Press Release - Blue Ridge Marathon - 3/18/10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

       Inaugural Blue Ridge Marathon on the Parkway Announced
         Event promises to be both strenuous and beautiful

Roanoke, Va. - The inaugural Blue Ridge Marathon on the parkway will be 
held on April 24, 2010, beginning and ending in downtown Roanoke, with a 
tour of the region's highest peaks in-between.  The event is being held in 
conjunction with the Parkway's 75th anniversary.  Organizers have 
designated Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway to receive proceeds.

Congressman Bob Goodlatte of Roanoke, Va., who helped organizers achieve 
their goal of holding part of the race on the Blue Ridge Parkway, made the 
announcement at the news conference held in the office of the Roanoke 
Regional Partnership. 

"I am so proud that Roanoke has found yet another way to show the world 
that we are truly a jewel in the mountains," said Goodlatte. "This race 
course will be like running through a post card."

The Blue Ridge Marathon on the parkway is mapped out to connect the Roanoke 
Valley with the popular roadway and the tourists that travel it.  "It will 
be beautiful, it will be difficult - even for experienced marathoners -- 
and it will give people a chance to use the Blue Ridge Parkway differently 
than they've historically been able to do," said event co-chair Pete 
Eshelman, director of outdoor branding for the Roanoke Regional 
Partnership.

Race director Ronny Angell is owner of Odyssey Adventure Racing in Salem, 
Va.  Angell brings years of experience in organizing adventure races with 
an emphasis on difficulty.  "We wanted to make this more than just another 
small city marathon," smiles Angell.  "The difficulty of this course makes 
it special.  It will attract people from across the country."

In addition to the mountains, runners will also pass numerous other Roanoke 
attractions.  The course begins in front of the Taubman Museum of Art and 
ends at the Hotel Roanoke directly in front of the O. Winston Link Museum.  
The course also travels through South Roanoke, passes in front of the 
Virginia Museum of Transportation, and crosses the Martin Luther King Jr. 
Memorial Bridge.

A half marathon will be held simultaneously with the marathon.  Those 
covering the 13.1-mile distance will see many of the same attractions, but 
will not face the climb up Roanoke Mountain.

For more information please visit www.blueridgemarathon.com.

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