Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon
Roanoke, United States · April · Independent
Why people love it
- Three mountain climbs, Mill Mountain, Roanoke Mountain and Peakwood, with 1,027 m (3,371 ft) of gain by one count.
- Locals hand out drinks from yards; reviewers report mimosas and a champagne toast at Peakwood.
- Downtown start and finish at Elmwood Park, with hotels a short walk away.
- Parkway overlooks and the Mill Mountain Star, passed twice.
- Open entry, capped at 750 and not selling out in recent years.
Watch out for
- Tight cutoffs: 7.5 h overall and 6 h at 35 km (22 mi).
- Heat reached about 29 °C (85 °F) in 2026; April weather swings widely.
- Not a PR course: only 0.9% to 1.9% of finishers run a Boston time.
- Cotton shirt and basic swag drew complaints; the Parkway has no spectators.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Extreme
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.4
RaceRaves 4.8 from 37 runners and FindMyMarathon 5.0 from 9. Runners call it brutal but rewarding; the audience is largely hill lovers. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run4.3
Runners praise pre-race emails, many aid stations and toilets, about 500 volunteers and a downtown start. One complaint: a long walk from parking. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyDemanding1.9
A 7.5 h limit and 6 h checkpoint at 35 km (22 mi) are tight with 1,027 m (3,371 ft) of climbing. Support is dense. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialVery slow1.0
Only 0.9% to 1.9% of finishers run a Boston time. One reviewer calls it a challenge, not a PR course. · High confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course scenerySpectacular4.5
RaceRaves scenery 4.7. Parkway overlooks, tree canopy, Mill Mountain Star and a downtown finish. A 2024 MarathonGuide reviewer found suburban stretches less scenic. · Medium confidence
- Room to runRoomy3.6
Small field, 470 finishers in 2026, so little crowding; steep switchbacks and a narrow Parkway slow groups on climbs. · Low confidence
- Road surfaceGood3.5
Paved city streets and Parkway. No surface complaints in the reviews read, but no explicit praise either. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed3.6
Roads reopen around 15:00 per local TV; organiser has a closures and detours page. Parkway section limits traffic. Not confirmed km by km. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessBig climbs1.2
Gain 1,027 m (3,371 ft) per FindMyMarathon, far above the 600 m (2,000 ft) 'big climbs' end of the scale; organiser figure is larger. · High confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Loop with gain 1,027 m (3,371 ft) and loss 1,035 m (3,398 ft). Boston qualifier but 0.9% to 1.9% BQ rate. · High confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSmooth4.0
Downtown start at 07:35 near Elmwood Park, free parking. One reviewer said the lot was a long walk. 2021 used staggered starts. · Medium confidence
- Pacers and timingGood3.5
No pace group information found. Chip timing on RunSignUp and a small field. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportDecent3.4
Locals run yard stations, with mimosas and beer reported, and reviewers cite strong support. One 2024 reviewer found spectators so-so, and the Parkway has none. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsGood4.3
Many aid stations with Tailwind and gels, local food, a champagne toast at Peakwood and portable toilets, all praised by reviewers. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindMostly calm3.6
Start winds are typically light, about 6 km (3.7 mi)/h (4 mph), and the valleys and tree cover help. No wind complaints. · Low confidence
- Air temperatureWarm or cool3.2
A typical 12 °C (53 °F) start is fine, but 29 °C (85 °F) highs in 2025 and 2026 hit slower runners hard. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable2.9
A 2023 storm cut the race short and 2026 turned hot. April temperatures here swing from 2 to 28 °C (35 to 83 °F). · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy3.6
Downtown start and finish at Elmwood Park, with spectators on city sections. The Parkway climbs are not spectator friendly. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeLow4.0
Course sits between 280 and 654 m (915 and 2,146 ft); minor effect. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood3.8
City of about 100,000 people with downtown hotels. No sell-out reports found, but not checked at race weekend. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.7
No price evidence found; mid-sized Virginia city. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable4.0
Start and finish both at Elmwood Park downtown, so downtown hotels are a short walk. · Low confidence
- Travel easeEasy3.6
Small regional airport ROA about 8 km (5 mi) away with fewer flights than a hub. Drivable from the east coast. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSimple4.0
Expo and packet pickup downtown, Friday welcome party and Saturday events in one area. Parking easy but a walk. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGood4.3
Welcome party, food trucks and live music praised; Roanoke has a compact downtown with breweries. · Medium confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inEasy4.3
Open entry, capped at 750 but 431 to 477 finish each year, so it appears not to sell out. · Low confidence
- Value for moneyGood value3.8
Shirt and medal included. One runner complained about the cotton shirt four years running; others liked the trophies. Fee not found. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Roanoke, Roanoke Valley, United States
- Typical month
- April
- Latest or next date
- 17 April 2027
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 470 athletes
- First held
- 2010
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- loop
- Climbing
- 1,027 m (3,370 ft)
- Descent
- 1,035 m (3,400 ft)
- Start time
- 07:35
- Cutoff
- 7.5 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Paved road, Blue Ridge Parkway and city streets, Roanoke River Greenway
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Rarely
- Air temperature
- 7–20 °C (45–68 °F)
- Humidity
- Moderate to high, about 72% at the start
- Altitude
- 280 m (920 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional (ROA), 8 km (5 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Downtown Roanoke, Market Square / Old Southwest
- Booking
- Downtown Roanoke hotels are walkable to Elmwood Park. The organiser lists hotel, parking and air travel pages. Parking is free but some runners report a long walk from the lot. Distance to ROA approximate.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRavesRaced 2021 to 2026 · aggregator · Positive
Rated 4.8 of 5 from 37 runners (difficulty 4.9, scenery 4.7, production 4.8, swag 4.1). They agree it is the hardest road race they have run, with three big climbs, walking on the hills and heat in 2026. Praise goes to volunteers, locals handing out drinks, tree canopy and the downtown finish.
- FindMyMarathonRaced 2021 to 2026 · aggregator · Positive
5.0 stars from 9 reviews. The page logs 1,027 m (3,371 ft) gain, 470 finishers in 2026 and a BQ rate of 0.9%. One reviewer calls it America's toughest road marathon.
- MarathonGuide reviewsRaced 2022, 2024 · aggregator · Positive
Two reviews, 4.5 average. One calls it great course and organization with so-so spectators and less scenic suburban stretches; the other says the weekend is well run and a must-do.
“If you only ever do ONE race, do this one!”
- MarathonGuide staff previewRaced 2025 · article · Positive
Previews the 2025 race: start downtown, Parkway climb, Mill Mountain Star, Peakwood, finish party at Elmwood Park with music and local beer. Notes volunteers line the route and many runners return yearly.
- WDBJ7 (Roanoke TV)Raced 2025 · article · Positive
Organiser says most runners start training around New Year, that walking is common, and that aid stations and spectators keep runners company. Main field starts at 7:30 and roads reopen about 15:00.
“The goal is complete, not compete.”
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- WSLS 10 (Roanoke TV)Raced 2026 · article · Positive
2026 coverage: runners from over 40 states, more than 500 volunteers at every corner, three mountains named as the difficulty.
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Sources
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