Welcome to the White Mountains

It’s no exaggeration to say that the White Mountains of NH are world-renowned for their beautiful fall foliage. The people who travel north to drive the Kancamagus Highway every year even have their own nickname: leaf peepers. New Hampshirites have a lot of pride in our mountains, trees, and rivers. Even those of us born and raised in the “live free or die” state, like myself, love to spend a weekend in the fall to drive around and look at the trees turning shades of yellow, orange, and red. Held the first Saturday in October, the NH Half Marathon (part of the New Hampshire Marathon series) is a small town race (500 runners) that captures the beautiful scenery in an intimate setting that is quintessentially NH.

Where to Stay

A car is necessary for getting around in NH. If you are coming from a distance, you’ll fly into the airport in Manchester, NH (or Logan Airport in Boston) and rent a car from there. If you can, I recommend staying in Meredith, my favorite town in the White Mountains. It is located ~25 mins from the race (driving). A busy town in the summer, it has several hotel options but not many Airbnbs—and the ones that are available book early. Center Harbor (slightly north of Meredith) and Weirs Beach (slightly south) are both areas with lodging options and are ~30 mins to the starting line.

About the Race

The views of the foliage around Bristol make this race rank as one of the best races in NH. The half marathon is a point-to-point race, starting at the half-way mark of the full marathon (there is a bus to the starting line). With just 500 runners, you’ll likely run by yourself or with a small group. There are some hills. The vibe of the race is very small-town: the finish line is in a field at the local school, the road does not close for cars (though there is little traffic), and there’s no expo. For all of these reasons, this can be a really enjoyable, peaceful race where you get lost in your own thoughts and the surroundings. (Course map)

**Day 1. Arrive and Join the Pasta Dinner**

Friday

Arrive Friday night for this Saturday-morning race. Make your life easy and join the race-sponsored pasta dinner.

5:00 - Arrive in New Hampshire. Head to Bristol to pick up your bib (open Friday 4:30-6:30pm) in the Newfound Memorial Middle School cafeteria (A).

5:30 - Head to the race-sponsored pasta dinner at Union Lodge, 61 Pleasant St., Bristol, NH 03222 (5-7:30pm, $8) (B).

7:00 - Check in to your hotel or Airbnb and head to bed.

**Day 2. Race and Recover with Lake Views**

Saturday

Race day! In the morning, fill your lungs with fresh air as the race route takes you along Bristol Lake and on rural NH roads. In the afternoon, explore Meredith on foot and kayak around Center Harbor.

6:30 - Wake up and eat breakfast (for us, instant oatmeal and coffee). Around 7:00, head to the Newfound Memorial Middle School to check in and park your car.

8:00 - Bus leaves from Newfound Memorial Middle School to take half marathoners to their starting line.

9:00 - Race! Enjoy the views of Bristol Lake and brightly-colored trees.

11:30 - Celebrate your finish with a light post-race snack. Head back to the hotel/Airbnb to get cleaned up.

12:30 - For lunch, head to Lakeside Deli & Grille (A) in Meredith. They have a great selection of sandwiches. If it’s a nice day, you can sit outside and eat while overlooking the lake.

2:00 - If your arms aren’t totally dead from the race, this is a great time to rent a kayak for a scenic tour of Center Harbor (~15 min drive from Meredith). You can rent a kayak from Wild Meadow Paddle Sports (not shown on map) (open Fri-Sun 9-5, $45 to rent a kayak for the day). (Note: Though I’ve kayaked on the lake dozens of times, I’ve always been able to borrow a kayak from a friend or family, so I can’t 100% vouch for rentals from this place though the reviews look good.)

4:00 - Return the kayak and drive back to Meredith for the annual Mill Falls Marketplace Craft Fair (B) and peruse the stalls of local vendors selling jewelry, clothing, artwork, pottery, soap and other artisan wares (open Sat 10-6 and Sun 10-4). The fair is almost always the same weekend as the race.

5:00 - Cross the street from Mill Falls and meander the Meredith Sculpture walk (C). Stay along the water for a boardwalk that takes you out to a gazebo (near D) overlooking Meredith Bay. You can learn about the sculptures by picking up a hard copy map or clicking here and following along.

6:00 - Time to think about dinner. If you have an Airbnb with a kitchen, I recommend heading to the Wine’ing Butcher to pick up marinated steaks, prepared sides, and a bottle of wine. Their marinated BBQ meats are famous in the area--and honestly the area is a little light on quality restaurants. If you prefer to eat out, Lakehouse Grille (near D) has a nice dining room with decent food and a nice view of the water.

**Day 3. Take a Stroll Along the Lake and Leave**

Sunday

Enjoy a classic-style breakfast, and then stretch your legs with an easy walk around Meredith.

10:00 - Check out of your hotel or Airbnb.

10:30 - Have breakfast at the Waterfall Cafe (A) (open Sat 7am-1:30pm, Sun 7am-1pm, Mon-Fri 6:30am-1:30pm). Call ahead to make a reservation as they get busy on the weekend.

12:00 - Stretch your legs with a walk before heading out. Leave the car parked where it is and walk through downtown Meredith, taking a right on Pleasant Street and another right on Wagon Wheel Trail (a low-traffic dirt road). Continue on Pinnacle Park Road until you’re ready to turn around (The Point of View Inn (B) is about 2 miles from downtown Meredith). On the route you’ll pass beautiful lake homes and catch vistas of the lake and downtown Meredith from the other side of the bay.

2:00 - Head home.