Much has been said since we launched plans for the inaugural Blue Ridge Marathon earlier this summer, unveiling what has to be one of the most difficult road courses this side of Pike’s Peak.
The non-runners roll their eyes. Most daily runners ask if we were crazy. And many say it’s just for elite runners.
Not so fast. In fact, REALLY not so fast.
When you think of elite runners you think of Olympians, Kenyans, and the guys who challenge for the wins at the local 5K races. May I suggest that those are exactly the people who will not come to this event?
Don’t get me wrong, I would love it if we could fill the streets of Roanoke and the course along the Blue Ridge Parkway with an elite field of runners, but let’s face it, this is not a course where you can run a great time. Even if you ran a spectacular time by comparison to the other runners, it will not carry much weight.
A runner who can do say, a 2:50:00 at Virginia Beach or Richmond, or Disney, or Marine Corp will probably be 10-15 minutes slower on this course. Leaving a discussion something like this:
Friend: How’d you do at Blue Ridge?
Elite Runner: 3:05
Friend: Dude, what happened?
Elite Runner: What do you mean? It’s a hard course!
Friend: Yeah, but you were off like, :45 per mile.
Elite Runner: I WON my age group.
Friend: I guess everybody had a bad day.
See what I mean? Until (and unless) Roanoke establishes itself as a famous, tough course known to the running community at large, there’s not much draw for the FAST runner.
So whom does that leave? That leaves most distance runners, the ones who are not in the top 5-percent, the runners who take pride in their ability to just keep going. A person who normally runs for 4 hours, might do a 4:30 here. So be it. They came to Roanoke, they saw some great scenery, ate some fantastic food and gained significant bragging rights.
If you’ve already completed a handful of marathons, this one will stand out. This one will make you change your training. It forces you to game-plan for the first 16 miles in the mountains, and the 2 mile section of switchbacks up Roanoke mountain.
We on the race committee covet the notion that someday our race will be so famous that a fast time here means something. In the meantime, put one foot in front of the other and prove to yourself that you can handle the Blue Ridge Marathon — one of the toughest in the country.
This is one accomplishment you will not forget.
Get Running!
