This tiny town of just over 2,400 souls that was named for George Washington’s home Mount Vernon plays host to the Renfro Rock & Run Half Marathon & 5K in 2019, along an out-and-back course that features a few hills and long stretches along the banks of Lake Linville.
Runners get their chance to run through the area known as the Renfro Valley here in central southern Kentucky, home to the world-famous Kentucky Music Hall of Fame & Museum. The race starts and finishes just down the street from the hall of fame, on Richmond Street in Renfro Valley.
From there, the course heads north and west, along Hummel Road and Lake Linville Road, which takes runners along the shoreline of the lake for the race’s next two miles. Just after leaving sight of the water, between mile markers 3 and 4, the course hits its big hill as the elevation jumps nearly 300 feet in roughly a mile.