Veterans Marathon (PA) - Race Reviews

Well organized race where mental discipline will be needed. Out and back course with minimal spectators, minus aid stations and near the turn around point. Conditions were ideal (mid to upper 40s to start and mid 50s at the finish). Course is shaded but not 100%. You park within .25 miles of the race start and support crew is friendly and welcoming. Chocolate milk tasted excellent!! Would recommend carrying a water source and refill at aid stations. You would be hard pressed to find a local race for this price. Plan to run again.

This is a pretty straightforward course. You run out 13.1 on a rail trail, and back 13.1. And then another 300+ yards to the finish line. What? Yes, the stopwatch doesn't lie. And this may not seem like a big deal, but it is when you bust butt the entire 2nd half to meet your time goal, and you do, but then have to run a bit further and miss your goal as a result. On the plus side, this was a super affordable race, for a good cause, on an enjoyable course that's easy on the body, with good weather. Fix the course and I'll be back.

As others have noted here this is a well organized low key event that is inexpensive and raises money to support area vets. Veterans who enter pay $26.20 and get a free shirt. The pasta dinner was great and cost only $10. There were only 70 finishers in the full marathon so by mile 14 I was pretty much on my own. It was also 74 degrees which I hadn't expected but the course along the river was very peaceful and the aid stations were good. An excellent side trip to the nearby Johnstown Flood national park visitor center was a highlight also. Highly recommended.

This is a well-organized race that honors veterans. The race directors and sponsors are friendly, enthusiastic, and detail-oriented. The course is a gentle incline (2% grade) for the first half and downhill for the return. Support is every couple miles. Unfortunately, this year was way too warm and humid across the northeast, so it was a struggle for sure. Probably could have used some more water stations, but EMS four wheelers and bicycle mounted course marshals kept good track of people. Despite this, I really enjoyed the purity of this small event (about 100 marathoners) and the great area that hosts it. We stayed in Blairsville at an Airbnb above a bakery, which was a dream. And getting to visit the Jimmy Stewart museum is just so fun if you're a fan of this movie star who was also a war hero. Bottom line, a great race for those who do not need much spectator support, preferring a mostly solitary run in nature.

As simple a marathon as you will find&park within yards of the start/finish, pick up your packet, run a pretty out and back course and drive home. All for a small donation to a great cause. Perfect. Don't forget to patronize Levity and Noble Stein Brewing in nearby Indiana PA.

For those of us who enjoy a nice relaxing run on a packed dirt trail with no roots or rocks to worry about and want to avoid large crowds and high race fees, this is the race for you. It is a nice out and back on a level trail along a river with support stations about every 2 miles and with lots of food and beer at the end. I definitely will return next year.

2019 was great weather, excellent course support, a good cause, fun tour of the Jimmy Stewart Museum, good postrace food, thanks so much to the organizers.

I've run this marathon twice and have loved it both times. The course is a scenic out-and-back on a crushed limestone trail. It's organized by a local running club and the volunteers are friendly and enthusiastic. There are water/Gatorade/food stations every two-ish miles. My favorite things about the race are that it's small, it's inexpensive, it is totally low tech. You start when the gun (a cannon!) goes off and when you cross the finish line a volunteer registers your time and grabs the tag off of your bib. The results board is a piece of plywood with sticky tape where they hang that tag. I love it! This race is what I imagine marathoning was like back in the 1960's and 1970's.

This was one of my favorite marathons for several reasons. One, the Ghost Town Trail was absolutely beautiful; the gurgling Blacklick Creek, the waterfalls, and the colorful leaves were amazing. Two, it was flawlessly executed, from packet pickup through the post race food. Three, everyone was so friendly and supportive. Four, it honors those who serve(d) our country and supports local veterans. Five, the price was unbeatable. The weather was perfect (not controllable, but obviously a plus). The enthusiastic volunteers at the numerous aid stations were very helpful and encouraging. I am extremely happy I chose this as my PA marathon, it really exceeded my expectations.

This race is very local for me. I have done the 1/2 several times, and train on this trail on a regular basis. I would consider it as my home course so it was a natural choice for my first Marathon. Love the trail and the low impact on the joints. I am only 5'8.5' and weigh 190+ lbs so as a heavier guy the surface is also very helpful. One warning would be the high probability of getting small rock in your shoe. Can not beat the price or the cause it benefits. As a Vet myself I received a free T-Shirt recognizing my service. Neutral score for fans because they have little opportunity. Great race for solitary runners. If you feed off the crowds it may not be your race. It is about perfect for me.

No timing chips mean that you start at the gun and your time is recorded on a slip when you cross the finish line. Which worked out just fine. There isn't a huge field in this race so there are stretches where we were alone - I ran this with a couple of friends. There are plenty of the requisite water stops and port-a-johns, but since this is an out-and-back on a crushed limestone trail there are not very many spectators. The scenery is beautiful and it's a nice change of pace from a big city marathon. The organizers and volunteers are terrific. I'd run it again.

This was my 31st marathon. I was just looking for a small race run on a soft surface. This marathon had exactly that. The course was scenic but it did get very lonely after the turn around. The organization was great, the volunteers were awesome, and the post refreshments were delicious. I would recommend this marathon if you want a quiet and peaceful race.

This event is held on the Ghost Town Trail starting at Saylor Park in Black Lick, PA. The park is an ideal setting for pre- and post-race mingling. There was plenty of parking, and my car was accessible for last-minute gear decisions. This was only the 4th year of the event, but the race directors have things well-organized. It is a small event, but that is somewhat intentional due to the venue (rail trail). This also means that there is not much crowd support, so you have to be prepared for that going in. (I gave 2 stars, which is probably unfair...by their nature, trail events don't give spectators much ease of access). One thing to be aware of...even though it is held on a rail trail, there is a bit more grade than you would expect. That being said, there is still potential for a PR if you hold back on the reins at the start. There are no age group awards, but a very nice finisher medal. The price is nice on the wallet....just $26.20 if you register before July 4th!

This is a great race. It is very well organized and the course is very fast. I was able to park 10 feet from packet pickup, 150 yards from the start and 50 yards from the finish. It is refreshing to do a race without all the logistics and hassles of the bigger marathons.

This was my 104th marathon (1st time I ran this one) and it was one of the best. The out and back course on Ghost Town Trail is beautiful.. The uphill on the way out is easily manageable and losing the 370 feet in elevation on return leg is confidence boosting..

This one is a gem. Yes, it's off the beaten path, but then again, the course is a perfect 'beaten path'- out and back along 13.1 miles of crushed stone dust rail trail. Perfect community support, race morning packet pickup, plentiful aid stations and great views through the Black Lick Creek valley make this one worth it. NO hassles at all, just a small field of dedicated runners. Highly recommended.

This was my 27th marathon and I am 66 years old and a member of 50 sub 4, the name speaks for itself. The race director, the volunteers, and the cause are great. Since it is a very isolated area, there is not much fan support, but those present were great. A few personal comments on the race itself: it is an out and back on crushed limestone which is a wonderful surface to run on. The elevation is gradual, but steady for 11.5 miles and then levels off to the turn and back to about 14.5. Therefore, the last 11.5 is basically downhill, it would seem like negative splits would be a no-brainer. Everyone has a different perspective, but I found this challenging. In order to attempt a 3:30s marathon, I turned at 1:48 and thought it would be a breeze coming back down. However, the 11.5 mile uphill, no matter how gradual, was strenuous and I had very little left by mile 15. The downhill saved me as it was a struggle all the rest of the way. I finished in 3:43, which is very respectable for my age, but not what I thought was possible on this course. My recommendation is to absolutely run this race, but respect that incline going out.

This was my first marathon and I couldn't have picked a better one. I loved the scenery along the trail.. a few waterfalls and right next to the river made for a great run. The trail was well maintained and there were plenty of aid stations along the way which contained water, gatorade, and candy as well as pretzels. Very fast out and back makes for a course where you could definitely PR. Would recommend to anyone thinking of running this race. At a cost of only $26.20, it's definitely worth it!

I'm trying to run a marathon in every state & there are lots to choose from in PA. This race for Veterans has great directors and a good atmosphere...something I look for in races. I also love a great course in the countryside...this is a peaceful run along a creek with several waterfalls on an excellently maintained crushed gravel trail that you could practically rollerskate on. It's nice to not have to think about your steps. They even blow all the leaves off of it...every mile! You get a great shirt and nice metal...something I don't really consider when picking a race, but it's worth mentioning considering this race only costs $26.2 (plus $12 more if you want the shirt). I'm very happy with my choice, plus my wife and I both PR'ed with almost no soreness the next day. You run at an almost unnoticeable uphill on the way out, then have the benefit of the gradual downhill on the way back, a great mental and physical bonus. If going, I also recommend the Hampton Inn & Suites in Blairsville, they really accommodated a late check out since the race starts at 9AM. I can't think of any better race in the area or around this time of year. Thanks!

It's quite obvious that this event was put on by runners. Course was an out and back, easy on the joints, scenic run. Slight grade on way out made for a quicker finish. Packet pickup the day of the race worked out smoothly. Sending the half marathoners off 30 minutes later was a great idea. Despite the small size, there was a medical tent available as well as post-race food. The rail trail race doesn't really lend to crowds, but those that were there were quite enthusiastic. Highly recommend this race. Very low cost, so not much of a medal, but so what! Great inaugural. I hope to be back every year.