The Green Mountain Relay is held on public roads – there are no road closures, traffic control, or aid stations. All participants must understand that there will be vehicle traffic at all times and several of the exchange points will be along busy roads.

Participants should also be warned that any road hazards along the course are NOT marked, the route is next to National Forests and other underpopulated areas where wildlife lives, so caution is required from all runners and drivers.

The starting line for the Green Mountain Relay is located at the Cambridge Elementary School in the small town of Jeffersonville, about a 50-minute drive from Burlington.

After a couple of miles on side roads, crossing the Poland Covered Bridge (the first of seven covered bridges), runners head east on RT 15 to Johnson. Departing Johnson, runners cross the Power House Covered Bridge before rejoining RT 15.

After a few more miles on the shoulder of RT 15, runners will turn south, running on side roads that parallel RT 100 to Stowe. From Stowe, the course is on dirt back roads through beautiful wooded areas, crossing the third covered bridge, the Gold Brook Covered Bridge. Passing through Waterbury Center, teams skirt through Waterbury, home of Ben & Jerry’s, Green Mountain Coffee Roaster, and the first van exchange.

Runners continue east on US 2 , paralleling the Winooski River to Middlesex, followed by a turn south on RT 100B to run along the Mad River. In Moretown, the route again goes off the beaten path on dirt back roads, with two covered bridge crossings, the Pine Brook and Village Bridges, before entering Waitsfield.

The GMR then follows RT 100 with a short diversion through Warren to cross the Warren Covered Bridge.

South of Warren, RT 100 is along the border of the Green Mountain National Forest, and is one of the more scenic sections of the GMR as the valley narrows into the lush Granville Gulf, with thick forests, creeks, beaver ponds, and waterfalls. Runners continue south on RT 100 through the towns of Granville, Hancock (the second van exchange), Rochester, Stockbridge, and Pittsfield to the Killington Ski Area and the third van exchange.

From Killington, teams turn east on US 4 along the Ottauquechee River to Bridgewater Corners, and an exchange at the Long Trail Brewery. A turn south on RT 100A follows, rejoining RT 100 near Plymouth Union, then continuing south to the fourth van exchange in Weston.

Runners continue south on RT 100 through Londonderry, south to Rawsonville, then turn west on RT 30 with a small detour on the back roads of Winhall, then west on RT 11 to Bromley Mountain (fifth and final van exchange) and Manchester Depot. The GMR heads south on RT 7A and back roads paralleling RT 7A, to the finish at the Mount Anthony Union Middle School in Bennington.