Marathon Details - Black Mountain Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > NC > Black Mountain > Black Mountain Marathon

Black Mountain Marathon & Mount Mitchell Challenge

Black Mountain, NC USA

February 24, 2024

http://www.blackmountainmarathon.com

More Info:	News
Results:	2024 \| 2023 \| 2022 \| 2020 \| 2019 \| 2018 \| 2017 \| 2016 \| 2015 \| 2014 \| 2013 \| 2012 \| 2011 \| 2010 \| 2009 \| 2008 \| 2007 \| 2006 \| 2005 \| 2004 \| 2003 \| 2002 \| 2001 \| 2000 Top 3 Finishers by Year

Contact

Name:	Jay Curwen
Address:
Phone Number:	(800) 678-2367
Email:	Email the organizers



Become a Verified Race, and stand out from the crowd. We feature a blue check next to verified races on our calendar, and feature your race on the Verified Races section of the website.	Get Verified Now



Getting ready for this event? Get a personalized adaptive training plan and 1:1 coach assistance.	Get Your Plan

Reviews

Course 5.0

Organization 4.4

Spectators 3.7

Write a review

Number of comments: 10

D. L. from Charlotte, NC (2/24/2014) "EXTRAORDINARY." (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Black Mountain Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Beautiful course, extremely rewarding. Up the mountain, down the mountain. 80% rocks, 10% creeks (depending on the time of day, the melting snow might bump that up to 20%). Aid stations are well organized, course well marked - and volunteers are really exceptional. Special thanks to the Race Director for the superb organization and atmosphere. Very selective, surely not a beach marathon - but if you are really tough and want to push the envelope a little further, try the 40-miler up to Mount Mitchell :) I hope this extraordinary race continues until I can't. My favorite.
D. T. from Northern West Virginia (2/28/2013) "Most challenging trail 26.2 I ever ran." (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Black Mountain Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I run only trail marathons. City marathons on paved streets are for the birds ! Once you've run this challenging 26.2 climb you'll never go back to distance on city streets. I thought the Pikes Peak marathon course was a supreme challenge but the trail up to Pikes peak and down is almost 'manicured' compared to the Black Mt 26.2. Can't wait till next Feb's Black Mt run.
M. S. from NC (2/27/2010) "Excellent marathon - worth the challenge!" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Black Mountain Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This marathon was so well organized. The race director gave plenty of communication in advance of the winter weather, and the logistics were all wonderfully executed. Aid stations and support personnel were terrific (thank you, volunteers). While running through Montreat College, I appreciated the encouragement from Montreat College students. Black Mountain is a terrific community and the shops/locals were so supportive of the race. The B&B we stayed at even had the chef come out to ask me what pasta I wanted for my pasta dinner, so I basically had a custom-built pasta dinner. This year they gave a very nice North Face fleece jacket, which was great - much more useful than yet another medal to sit in a box. Big kudos to the race director, volunteers and terrific community of Black Mountain!
J. V. from Flowery Branch, GA (12/21/2009) "Great Challenge, But No Medal?" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Black Mountain Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 This is a great and challenging marathon, run alongside of the heartier 40-miler. Everything about it was phenomenal, but the absence of a finisher's medal irked me. It may very well be a petty complaint, but so be it.
Sandra Ferguson-Dickey from Easley, South Carolina formerly of Hendersonvill, (3/1/2009) "a run you won't forget" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Black Mountain Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran the marathon in '09 and have to say that although I posted my slowest race time ever, it will be a run I will never forget. If the course wasn't challenging enough, Mother Nature, with her elements, truly helped it to be a race that I will not soon forget! Awesome organization!
m. k. from Athens, Georgia (2/26/2007) "Outstanding race" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a fantastic run. The course is difficult, but mostly runnable. Organization is nearly flawless, aid stations were well stocked, and there were amazing volunteers. Save something for the declines, or the steep slants will pound your body into submission before the finish. Anyone looking for a mountain trail marathon will love this one. Best goodies for finishers that I've ever seen.
N. M. from North Carolina (2/28/2006) "A challenging but wonderful race..." (about: 2006) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Black Mountain Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 If you're looking for a challenge and a scenic course, the Black Mountain Marathon is an excellent choice. With 3,000 feet worth of elevation gain before the 15-mile mark, a sometimes rocky trail, the risk of snow and ice, and a final descent that includes a 1-mile section with a nearly 20% grade, the race is tough. However, it's also beautiful and rewarding. Easily my favorite of the three marathons I've run.
L. D. from Western NC (10/2/2004) "WHAT A BLAST!" (about: 2004) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Black Mountain Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 What a race! My only disappointment was that I only signed up for the marathon instead of the ultra (guess I was a little bit scared). The scenery was awesome - the course was challenging, but fun - the aid stations were the best. Very nice awards dinner & I cannot thank the volunteers enough. Can't wait for next year!
J. K. from Laurel, Maryland (5/30/2004) "Run up the Mountain" (about: 2004) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Black Mountain Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This is the most difficult race I've ever been involved with. It's set in a beautiful mountain town in North Carolina. It's got a great feel with wonderful post-race food. My wife wants me to run it again next year because she fell in love with the community. I ran the Mount Mitchell Challenge which was the ultra portion of the event. I can guarantee you'll see almost no cars, it's primarily single track trails and it's amazing. The view from the top is worth an 8-hour run. This is my favorite race of all time.
none from Canada (6/12/2002) "Difficult but fun." (about: 2001) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Hard as hell! Had a blast though.

Become an Advertiser

D. L. from Charlotte, NC (2/24/2014) "EXTRAORDINARY." (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Black Mountain Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Beautiful course, extremely rewarding. Up the mountain, down the mountain. 80% rocks, 10% creeks (depending on the time of day, the melting snow might bump that up to 20%). Aid stations are well organized, course well marked - and volunteers are really exceptional. Special thanks to the Race Director for the superb organization and atmosphere. Very selective, surely not a beach marathon - but if you are really tough and want to push the envelope a little further, try the 40-miler up to Mount Mitchell :) I hope this extraordinary race continues until I can't. My favorite.
D. T. from Northern West Virginia (2/28/2013) "Most challenging trail 26.2 I ever ran." (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Black Mountain Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I run only trail marathons. City marathons on paved streets are for the birds ! Once you've run this challenging 26.2 climb you'll never go back to distance on city streets. I thought the Pikes Peak marathon course was a supreme challenge but the trail up to Pikes peak and down is almost 'manicured' compared to the Black Mt 26.2. Can't wait till next Feb's Black Mt run.
M. S. from NC (2/27/2010) "Excellent marathon - worth the challenge!" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Black Mountain Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This marathon was so well organized. The race director gave plenty of communication in advance of the winter weather, and the logistics were all wonderfully executed. Aid stations and support personnel were terrific (thank you, volunteers). While running through Montreat College, I appreciated the encouragement from Montreat College students. Black Mountain is a terrific community and the shops/locals were so supportive of the race. The B&B we stayed at even had the chef come out to ask me what pasta I wanted for my pasta dinner, so I basically had a custom-built pasta dinner. This year they gave a very nice North Face fleece jacket, which was great - much more useful than yet another medal to sit in a box. Big kudos to the race director, volunteers and terrific community of Black Mountain!
J. V. from Flowery Branch, GA (12/21/2009) "Great Challenge, But No Medal?" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Black Mountain Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 This is a great and challenging marathon, run alongside of the heartier 40-miler. Everything about it was phenomenal, but the absence of a finisher's medal irked me. It may very well be a petty complaint, but so be it.
Sandra Ferguson-Dickey from Easley, South Carolina formerly of Hendersonvill, (3/1/2009) "a run you won't forget" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Black Mountain Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran the marathon in '09 and have to say that although I posted my slowest race time ever, it will be a run I will never forget. If the course wasn't challenging enough, Mother Nature, with her elements, truly helped it to be a race that I will not soon forget! Awesome organization!
m. k. from Athens, Georgia (2/26/2007) "Outstanding race" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a fantastic run. The course is difficult, but mostly runnable. Organization is nearly flawless, aid stations were well stocked, and there were amazing volunteers. Save something for the declines, or the steep slants will pound your body into submission before the finish. Anyone looking for a mountain trail marathon will love this one. Best goodies for finishers that I've ever seen.
N. M. from North Carolina (2/28/2006) "A challenging but wonderful race..." (about: 2006) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Black Mountain Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 If you're looking for a challenge and a scenic course, the Black Mountain Marathon is an excellent choice. With 3,000 feet worth of elevation gain before the 15-mile mark, a sometimes rocky trail, the risk of snow and ice, and a final descent that includes a 1-mile section with a nearly 20% grade, the race is tough. However, it's also beautiful and rewarding. Easily my favorite of the three marathons I've run.
L. D. from Western NC (10/2/2004) "WHAT A BLAST!" (about: 2004) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Black Mountain Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 What a race! My only disappointment was that I only signed up for the marathon instead of the ultra (guess I was a little bit scared). The scenery was awesome - the course was challenging, but fun - the aid stations were the best. Very nice awards dinner & I cannot thank the volunteers enough. Can't wait for next year!
J. K. from Laurel, Maryland (5/30/2004) "Run up the Mountain" (about: 2004) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Black Mountain Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This is the most difficult race I've ever been involved with. It's set in a beautiful mountain town in North Carolina. It's got a great feel with wonderful post-race food. My wife wants me to run it again next year because she fell in love with the community. I ran the Mount Mitchell Challenge which was the ultra portion of the event. I can guarantee you'll see almost no cars, it's primarily single track trails and it's amazing. The view from the top is worth an 8-hour run. This is my favorite race of all time.
none from Canada (6/12/2002) "Difficult but fun." (about: 2001) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Hard as hell! Had a blast though.

Become a better runner

Marathon Details - Black Mountain Marathon