Some took a calculated risk to see if a trail not on the map was a shortcut through the woods (it was!) and a few chose to get a bonus point along the way. For most teams, the sun started coming out on this leg, and the day became quite lovely.

Provided they made it to TA 4 by 2:00 p.m., teams were given a detailed orienteering map including fields, woods, a small river crossing or two, and a magnificently terrible yet wonderful swamp/marsh experience. With volunteer-made cookies and rhubarb-ade, most headed out to grab those three checkpoints.

This section was amazing in many ways, especially for race directors who love to plan a good swamp-whack. A few teams mentioned that missing the cutoff for this section may have been a good thing…

After leaving the morasses of the marsh, they biked back to the Craftsbury Outdoor Center to find six checkpoints on the mountain biking trails and one on a swim buoy in Little Hosmer Pond.

The prospect of a short but refreshing dip in (relatively) clear water encouraged some teams to send multiple racers on the swim, despite the rules which only required a single teammate in the water.

Teams finished their bike leg at TA 6, where they grabbed their tandem kayak (2-person teams) or canoe (3-person teams), enjoyed a short portage, and then paddled to four points around Great Hosmer Pond.

After portaging their boat back, they had a short ride to the finish. Every team made it to the finish on time, which is a bit surprising given the number of teams out on the race course. Lots of happy smiles as teams finished a very unique course in picturesque Vermont terrain.

Teams ended their day spread across the large field at Craftsbury Outdoor Center, with the Caja Madera food truck providing excellent post-race tacos.

Thanks to all the sponsors, partners, volunteers, and racers for making this another great day in the woods. We couldn’t do it without your support!

A special thanks to spouses and kids who put up with adventure-planning craziness. They know that these events aren’t just a huge amount of work, they’re a huge amount of fun – like a family reunion — but a family with some really odd traditions.

Photos are up in the usual spot. If you’ve got photos, videos, blog posts, GPS tracks or stories from the trail, please send a note to staff@gmara.org with details and we’ll get them up here.

Racers – you should have received this in your inbox.

Wow, there’s a lot coming together for this race! This will not be a short update, but hopefully there’s lots of good insight here for you as we get closer to race day.

Canoe Waiver – Do This Right Now! 🙂
We’re doing everything we can to keep the check-in process this year as minimal as possible. In that spirit, please take a moment to complete the online paddle waiver. This will save you time on race morning!

Course Insights

• Lots of discipline changes on this course! Expect to be shifting to lots of different things throughout the day.
• There are no massive mountains in this area, but there is very little that is flat. Expect to be going up and down constantly.
• There will be times you will be traveling with all your required gear, including your PFD. It’s worth practicing this ahead of time.
• We recommend you consider some sort of long pants or tights; there’s a significant number of both stinging nettles and raspberry bushes in parts of the course. Consider yourself warned!

Covid Approach Update
We will largely be sticking with our covid approach for the race. Everything will be outdoors, including the food afterward.

The two adjustments we are making are:

• We will have a mass start at 6am rather than a staggered start. We will open up registration at 4:30a.m. You’ll receive your instructions and map(s) once you check-in.
• We will use standard checkpoint punches rather than words or another format.

Dinner Update!
We’re finalizing the details now, but we’ll have a local food truck coming to provide tacos (and sides), some additional snacks to grab, and individual drinks. The Craftsbury Outdoor Center will have adult beverages for sale as well. Not our typical massive buffet, but this is a reasonable option in Covid times which we are thankful we can offer. Depending on how closely together teams finish, there could be a bit of a line, but we’ll manage it as best we can.

We recommend that you bring camp chairs, blankets, etc., for after the race. Be ready to make yourself comfortable – you’ll have earned that! Feel free to bring your own cooler as you see fit, but please purchase any alcohol from the COC.

Cell Coverage
Cell phone coverage in this area ranges from extremely terrible to non-existent. We will have satellite phone coverage in the event of emergencies, but we wanted to give you a heads up on how much of a dead zone this region is.

Camping at Craftsbury Outdoor Center
Several of you have inquired recently about camping at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. Craftsbury does not allow camping on its property, including sleeping in your car. They do still have lodging available which includes meals, in case that is of interest to you.

Closing Thought
This is going to be a Bitter Pill like no other, but some things are the same. You will have an adventure in the outdoors, go places you never would have otherwise, and have stories to tell afterward. We really appreciate the support and flexibility of so many of you; it’s this community that keeps us coming back year after year.

Cheers,
The GMARA Crew

p.s. Did you fill out that canoe waiver yet? Now is a good time.

Wow! The Bitter Pill is packed with a very full contingent of seventy teams, and sizable waiting lists for both divisions. It is really exciting to see such interest in adventure racing right now.

Racer Information
If you haven’t updated your personal information yet, please do so ASAP. Supply chains are still in rough shape and we need to order shirts earlier than we normally do. Getting your info in there quickly will really help us out (as well as ensure you have a properly sized shirt waiting for you.)

Racing for Rookies
Racers, check your inbox for a zoom link to a special session next week. If this is your first race, you likely have lots of questions! We’ll have several of our very tenured race crew on and happy to chat about anything you like. There will be no course information revealed at this meeting; this is just to help out the new folks.

Some Course Thoughts
Teams are always curious to hear about the course. For now, we’ll share this. Expect a good number of discipline changes, a couple surprises, and biking on pretty much every type of terrain you can imagine. (Apart from the canoe. No transporting your bike via boat. Hah!) That being said, be prepared for a short portage. We have a full test run scheduled this weekend and we’re looking forward to hearing the detailed feedback.

New Sponsor
Special shoutout to our local REI shop which will be supplying prizes and has a team racing. Welcome!
We hope your training is going well and look forward to seeing you in August.

Cheers,
The GMARA Crew

There has been an outpouring of interest in this year’s Bitter Pill Adventure Race. We rapidly hit the cap for our two-person division and are only a few teams shy of filling our three-person division. That’s great news, except to those of you that didn’t get in soon enough and are on the waiting list.

Thanks for your patience as we made further progress on the course design and worked to secure additional watercraft. As a result of those efforts, we’ll be adding eight additional two-person entries and two extra three-person entries, bringing our total count for the event to seventy teams. We’re not going to go any bigger than that, as we don’t want to compromise the integrity of the course or your enjoyment of it.

If you are already on the wait list via registering or request by email, we’ll be in touch within 48 hours to let you know if you are now in the event. If you don’t hear from us in that time, please reach out so we can ensure we haven’t missed anything. The wait list will be process in the order we heard from you.