Find a Trail or Road Race in the Roanoke Region

Posted on January 29th, 2019

blue ridge marathon running roanoke

This is your 2019 spring and summer race calendar.

We’ve got all the details on when and where to run during the race season. With everything from fun runs and 5K races to marathons, grab your calendar and make sure to save the dates for races that you don’t want to miss. Registration for many of these events is already open. Most races require that you register by a certain date to guarantee a shirt or other swag.

February

  • wazUPwidis (3.25 miles, plus 1,000 stairs) on Saturday, Feb. 2 at Wells Fargo Tower: How many people can say they’ve run with reckless abandonment through office buildings, parking garages, and train yards during a race? The objective of wazUpwidis is to run through, up, and over a few of Downtown Roanoke’s landmarks, traversing surprisingly difficult elevation in two of the city’s parking garages and finishing with a breathtaking climb and descent in the Wells Fargo Tower.
  • Blacksburg Classic 10 Miler and 5K on Saturday, Feb. 9 at Margaret Beeks Elementary: The 10-mile and 5K are rolling courses through Blacksburg, near the Virginia Tech campus, on roads and paved footpaths. All miles will be marked. Water will be available on both courses. This race earns points for the RunAbout Race Series.
  • SMS Love Run on Saturday, Feb. 16 at Moyer Park in Salem: The new for 2019 5K and 1 mile fun run-walk takes you around Moyer Park and along the Roanoke River Greenway in Salem. Proceeds benefit Children’s Trust Roanoke Valley.

March

  • Explore Your Limits 5K & 10K on Saturday, March 2 at Explore Park: The Explore Your Limits 5/10k was started in 2005 as the first annual trail run in the Roanoke Valley. This race is a way to showcase what this park has to offer and the miles of tight and twisty IMBA designed single track trails. The 5K option is great for beginners.
  • Shamrock Hill Run 5K on Saturday, March 16 at Roanoke Catholic School: Get an early start and race before the annual parade and festival. Register by March 1 to guarantee a shirt; Roanoke Catholic School families get a registration discount.
  • Montvale 5 & 10 Mile Trail Races on Saturday, March 16 at Montvale Park: Montvale Park is a 6.5-mile trail system that winds through old growth forest. It is a nice and scenic trail system.
  • Shamrock 4 Miler on Sunday, March 17 at Blacksburg High School: The Shamrock 4 Miler and Lucky Little Leprechaun Dash take place on St. Patrick’s Day. Awards for overall, age group, best Leprechaun costume, and fastest team. Cool long sleeve shirts to all participants and finisher medals. Wear your green! This race earns points for the RunAbout Race Series.
  • Roanoke Valley SPCA Tail Chaser 5K on Saturday, March 23 at Wasena Park: Run with your best friend in a race that allows dogs on a leash. (Proof of current vaccinations needed.) The race supports Roanoke Valley SPCA; the first 150 dogs get a free bandanna, and everyone registered by March 9 gets a shirt.
  • Backpack Run 5K on Saturday, March 23 at Green Hill Park: Roanoke County Public Schools Education Foundation, a non-profit organization, sponsors the race. Proceeds will be used to provide scholarships for graduating seniors and grants for teachers. The course is on the Roanoke River Greenway.
  • Martinsville Half Marathon & 5K on Saturday, March 30: Course goes through uptown Martinsville and the Dick & Willie Passage Trail and loops back through Franklin and Walnut streets.

April

  • Mill Mountain Mayhem 10K on Saturday, April 6 at Mill Mountain Park (Star Trail Trailhead): Voted as one of the most loved Mountain Junkies races (it was voted most hated, too), the trail 10 is a definite challenge. Mill Mountain is Roanoke’s most visible landmark, and any activity on the mountain will require some climbing. You’ve got to get up to the top to enjoy the scenery and the blazing fast downhill to the finish.
  • Osprey 10K/5K on Saturday, April 6 at Smith Mountain Lake State Park: The event is sponsored by Friends of Smith Mountain Lake State Park, a volunteer organization dedicated to promoting the use, enjoyment, and appreciation for the Park. All proceeds benefit programs at the park and foster environmental stewardship and education.
  • Star City 5K on Saturday, April 6 at Bisset Park in Radford: The Star City 5K is a race put on by the Radford Pre-Dental Club. All proceeds will be donated to The Bradley Free Clinic in Roanoke.
  • Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon, Half Marathon, and Anthem 10K on Saturday, April 13 in Downtown Roanoke: What’s your challenge? One, two, or three mountains? Run America’s Toughest Road Marathon on a course that’s not for the faint of heart. Runners in the 10K run up and down Mill Mountain, half marathoners add Peakwood, and full marathoners also run the Blue Ridge Parkway. You can also grab a group of friends for the Team Relay. If that’s not enough of a challenge for you, there’s also a double marathon option.
  • Carilion Children’s Family 1 Miler on Saturday, April 13 in Downtown Roanoke: The race starts right after the Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon Series so kids can experience the thrill that comes with a big-time race. The Family 1 Miler will have a separate gun start, so they don’t get lost in the crowd. We’ve designed an out and back course (on Jefferson) that will take participants past hundreds of cheering fans, and then back to cross the official finish line.
  • Highlander Half Marathon & 5K on Saturday, April 27 at Radford University: The race course will take runners on a tour of Radford that includes Main Street, the RU campus, and surrounding neighborhoods. As runners head back to town, they will continue on a tour through Wildwood Park and end at Bisset Park.

May

  • Komen Virginia Blue Ridge Race for the Cure 5K and 10K on Saturday, May 4 at Rivers Edge Sports Complex: All funds raised at Komen Virginia Blue Ridge’s Race for the Cure support local education, screening, and diagnostic programs, and global research efforts to find the cures. Register as part of a team or on your own.
  • Trail Nut 10K & Half Marathon on Saturday, May 4 on Falling Creek Park in Bedford: The trail race is on 90 percent trail, 9 percent grassy fields, 1 percent gravel road. It is loaded with over 9 miles of intermediate rolling, twisty, single track in a beautiful wooded setting.
  • Gateway 50K and 25K on Saturday, May 4 at Heritage Park: Runners will enjoy beautiful single track trails, fully-stocked aid stations, and a great post-race atmosphere as finishers shuffle across the road from Heritage Park to the finish festival at Rising Silo Brewery to indulge in their hard-earned complimentary race beverage (beer, ginger beer, kombucha, or house-made fizzy soda) while enjoying live music.
  • Heritage Classic 5k on Saturday, May 4 at Christian Heritage Academy in Rocky Mount: The race is a favored tradition for many families, alumni, faculty, and members of the community. The famous Glennwood Hill is 2/3 of a mile long with a 50m elevation change in that distance, an average 4.4% grade, ending at the 1-mile point.
  • RVCS Eagle Express 5K on Saturday, May 4 at Roanoke Valley Christian School: Details coming soon.
  • Grandin Court Baptist Church 5K on Saturday, May 11 at Grandin Court Baptist Church: The course includes road and trail terrain through Grandin Village and on the Murray Run Greenway.
  • Huckleberry Jam on Sunday, May 12 from Blacksburg to Christiansburg: The Jam is a 7.4-mile point-to-point race beginning at RunAbout Sports in Blacksburg, using the entire length of the eponymous rail trail and finishing at the Christiansburg Rec Center. This race earns points for the RunAbout Race Series.
  • Hustle for the Homeless 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, May 18 in Downtown Roanoke: 5K run/walk fundraiser for The Least of These Ministry, a non-profit organization that serves/houses the homeless living. Race is for experienced runners as well as individual walkers, walking groups, and families.
  • Pigg River Rumble 5K on Saturday, May 18 at Waid Park in Rocky Mount: The Pigg River Rumble is a 3.1-mile race featuring dirt road and cinder trail. After the Rumble, stick around for the Pigg River Ramble in the afternoon, an 8-mile canoe/kayak race. There will be special awards for the top finishers of the Rumble and the Ramble. Proceeds from the Rumble will support the cross country teams at Benjamin Franklin Middle and Franklin County High schools.
  • Alleghany Highlands Triathlon on Saturday, May 18 at Sharon Community Center in Clifton Forge: 5K run, 5-mile paddle and 10-mile bike ride in the beautiful Alleghany Highland. The race begins at 9 a.m. at the Sharon Community Center and finishes at the Masonic Amphitheatre in beautiful downtown Clifton Forge. Post-race festivities include live music and great food.
  • Appalachian Power Festival Run 5k and 10K on Saturday, May 25 in Downtown Roanoke: Chip timing for the race with a downtown and greenway course. Register by May 5 to get a shirt. The race is also the spring finale for Girls on the Run Roanoke Valley.
  • Gallop for the Greenways 5K on TBA May 2019 at Rivers Edge Sports Complex: Gallop for the Greenways is an annual fundraising event to support our growing network of pedestrian and bicycle trails.  Home base will be at River’s Edge Sports Complex in the City of Roanoke. Stick around after the races for post-race festivities including music, food and a fine selection of beverages proper for adults and children.

June

  • Conquer the Cove 25K & Marathon on Sunday, June 2 at Loch Haven Lake: Carvins Cove Natural Reserve is the place to run and ride if you are in Roanoke. Both trail race distances will be challenging. There will be a lot of climbing, approximately 3,500 feet of elevation gain in the marathon with 1,000 feet following mile 18, but your reward will be 2.35 miles of downhill followed by a relatively easy 2 miles to the finish.
  • The Big Run on Wednesday, June 5 at River’s Edge: Fleet Feet Sports locations nationwide will hold a local 5K race. All results will funnel up into a national leaderboard to determine: who is the fastest runner in the country?
  • Light Up the Night 5K on Saturday, June 8 near Community Hospital: The night race supports the Square Society’s goal of raising money and awareness for Center in the Square. Make sure to bring plenty of lights and glow sticks!
  • Keystone Community Center 5K on Saturday, June 15 at Fallon Park: A 5K race along with a 1-mile fun walk on the Tinker Creek Greenway in Roanoke City. Start at Fallon Park, follow the Greenway to your distance marker; awards for 5K only. (This race was previously called the Annie Mae Broyles 4Miler4Missions.)
  • Downtown Sundown 5K on Saturday, June 16 in Downtown Blacksburg: The race starts and finishes on Draper Road in the heart of the Summer Solstice Street Festival featuring crafts, live music, food, drink, and more. Race day registration will take place on the lawn of the Alexander Black House from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. All runners must wear reflective clothing and carry a glowstick or LED light. This race earns points for the RunAbout Race Series.
  • Jackson River Scenic Trail Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K and 5K on Saturday, June 22 in Covington: The Jackson River Scenic Trail follows its namesake river, winding its way between Intervale, just north of Covington, to Smith Bridge Trail Head 7.2 miles north. The trail follows an old railroad bed of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (Hot Springs Branch) and passes through small communities, cultivated fields, and small patches of woodland along the way. The course is on the smooth crushed gravel surface of The Jackson River Scenic Trail. The trail is mostly flat with some light hills.

July

  • Four on the Fourth on Thursday, July 4 in Downtown Roanoke: Details coming soon.
  • Shawsville 5K on Thursday, July 4 at Shawsville Middle School: This race is sponsored by the Shawsville Ruritan Club. All proceeds help to support running programs as well as scholarships at the local high school. We have tried to keep our entry fees low enough for all to participate. Entrees can expect fruit, melons, and water refreshments as well as many valuable door prizes.
  • Hell Climb 10K on Sunday, July 7 at Mountain Lake: The 10K is a 6.2-mile hill climb from the base of Mountain Lake to the cool, clear air at the summit. Runners will ascend more than 1,800 feet as they follow Mountain Lake Road. There is only one way, and its up. This race earns points for the RunAbout Race Series.

August

  • Draper Mile on Friday, Aug. 2 in Downtown Blacksburg: A one-mile downhill race held in conjunction with the Steppin’ Out Festival. This race earns points for the RunAbout Race Series.
  • Roanoke River 8K on Saturday, Aug. 31 at Golden Park/Bennington Street Parking Lot: The river run course starts and finishes at the parking lot next to the Bennington Street Bridge and is exclusively on the Roanoke River Greenway.
  • The Fab 5K on Saturday, Aug. 17 in Salem: The Fab 5k is about the flattest course you could create in Southwest Virginia. It winds through the asphalt and gravel roads and onto some of the grassy fields of Green Hill Park to make a very fast cross country course. It is perfect for all levels of fitness from the elite runner to walker.

Whew … now that’s a lot of running? Did we miss a race happening in the Roanoke Region? Let us know, and we’ll make sure to add it.