On April 24, 2010, the Roanoke Region welcomed 942 runners who participated in the National College Blue Ridge Marathon and Half Marathon. Organized by a consortium of public and private entities, including the Roanoke Regional Partnership and Congressman Bob Goodlatte and Odyssey Adventure Racing, the Blue Ridge Marathon was the first event of its kind for the Roanoke Region.

Efforts to organize the Blue Ridge Marathon began in February 2009, when representatives of the John Carlin Agency, the Roanoke Regional Partnership, Odyssey Racing, and Congressman Goodlatte’s office met at an event held in the Taubman Museum of Art. The idea that a marathon might be held on the
Blue Ridge Parkway in conjunction with the Blue Ridge Parkway’s 75th Anniversary Celebration was conceived. Six Congressmen petitioned the National Park Service to approve a special use permit allowing the marathon organizers to utilize portions of the Parkway for the event. The permit was approved by August 2009 and marketing of the marathon began.

The event was sponsored by National College, Carilion Clinic, Valley Bank, Fink’s Jewelers, RoanokeOutside.com, the Roanoke Regional Partnership, the Taubman Museum of Art, the John Carlin Agency, City of Roanoke Parks and Recreation, Odyssey Adventure Racing, Texas Tavern, the Roanoker Magazine, GEM Car, and Dominion of Bedford. The race benefitted the Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a nonprofit and volunteer organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Billed as America’s Toughest Road Marathon, the race course started and ended at the Taubman Museum of Art and went from the low elevations of downtown Roanoke and the Roanoke River to the higher elevations at the top of Mill Mountain and Roanoke Mountain along sections of the Blue Ridge
Parkway for a total elevation change of 6,140 feet.

Race organizers knew it would be of vital importance to gauge the economic impact of the race event. Such information would be instrumental in helping the community to understand the impacts such events bring to the community and to build support for future marathons in the Roanoke Valley region of Virginia. Organizers contacted the staff of the Roanoke Valley – Alleghany Regional Commission prior to the execution of the race event to design a study methodology.

Click here to access to full economic impact analysis of the Blue Ridge Marathon.

Email pete(at)roanoke.org with any questions.