ROANOKE, Va. – This weekend, runners from across the country will be coming to Roanoke to take part in the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon.
Races consist of a double marathon, marathon, relay marathon, 10K and the “America’s Slowest 5K.” The 5K is designed to act as a final recovery jog.
Runners of all ages and skill levels are welcome to participate. Keep in mind, the race isn’t dubbed “America’s Toughest Road Race” for nothing.
“What makes it tough is three mountains. We’ve got Roanoke Mountain, Mill Mountain, and then Peakwood in South Roanoke,” Roanoke Outside Foundation Event Manager Kait Pedigo said. “Those are combined more than 7,000 feet of elevation change up and down, so people are going to be climbing up over three mountains for the full marathon.”
The race starts and ends near Elmwood Park, and there will be plenty of help along the way, so people don’t get lost.
“We also have over 500 volunteers that we’ve been working with. People just at every corner are ready to hand out water, ready to make sure that they’re managing the traffic flow,” Pedigo said. “People out there horse marshaling, and then also just getting people out to cheer and having some extra fun stuff along the way.”
After finishing the race, runners can enjoy the Finish Festival, which has food trucks, free live music, vendors, a food tent for runners and local craft beer - as an extra incentive, runners get one free beer.