Runners took their marks on Saturday morning as the Blue Ridge Marathon went off without a hitch.
The main attraction for the races is the challenge that comes with it. The Weather Channel named it as part of their “World’s 15 Toughest Marathons” due to the intense increase in elevation. Runners climb three different mountains and deal with up to 7,400 feet of elevation change before they cross the finish line.
There are also a multitude of races to choose from, such as a 10K, half marathon, full marathon, double marathon, and relay race. Sunday also features “America’s Slowest 5K”.
Every runner has their own methods of building up towards the race.
“A lot of Strava time and a lot of hill sprints,” Grace Putney said. “I used a lot of programs but anything to keep your base and work towards it.”
Runners get to experience the full beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains during their runs, which provides wonderful opportunities for pictures. An extra source of motivation is seeing other runners pursuing the same goal during the race, which pushes everyone to do their best and get to the finish line.
“The view, running by The Star and all of the stuff. Seeing how hard everyone is pushing themselves is really cool too” Troy Batey said. “The reception you get when you finish is a really good feeling and shows that everything you’ve worked for has been accomplished.”
Post-run activities also included a music festival at the finish line, food trucks, and other opportunities for live music.
