THE ROANOKE REGION OF VIRGINIA

On Wednesday (August 12, 2009), Bob Goodlatte along with other organizers, announced that there will be a new marathon coming to the Roanoke Region of Virginia, named the Blue Ridge Marathon on the Parkway. The race is set for April 24, 2010, it will cover 16 miles of Mountain climbing as well as 10 miles of city roadways covering parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Roanoke.


"The 26.2-mile course will start at the Taubman Museum of Art in downtown Roanoke, wind up Mill Mountain and onto the parkway. Runners will climb to the top of Roanoke Mountain, cut back down to the Mill Mountain Star and go through parts of downtown Roanoke. The finish line will be in front of the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center."

Marketing to outdoor runners with our beautiful landscapes, we hope to gain 500 to 1,000 runners the first year for the marathon thus, eventually obtaining 3,000 to 5,000 for the years following.

"An economic study conducted for the first running of the Mount Rushmore Marathon reported that the race generated $1.6 million for the local economy, with 1,000 runners," said Pete Eshelman, who is director of outdoor branding for the Roanoke Regional Partnership and co-chairman of the marathon committee with Carlin.

"Also, in the United States, the typical female long distance runner earned $50,000 or more in 2006, while the typical male long distance runner made $75,000 or more, according to Running USA."

"They spend their money when they travel," Eshelman said.

The Roanoke Region hopes the Blue Ridge Marathon on the Parkway becomes a popular destination event. This would bring considerable revenue for the area. Runners often come for a weekend, rent hotel rooms and visit surrounding restaurants. Marathons have grown in number and participants over the past 20 years, with approximately 400 marathons held in 2007 and 412,000 finishers, according to Running USA.

The events that take place surrounding the marathon also are important.

So, mark your calendars and start your training!
Make sure to check out blueridgeparkwaymarathon.com for any details