Virginia > Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon, Half Marathon & Relay
Roanoke, VA  •  Saturday, April 26, 2014  •  Course Map


Set for its 5th annual running in the spring of 2014, Roanoke's Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon, Half Marathon & Relay takes runners on an out-and-back loop course that starts and finishes in downtown Roanoke and features a stretch along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This nearly 470-mile highway unfolds along the Blue Ridge Mountains and through some of the most scenic parts of Virginia and North Carolina, and marked its 75th anniversary in 2010 as one of the nation's most popular scenic highways.

Filled with some challenging uphill and downhill stretches, especially in its first six miles, the half marathon (like the full marathon) starts in downtown Roanoke next to the city's Taubman Museum of Art, whose modern, glass and steel design is reminiscent of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. From there, runners follow the route west along Salem Avenue and then southward along Jefferson Street, toward Mill Mountain Park.

After roughly the first mile, runners turn left from Jefferson onto Walnut Avenue, and begin making their way around Mill Mountain Park. Here's where the race's hills really begin, rising more than 300 feet in elevation as runners make their way along the Fishburn Parkway that winds its way around the park, and then into the park, past the Mill Mountain Zoo on the roads that zig-zag back and forth through the park.

Runners then follow the winding trails downhill through the park and then head out back into the city for stretches that wind alongside the Roanoke River, which flows through the heart of the city. The rest of the race, which takes runners through both South Roanoke and Wasena Parks, is much flatter than the first half of the race, with only a few small rolling hills on the way back toward the Taubman Museum for the race finish.

More than 1,200 runners crossed the finish line in the half and full marathons combined in 2013, including nearly 800 runners in the half marathon alone. Runners in both races will have 8 hours to complete the course, organizers note, which makes it possible for the race to welcome both runners and walkers in both races.

Race Weather & Climate

Located in the southwestern part of the state, just a short drive from the state border with West Virginia, the city of Roanoke typically experiences mild to moderately cool weather in the mid-spring season.

April Avg.	Day of Race	Monthly Precip.
Low: 44°F	Low: 47°F	Rain: 3.61 in.
High: 68°F	High: 71°F	Snow: 0.5 in.

Course Map

See the race route map for the Blue Ridge Half Marathon


Starting Time

7:35 AM - half marathon, full marathon, relay
8:00 AM - kids marathon


Fees

$65 for the half marathon, if registered before December 31, 2013
$75 between Dec. 31 - March 17, 2014
$85 between March 18 - April 23


Registration

To reserve your spot in the spring 2014 running of Roanoke's Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon, Half marathon or five-person relay race, register online at Active.com.


Official Race Website

blueridgemarathon.com

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