Let’s Do It Again! We proved it this year—Asheville might get knocked down, but we always rise stronger. 💪 And next year, we’re coming back bigger, better, and bolder than ever! There’s nowhere quite like Asheville, North Carolina. It’s an authentic destination where natural beauty and creativity collide. Down her …
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Let’s Do It Again!
We proved it this year—Asheville might get knocked down, but we always rise stronger. 💪 And next year, we’re coming back bigger, better, and bolder than ever!
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 New Belgium 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 New Belgium Asheville Marathon & Half is a USATF Sanctioned and Certified event and the marathon is a Boston qualifying event.
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Artistic town, a very difficult course
Asheville was a nice town, a fun place for those free spirits that admire all form of art. If you enjoy drums, you cannot miss the "Asheville Drum Circle" in … MORE
Asheville was a nice town, a fun place for those free spirits that admire all form of art. If you enjoy drums, you cannot miss the “Asheville Drum Circle” in downtown Asheville’s Pritchard Park. You should also visit the studios by the River Walk.
About the race, boy! that was the most difficult course I ever ran. Very hilly the first 20K and rolling hills the second half. The number of aid stations are limited and smaller than most races. You might have to bring your own hydration if you need refueling very often. I believe the first table was around mile 4. Spectators were great and everywhere, you will never feel alone.
However, there are a few things that should be improved. Traffic control was horrible, and in occasions unsafe (I was almost ran over when a truck moved closer to me while running in a section without a sidewalk or road shoulder). Some aid stations were located on or about to start an uphill, which it make it more difficult to resume after slowing down to grab the hydration. Finally, NO BANANA at the finish line!?!? You get a free drink, but make sure to bring some money if you want food after finishing the race.
In general, I had a good time in Asheville. I recommend this race for the people, the town, and the art. If you like hills and rough surfaces, this is your kind of race too.
Nice local marathon--support WNC!
Best part of this for me was that everyone involved was genuinely excited and grateful that we were there. Course is not as hard as you'd think. First half is … MORE
Best part of this for me was that everyone involved was genuinely excited and grateful that we were there.
Course is not as hard as you’d think. First half is rolling but not insane, and the second half is more or less flat. The second half is a mental grind though with 3 separate out-and-backs (but the tradeoff is it keeps it flat). The best part was around mile 10 you about top out on elevation while climbing up to a nice postcard mountain view through the buildings. Worst was a weird stretch on road with two-way traffic (unclear to me if that was allowed or cars were ignoring volunteers). It wasn’t dangerous, but there were cars going both ways to watch out for.
The post-race party is the best I’ve seen. You’d want to spend the day at New Belgium anyway so that helps, but there was a lot to do and people had a great time. Expo was also set up pretty well and on the smaller side. Swag was also solid.
This isn’t one to do if you’re pursuing a PR, but if you want something different or an excuse to visit/celebrate WNC you should give it a shot. I’ve moved away but AVL is my hometown and I loved supporting it. And everyone will appreciate you showing up for AVL.
3:33:33 has got to be worth something
Happy for a novelty race finish time but that was by accident. This is a pretty good, challenging marathon. Had a very quick out & back trip from Atlanta to … MORE
Happy for a novelty race finish time but that was by accident. This is a pretty good, challenging marathon. Had a very quick out & back trip from Atlanta to check this one off after having been cancelled on twice by the Outer Banks Marathon.
Pros: Good weather in March, decent turnout & crowd support, no tricks with the routing or issues with half marathon overlap.
Cons: pretty boring course, lots of out & backs to pad distance. Rolling hills throughout which one should expect for Asheville. No aid stations until mile 4. Many of the middle miles (8- 15) are on sidewalks of busy roads.
Stick to the Half
Pros: very well organized, race day packet pick-up, first half scenic. After party one of the best I’ve seen. Massages, great environment to sit around until it’s time to go … MORE
Pros: very well organized, race day packet pick-up, first half scenic. After party one of the best I’ve seen. Massages, great environment to sit around until it’s time to go back to the airport. Still going at 2:30. Great weather!
Cons: After the marathon split from the half, it was extremely boring, and at times running with cars pretty close on the road. Little crowd support at that point as well.
If I were rating the half, I would rate it a 5 if you want hills. I was looking for hills for training and the first half was great. Bottom Line: Sign up for the half!
Very well organized up to the finish lin
This was my first time in Asheville, a year after the terrible floods, but it doesn’t seem the town has fully recovered. Many stores were closed or surrounded by barbed … MORE
This was my first time in Asheville, a year after the terrible floods, but it doesn’t seem the town has fully recovered. Many stores were closed or surrounded by barbed wire which made the run less than scenic. The run itself was incredibly hilly, one of the most difficult half marathons I’ve ever done. Around mile 11 you run past Planned Parenthood, which was very off putting to have people holding graphic signs and yelling terrible things. Thankfully there was a very kind volunteer who just encouraged us to just keep running.
Overall the race was well organized, with volunteer support. However at the very end when you’re turning to enter the finish line, it wasn’t blocked off so you had people just milling around pushing strollers that you had to get around to cross the finish line.
Supporting Asheville’s comeback
Since Asheville was hit pretty hard with the damage from Hurricane Helene, and it’s one of my favorite places to visit, AND I love signing up for new races to … MORE
Since Asheville was hit pretty hard with the damage from Hurricane Helene, and it’s one of my favorite places to visit, AND I love signing up for new races to run, I wanted to help support Asheville in their comeback as they rebuild. This race was pretty tough, I have to be honest! It was very hilly and I’m just not the greatest at dealing with hills. Haha! It was a pretty scenic course and the weather wasn’t too bad. I got to see areas of Asheville I hadn’t seen before and the finish line at the New Belgium brewery was a lot of fun! I’m glad I got to experience this race and would highly recommend!!
Asheville is making a comeback!
Hurricane Helene devastated Asheville September 27, 2024. I elected to run this marathon to visit Asheville, check off another state, and contribute to their local economy. Lots has been cleaned … MORE
Hurricane Helene devastated Asheville September 27, 2024. I elected to run this marathon to visit Asheville, check off another state, and contribute to their local economy. Lots has been cleaned up in the past 6 months, but much of the destruction is still visible. The marathon course needed to be adjusted due the damage done by the hurricane. First half of marathon was hilly (about 800’ elevation gain) and challenging. Second half was mostly flat (about 200’ elevation gain). Race temps were good and usually are in March in Western North Carolina. I would encourage runners to support this race and continue to help contribute to Asheville’s comeback. Asheville community was very welcoming and grateful to their visitors. They are resilient and strong community. Race was run very well except for some challenges with their shuttle service for non-runners.
Nice course but be ready for hills!
Nicely produced local race through the scenic neighborhoods of the city. Lots of hills! Roads are not closed to traffic but volunteers and police at key intersections control the course … MORE
Nicely produced local race through the scenic neighborhoods of the city. Lots of hills! Roads are not closed to traffic but volunteers and police at key intersections control the course well. Water stops are spaced a bit far apart (3+ miles). Little crowd support but a lively post-race finish area. Overall, a well organized race event and a good time! I was glad to come to Asheville and support the city and local businesses.
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.