Saturday, November 4, 2023 • Lexington, VA • Course Map
Run a mostly flat and fast trail that’s shaded by ash, oak and beech trees that are turning every shade of yellow, orange and red in the fall at this race in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, which features an out-and-back course for the Chessie Trail Marathon, the Half Marathon and the 5K along the winding Maury River.
Here’s what you can expect at this race:
It’s flat and fast. The elevation starts at just over 900 feet above sea level, and never drops below about 850 feet, or rises higher than 912 feet.
A gravel and dirt surface throughout. The Chessie Trail is a seven-mile-long public access trail that stretches between Lexington and nearby Buena Vista, and is built on the old Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. It also travels through private lands as well as public, including some cattle farms.
Beautiful scenery that’s a hallmark of the Lexington area. The trail runs alongside the winding Maury River for nearly the entire race, and includes parts of the old James and Kanawha Canal towpath, and features the ruins of plentiful stone locks and dams along the river.
This is also the home of Washington and Lee University, a private liberal arts university that sits on 325 acres in the middle of Lexington near Virginia Military Institute, and whose alumni include the author Tom Wolfe and the explorer Meriwether Lewis (yes, that one — of the famed Lewis & Clark expedition).
Weather that’s perfect for a race. The Chessie Trail Half is run in late October, when there should be crisp, cool air and the leaves on the trees should be ablaze with autumn colors of every shade. Because the trail runs through some of the Lexington area’s most scenic woodlands and fields, the course will give you plenty to gaze upon and take your mind off the miles.
All photos courtesy Chessie Trail Half Marathon
Race Weather & Climate
Nestled within the Shenandoah Valley in western Virginia, about an hour’s drive north from Roanoke and roughly 140 miles west of Richmond, Lexington typically sees some of its mildest and driest weather of the year in October, when average temperatures range between the low 40s and the low 70s.
On race day (Oct. 29), the average low is 39ºF and the average high is 64ºF.
Past Results
- 2020 Chessie Trail Fall Half Marathon Results (Virtual)
- 2019 Chessie Trail Fall Half Marathon Results
- 2018 Chessie Trail Fall Half Marathon Results
Chessie Trail Marathon Course Map
See the race route map for the Half Marathon here.
Starting Time
- 8:00 AM – half marathon, full marathon, relay
- 8:15 AM – 10K
- 8:30 AM – 5K
Fees
- $47 and up – half marathon
- $57 and up – full marathon
- $29 and up – 10K
- $27 and up – 5K
- $100 and up – marathon relay
Chessie Trail Marathon & Half Marathon Registration
To reserve your spot in the fall 2022 running of Lexington’s Chessie Trail Fall Half Marathon or 5K race, register online at RunSignUp.com here.
