Catamount Climb Half Marathon & 5k
April 5, 2025
Cullowhee
Road
Distances
Starting Time
8:00 AM
Fees
Visit race website for current race fees.
Perfect For
1-100
Some Hills
High: 64°
/ Low: 42°
Overview
The green, tree-covered hills and mountains of western North Carolina’s Nantahala National Forest rise all around the valley that is home to the campus of Western Carolina University, where the springtime running of Cullowhee’s Catamount Climb Half Marathon (known as the Valley of the Lilies Half Marathon until January 2021) is set to take runners on an out-and-back tour of the campus and its nearby mountain communities.
From the starting line on campus just off University Way, near WCU’s Balsam Residence Hall, runners will start the race by heading out through campus onto Killian Building Lane, followed by a loop around Central Drive, Buzzard’s Roost Road and Memorial Drive, along a stretch that brings runners past the university’s Hunter Library and its Natural Sciences Building.
Course Description
The first few miles wind along the university roads, in and around campus academic buildings, residence halls and recreation centers, with an out-and-back stretch along Norton Road before heading down toward the intramural fields and Cullowhee Presbyterian Church.
Once runners pass the mile 3 marker and make the turn onto Forest Hills Road, they then back toward campus and Central Drive, where they turn again and head south toward Old Cullowhee Road.
The next stretch of the race, which lasts for roughly the next four miles, includes some of its most scenic miles as it takes runners right along the winding path of the Tuckasegee River that winds through town.
