By Gail Lambert
As I traced the route of the first
Blue Ridge Marathon on the parkway the easy way – in my car –two deer sprinting up wooded Roanoke Mountain stopped to watch the car go by in a late morning drizzle. They’ll have plenty to watch on April 24, 2010 when the marathon, an event touted as the No.1 outdoor recreation activity in the country by the
Outdoor Industry Association, gets underway in celebration of the
Blue Ridge Parkway’s 75th anniversary.
The marathon gets its name from an ancient Greek messenger’s run of 26 miles from the Plain of Marathon to Athens with news of Greek victory over the invading Persians. To up the ante, Roanoke’s marathon will be conducted not on a flat plain, but on a course that includes downtown city streets and two mountains. There’s Mill Mountain at 1,740 feet elevation, the scenic Spur Road, a short span of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Roanoke Mountain, elevation 2,172 feet -- the place to go for the sport of hang-gliding. The finish line is downtown in front of the
Hotel Roanoke & Conference center. A half marathon will be held at the same time as the marathon.
Marathon entry fees are $80 before Dec. 31, $90 before March 15 and $100 through April 22. Proceeds will benefit the Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a nonprofit with a focus on preserving the parkway. Early registrants are coming from California, Canada, Texas and the Midwest.
To register visit:
blueridgeparkwaymarathon.com