There’s nowhere quite like Asheville, North Carolina. It’s an authentic destination where natural beauty and creativity collide. Down her streets, around each neighborhood, and through her greenways lies a vibrant energy and independent spirit that is unrivaled. And whether you run 26.2 or 13.1, you’ll love everything she has to …
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There’s nowhere quite like Asheville, North Carolina. It’s an authentic destination where natural beauty and creativity collide. Down her streets, around each neighborhood, and through her greenways lies a vibrant energy and independent spirit that is unrivaled. And whether you run 26.2 or 13.1, you’ll love everything she has to offer.
This is the Asheville Marathon and Half! Both races start in the heart of downtown Asheville (Pack Square Park) and weave their way down to the French Broad River. Runners will run downhill from downtown to flat, fast roads along the river, through the parks, to finish at the Wedge at Foundation on Foundy Street in the River Arts District (RAD.) These races are point-to-point, making them fast!! The greenway is scenic and flat, and we’ll have planned entertainment along the way to keep you revved up (think live music, cheer zones and festive water stations.) With a net elevation loss, this course is primed and ready for your next PR! Post-race shuttles to both Pack Square Park and the DoubleTree Hotel (Biltmore Village) are free for all race participants. The Asheville Marathon & Half is a USATF sanctioned event and both courses are USATF certified. The race will remain a Boston Qualifier.
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There’s no race like an iDaphe race!
I will follow any race Daphne does! No one does it better! Anytime my husband and I go somewhere and end up doing a run produced by another company he … MORE
I will follow any race Daphne does! No one does it better! Anytime my husband and I go somewhere and end up doing a run produced by another company he says “that definitely wasn’t an iDaphe race.” Daphne goes all out and pays attention to the details that are important to athletes. Her events are well organized and courses well marked, so they are low stress on the logistics, which makes them more enjoyable. This year’s half featured a new Downtown Asheville route, which was fantastic, and the weather was perfect. Another win for iDaphe, and for her loyal followers by extension. You really can’t go wrong when you run with iDaphe!
Loved the scenic route!!!
This is always a very well organized race. Water station volunteers are all spectacular! Course was one of nicest sceneries. Yes, there were hills! I really didn't notice the hills … MORE
This is always a very well organized race. Water station volunteers are all spectacular! Course was one of nicest sceneries. Yes, there were hills! I really didn’t notice the hills because it was super nice to see the beauty of Asheville!!! Swag and after party is sweet! Everyone is nice and helpful.
The race was.... Nice
If you want to go to Asheville it would be a great excuse. Got my favorite brand of socks, Balega, so that was great. Small scale race but plenty of … MORE
If you want to go to Asheville it would be a great excuse. Got my favorite brand of socks, Balega, so that was great. Small scale race but plenty of support even with an open course (hand to run on a highway shoulder with full speed traffic). Very few views of the surrounding mountains but a nice tour of the city and river greenway. A lot of photographers on course but only a finish line photo and a put of focus distant cameo so.. I guess I was unlucky??
Rough course for the last 9+ miles
The part of the race that's in town is the best. Though it's a little hilly, there's enough space for everyone and lots to look at for 8 miles. After … MORE
The part of the race that’s in town is the best. Though it’s a little hilly, there’s enough space for everyone and lots to look at for 8 miles. After that you’re by the river, with some out and backs, but still it was going okay. Around mile 17, the course passed by the finish line and after party, which I didn’t love to see when we had so far to still go. Between 17 and 18, there was a bottleneck at a corner where there are runners going both directions on a very narrow sidewalk, with a fence on one side and a street on the other with regular pedestrians along with cars. Part of the problem was that the people running towards us were at mile 26, so they were sprinting for a strong finish. A guy ran right into me because he didn’t see that it was two-way until it was too late. I was running all the way to the right and there were pedestrians just past the curb and another runner to my left coming towards me, so I couldn’t swerve to avoid him. I’m sure this was a startling way to finish the race, and it made me get pretty frustrated and in my head for a while. Then the race had a loop that runners had to do twice, which included some narrow dirt trail with roots and rocks at miles ~21 and ~25. I feel like this was a weird choice to have people navigate that terrain, plus a double loop, so far into the race. I would have gladly repeated a chunk of the downtown part instead, even if it was hilly. This was my first marathon. Overall I’m glad I did it and will pay close attention to the course of the next race I sign up for.
A+ for the pickle juice! Holy moly that was good.
Great Race, Great Course
Beautiful course with lots of rollers. Great crowd support and excellent after party!! Highly recommend!!!! Well organized and the shuttle was convenient. MORE
Beautiful course with lots of rollers. Great crowd support and excellent after party!! Highly recommend!!!! Well organized and the shuttle was convenient.
Awesome race- must do in the Southeast!!
You will not find better organization, from the pre race emails, ( even a podcast explaining everything), expo, pre and post race logistics, etc. You will feel catered to and … MORE
You will not find better organization, from the pre race emails, ( even a podcast explaining everything), expo, pre and post race logistics, etc. You will feel catered to and like a VIP all while enjoying beautiful scenery and enjoying a fabulous experience in the mountains of western North Carolina. It is a must do and has become an annual weekend for years with my friend group!
A flattish, funky, and fun race in AVL!
I've run this race for 7 years now, from the time it was at the Biltmore, and the race continually exceeds expectations! Asheville is such a cool city, and to … MORE
I’ve run this race for 7 years now, from the time it was at the Biltmore, and the race continually exceeds expectations! Asheville is such a cool city, and to start downtown, and finish in the Arts District is so neat. The rolling hills at the front end give way to the greenway along the river, which allows runners to cruise on into the finish line party, with music, vendors, beer and food trucks,
The race is extremely organized! I hope to do this race for years to come!
Very Crowded & Overrun
This was my first half marathon and I disliked it so much that it caused me to take some time off to reconsider if I really want to invest my … MORE
This was my first half marathon and I disliked it so much that it caused me to take some time off to reconsider if I really want to invest my time and money in running road races. I didn’t want to write a negative review immediately after the race so I gave it some time but I still think this race has some major problems.
The biggest problem is that most of the race is on narrow paths (as others have described) and the out and backs cause the half and the marathon to overlap quite a bit. I imagine this is a big problem for fast runners as they have to constantly find ways to pass the slow runners. But as a slow runner who is happy to be in the back of the pack, this was also frustrating for me. I hate the feeling that I am constantly blocking people and keeping someone from achieving a personal record!
The aid stations were overrun, especially the first one. I felt bad for the people running the station as they were trying their best but there were simply too many people for them to keep up. The finish line felt very stingy and as another reviewer mentioned, I didn’t see any snacks or food. The beer line was very long so I didn’t bother waiting.
I wish I had gotten to run this race when it was at Biltmore. As the race is now, I would not run it again, and I would not recommend anyone travel for this race. iDaph is a very polished and professional company but they oversold this event based on the narrowness of many parts of the course. I don’t want to be overly critical here as I can’t imagine how hard it is to run a race of this size, but at the same time I wish I had more information on this race before I signed up.
Good PR option in WNC
Overall I thought the organization was good. There were not enough porta-potties at the start. I was there an hour before the start time, and still had to choose between … MORE
Overall I thought the organization was good.
There were not enough porta-potties at the start. I was there an hour before the start time, and still had to choose between peeing and warming up (I chose peeing).
Course starts downtown and first 2 miles are downhill to the river. Remaining 11 miles are flat along the river, so you bank some time early and hang on for a PR, like I did.
On this day it was insanely windy. Most benefits of the downhill were probably negated by the wind. But I run along this course a lot, and that amount of wind was far from normal. Just springtime randomness in the weather. It was also very cold, which could go either way in March.
Flat but disappointing- could be great
Pros: Expo was small but easy to get in and get my bib. I needed throw away gloves and a race belt and they had both so I was happy. … MORE
Pros:
Expo was small but easy to get in and get my bib. I needed throw away gloves and a race belt and they had both so I was happy.
The volunteers and police were wonderful. Everyone was supportive and pleasant. Music was promised and I did not expect it with the cold but there was a DJ earlier on and one live pair of musicians who were
Aid stations were lively, fun and had a good selection.
The buses were extremely easy to get to the start and back to the hotel. No wait at all.
The course was pretty much flat as advertised.
I thought the post race area was fun and had plenty of places to sit.
Cons:
Out of anyone’s control- the weather was unseasonably cold. The headwind on one side of the river was gnarly- knowing we had to run it again later was very difficult mentally.
The trails. The trails that everyone ran (packed dirt) were okay. Still difficult as there were tree routs and holes which is hard at 22+ miles. But they were still reasonable.
The trails that only the marathoners ran were upsetting to many. 2-2.5 miles and more technical than I have seen in any road race. I saw one ugly fall and heard of another. I did not fall but my ankle was sore after the race from ‘nearly’ falling a few times.
The marathon runners ran the out and back on the trail (miles 9-11ish) and then entered the bike trail at the same spot but behind most the half marathon runners. There was not enough room to pass without a great deal of weaving.
Bathrooms. There are not enough port-a-potties for the number of runners- especially at the beginning. The lines were huge and there was not enough time to wait before the race start.
Cool city and I think I would run the half but not the marathon again unless changes are made.
Scenery was decent along the River.
Scenery along the River was decent but most of race was on a bike trail making passing skier runners hard to do, especially on back half as you share with … MORE
Scenery along the River was decent but most of race was on a bike trail making passing skier runners hard to do, especially on back half as you share with turnaround runners. Not much inside city limits. Not my favorite race but I did PR
Scenic Marathon
This was a very pretty course along the French Broad River Greenway. I really enjoyed the course. It was point to point, but had two loops on the greenway. I … MORE
This was a very pretty course along the French Broad River Greenway. I really enjoyed the course. It was point to point, but had two loops on the greenway. I really liked the greenway portion. There was lots of course support and it also allowed me to see my family several times. The one negative would be that for the Full Marathon course we had an added 2 mile section that went beyond the half course on the first loop. That section was trail with a lot of roots and rocks and it was almost single track at some points. Thankfully it was not very long, and not muddy, but this was my least favorite section. The race medal is absolutely gorgeous and the volunteers were wonderful. Overall, I would recommend this race.
disappointing for such a cool city
Asheville is such a unique city - I was really disappointed in this race. The organization was great with plenty of pre-race emails and easy packet pickup. I stayed at … MORE
Asheville is such a unique city – I was really disappointed in this race. The organization was great with plenty of pre-race emails and easy packet pickup. I stayed at the host hotel which was nice, convenient and reasonably priced. The expo was very sad – nothing much to look at or purchase. We were shuttled from the host hotel to the starting point. It was unseasonably cold and there was no place to get out of the weather and it was still pitch dark before the race. The race started (without the National Anthem) and immediately went downhill. The majority of the race is doubling around this scruffy park along the river. The finish was at an old industrial parking lot. It was such a sad and dirty location for a finish. Asheville is such a quaint city – I was sad not to see more of it. And for the record – the course was nowhere near the Biltmore mansion. I could find no after snacks or party but maybe that’s because I finished so late. There was also little to no parking for spectators. Although the course was disappointing – the medal and shirt were great! I would not do this race again.
OK race, repetitive on the second half
The race was a blast for the first 14 miles, but then the second half is a different story. You basically need to do the whole run again which is … MORE
The race was a blast for the first 14 miles, but then the second half is a different story. You basically need to do the whole run again which is very exhausting and repetitive. Wish there was more downtown Asheville vs doing repeats through a trailer park.
Watch out for mile 8-10, VERY tough as its through the woods and multiple runners were twisting their ankles.
The afterparty was fun in the arts district
Wanted to like this race…
I was so excited for this race but it was not the best, unfortunately. Pros: Packet pickup was smooth Nice swag- buff, tech tee and medal Friendly folks Free shuttle … MORE
I was so excited for this race but it was not the best, unfortunately.
Pros:
Packet pickup was smooth
Nice swag- buff, tech tee and medal
Friendly folks
Free shuttle to start and finish line from the hotel
Cons:
Poor communication- no week of emails from the organizers
Not enough portapotties. The line was insane and led to me starting late
The course was… odd. Lots of doubling back, no mile markers until mile five. Course was extremely narrow so when I got stuck behind the slower paced folks (because of the aforementioned portapotties) so I couldn’t get around them FOR MILES. Then I couldn’t make up time.
All in all it was meh. Don’t recommend unless you’re local. Wish I’d done a different race for NC.
Different course - still lovely!
This was still a freshly post Covid era and we were not able to race at the biltmore estate. The course was mostly around the river arts district and was … MORE
This was still a freshly post Covid era and we were not able to race at the biltmore estate.
The course was mostly around the river arts district and was beautiful, and surprisingly mostly flat considering how hilly Asheville was. I was so impressed with how well organized this race was! Beautiful weather too
A view from the back of the pack
Held in downtown Asheville this year. We signed up for the Biltmore location, but kept our registration. We flew in from Houston. The Good: 1) Started on time 2) PPU … MORE
Held in downtown Asheville this year. We signed up for the Biltmore location, but kept our registration. We flew in from Houston.
The Good: 1) Started on time 2) PPU well organized 3) Shuttles operated efficiently 4) Power gels widely available on course
The Bad: 1)Out of water at the 5-6 mile stop–major no no for any event–they resorted to serving cola 2) Limited traffic control for 1st 2 miles out of downtown–were running against moving cars 1/2 a mile into the race 3) 10 porta potties at start for 1,500 people 3) Brooks shirts were fitted–should have been noted at time of registration–did not have my size at finish line at end of race 4) Post race food consisted of water, granola, bars, and 1 beer (the line of which was 10 minutes long all afternoon). Unless held at the Biltmore I can’t imagine this run as a destination event again. 5) 72 degrees when we finished….but no one has control of that variable.
Beautiful, but Hilly Biltmore Estates
I liked this race, but the rest of my group (12 people) didn't. Part of it was on gravel and it was hilly. The weather was chilly too, but I … MORE
I liked this race, but the rest of my group (12 people) didn’t. Part of it was on gravel and it was hilly. The weather was chilly too, but I still enjoyed running through the Biltmore grounds and up to the estate. The t-shirt was a nice short sleeve technical shirt.
Two DIstinct Halves - Historic Location
The marathon has some great scenery, a fantastic run past the front of Biltmore House, and great race support. The first half is through the extremely picturesque grounds of Biltmore … MORE
The marathon has some great scenery, a fantastic run past the front of Biltmore House, and great race support. The first half is through the extremely picturesque grounds of Biltmore Estate with rolling hills and wonderfully wooded areas. The loop in front of the house is unique among all races and quite memorable. There are two steepish inclines in the first half, but there are also some rewarding downhills. The second half is on the west side of the estate which is generally inaccessible to visitors without embarking on certain paid tours. This second half of the marathon is primarily dirt and stone roads which combined with some hills makes it challenging. The scenery is more farmland, but still picturesque. A few spots are out and back stretches, so the paths are narrow with runner traffic going in both directions. If you don’t like stones on dirt roads, then you might consider going with the Half with is primarily paved.
Amazing Course
Bring layers... was cold waiting for 2 hours for the race to start, with no real waiting area... we all hung out in the foyer to the wine place and … MORE
Bring layers… was cold waiting for 2 hours for the race to start, with no real waiting area… we all hung out in the foyer to the wine place and the coffee place, that were not open. After the start there are more hills than expected and both paved and gravel roads.