Unbelievable! I am going back every year that I can. The runners are amazing and the course is beautiful. I will have my sport kilt this year...

You MUST run this race! Every year I appreciate the course more than ever. and every year the organization gets even better ! John Weaver and His team are absolutely great coaches, volunteers included, you can feel the Passion and professionalism from start to finish. Granted, you will need Passion yourself, this is a tough uphill race - downhill back to the Start, is with the bus :) but your Finish in the Highlands Games stadium with the Bagpipes and the cheering of thousands of spectators, right at the top of Granfather Mountain will be UNFORGETTABLE !!

If you are not moved to tears by the beautiful scenic views, the atmosphere will do it ! My recommendations, prepare yourself well, spend the week-end in Boone, folks are incredibly friendly and it is all worth it. This race is among the Top 5 I fell in love with during my 50 Marathons. And I hope I run it many, many times again. Thank you John!

This marathon is a must do for those who want a different experience for a marathon. I live and train in Charlotte, NC which has rolling hills. I was nervous about being prepared. I ran as many hills on my long runs as possible and felt that it was enough. I usually try to average 7:30 - 7:35 in a marathon but knew I'd have to adjust. Ended up averaging 8:35 per mile. My advice is to do the first half conservatively and speed up at the half if you're feeling good. I did this and the second half was easier.
Would do it again! Peaceful and beautiful. Great runners along the way but don't expect many spectators. FYI, gatorade was supposed to be available at every aid station but 3 and 6 mile stations had only water. Also, gatorade seemed watered down. Just be aware of your nutritional needs. Wear bright clothing and stay to the side of the road.

This is a 'no frills' race for those who are in excellent shape mentally and physically. The race course is beautiful...filled with waterfalls, boulders,mountains and beautiful greenery. Pros: enormous challenge, beautiful scenery, great organization, unique finish Highland Games. Cons: water stops are very few and far between, no gels, no chip timing....(I actually saw 2 runners get in and out of a van), no spectators. I loved Boone and enjoyed running the track APP. State University. This is a bucket list run for those who want to run one of the toughest races in the nation!

The mountains of NC are beautiful and the weather (typically 15 degrees cooler than most of the state) makes this a reasonable July marathon. Wonderful - but few - spectators. Terrific volunteers and enough water stops.
Unless I missed it, there was not a single porta-potty on the entire course - jumping into the woods really isn't ideal - so please please get this issue fixed for future years - there really is no excuse with a course on the road that has hundreds of easy access points for dropping off and picking up a john. The finish at the Highland games is too confusing and there needs to be a better rope off system to separate the runners from the people coming and going to the Highland Games.

After not being able to run this race the last 2 years due to injuries I returned in 2012 for my 11th Grandfather. Hard but beautiful course and an electrifying finish. The organizers have the essentials down with the aid stations stocked and having what was needed. The course though open to traffic was not cluttered with vehicles since we were out there early on a Saturday morning. I trained on a good bit of hills but after 23 I had to walk some. I couldn't stay away even though this race taxes my abilities to the max. A low frills race that is by runners, for runners, and about runners is not one for someone who want music and hoopla along the way. And that is good as I don't look for that in a race. The organizers have it down to a science and recognize the returnees eagerly. I will be back and look forward to the next one. It's been running for 45 years now so they must be doing something right.

Have had this one on my list a few years, and finally did it yesterday. Being very familiar with the area, and having seen the race profile, I knew what to expect from the course. There are very few spectators along the course, which is to be expected. Gels would be nice at the stops, but I knew to have my own, so no big deal (the brochure said they'd have Gatorade, which they did). It would be nice to have the 'marathon tent' closer to the actual finish line, but the logistics of finishing at the Highland Games (and having to move the finish line to the tent at noon) prevent that. Not really posting anything new here, but all to say that, if you have your own idea of what a great marathon is all about (lots of fans, everything you could ever need at aid stations, PRs), and you get disappointed easily, go run Chicago, New York, Boston, etc. (even they mess up in hot years).

This is a you vs. the course run, no fancy stuff, no wild spectators, just a great course that is hard but pretty. The music and highland games are great to recover, awesome Celtic rock bands.

A small, no nonsense, no frills run in a wonderful setting. As for spectators, the quality makes up for the small quantity. Hope to do this race most years.

I ran this marathon in 2009 and did a lot of hillwork in my training. In 2010, I was only allowed to run half of it due to being pregnant (my doctor said I absolutely should not run a marathon, I had already registered and paid for everything so I at least wanted to run part of it.) I came back this year (2011) after having a baby 5 months previous. My training was not as good as 2 years before. I got the distances in that I needed (21, 18, 20, etc), but I really neglected my hillwork. I really struggled from mile 18 on this year. The gravel road part of the course (mile 16-17) was so tough. Then the last 9 miles on route 221 are fairly hilly. That part killed me this time. I walked a lot and was in a lot of pain. If I had prepared more for the hills, I think I could have finished a lot faster. I did 4:14 in '09 and 5:04 this year. I think you can be in shape for a 'regular' marathon but will still struggle with this marathon if you're not prepared for the hills. This is definitely not a race for someone who needs a lot of gear and people cheering for them. The shirt is cotton and there really aren't a lot of people along the course cheering. My sister and I laugh that the people who sign up for this race enjoy the abuse. You are warned a lot about running on the side of the Blue Ridge Parkwaythey say you can get tickets if you are too far out in the road. Also, the spectators at the Highland Games might run you over with their cars if you don't get off the road! There is definitely not a lot of 'respect' for people who are running the marathon. It's definitely a humbling experience. But if you are a self-motivated runner and enjoy beautiful scenery, I would definitely recommend this race. I will probably do it again even though I swore I wouldn't from mile 18 on this year.