Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon

The Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon takes place each April in Roanoke, Virginia, and has earned its billing as America's Toughest Road Marathon by packing more elevation change into 26.2 miles than any other certified road race in the country -- roughly 3,371 feet of climbing and 3,398 feet of descent through the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Roanoke Valley. Foot Levelers has been the title sponsor since 2012. The course winds from downtown Roanoke up Mill Mountain and Peakwood, past scenic overlooks of the valley, and finishes in Elmwood Park in the heart of downtown, where a Finish Festival features live music, local craft beer, food trucks, and free massages. The marathon field is capped at 750 runners to keep the narrow mountain roads manageable, and companion events -- a half marathon, 10K, Double Marathon, 4-person relay, 1-mile family run, and Sunday Slow-K -- round out race weekend. Despite the extreme elevation profile, the net change is minimal, so times can count toward a Boston Marathon qualifier, though only a small fraction of finishers manage it given the climbing.