Riley’s Rumble Half Marathon

Filled with rolling hills along the rural countryside of Maryland’s upper Montgomery County, just across the river from Virginia, the Riley’s Rumble Half Marathon takes runners on an out-and-back course that starts and finishes along the historic Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath, nestled along the Potomac River.
This popular warm-up event for the regional marathon events that take place later in the fall usually attracts 500 runners or more each year, so prospective entrants are encouraged to register well in advance of the race before it fills up.
From the starting line at the picnic area, where Seneca Creek meets up with the Potomac, runners follow a course that takes them east and south along the banks of the winding river, along a long, out-and-back route.
You’ll follow the route for the next 6 1/2 miles along the C&O Canal Towpath trail, all the way until you almost reach Riverbend Park and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, before making the turn and retracing your steps all the way back to the finish line at the picnic area where you started.