Run back in history, with this scenic, challenging race of historic proportions. Covering the expanse on Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, C&0 Canal, Antietam National Battlefield and the Civil War era towns connecting them, the course offers expansive views. The entire marathon course is encased in National Park Land with …
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Run back in history, with this scenic, challenging race of historic proportions. Covering the expanse on Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, C&0 Canal, Antietam National Battlefield and the Civil War era towns connecting them, the course offers expansive views. The entire marathon course is encased in National Park Land with a brief detour on a country road connecting them. The event finishes in the historical town of Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The race is designed to attract those looking for a challenge but also lure visitors to enjoy the beautiful backdrop West Virginia and Maryland have the offer. The full marathon runs through Harpers Ferry National Historical Park and continues onto the C&O Canal where it meets with the half marathon runners to begin the steady incline to Antietam National Battlefield. The incredible views and the memorial of the bloodiest battle in our nation’s history is a humbling experience.
The Freedom’s Run was created by Dr. Mark Cucuzzella and Lois Turco to promote a healthier lifestyle in what is known as one of the most unhealthy states in the country. In the 10+ years since the race’s inception, Freedom’s Run has created a running boom through this small region and provided locals with a way to keep active and showcase their beautiful region. Through the Freedom’s Run Grant, they’ve donated over $400,00 to providing the community with local trails at their schools and youth and adult camps. So come join and be a part of the West Virginia Running Revolution!
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Beautiful Views, Heart Wrenching History
This is a gorgeous, mainly rails to trails, course travelling from Harpers Ferry to Shepherdstown along the Potomac River, going upriver (read false flat UP). The climb out to visit … MORE
This is a gorgeous, mainly rails to trails, course travelling from Harpers Ferry to Shepherdstown along the Potomac River, going upriver (read false flat UP). The climb out to visit the Antietam National Battlefield was no joke. This year, as the trend seems to be, it was unseasonably hot with very little shade. The Battlefield was mowed low enough, but the grass clumps definitely reminded you that you’ve been on your ankles for over 17 miles!
It’s a smaller race, so don’t expect to get a lot of support, but the views more than make up for it.
Many new running experiences!
My idea of a fun half marathon is one that is out of the ordinary. This race delivered perfectly. I'm from the west coast, so running on a towpath was … MORE
My idea of a fun half marathon is one that is out of the ordinary. This race delivered perfectly. I’m from the west coast, so running on a towpath was a new and fun experience, although the amazing part of this race was actually running through a Civil War battlefield! We ran along the auto tour road for the battlefield, then we plunged off the road and down onto a trail through the battlefield. I didn’t know what to expect, so I was surprised to be running along a wide trail through dense brush and suddenly come upon a towering memorial. The trail keeps going up and down through the area and pops back out miles later onto the road again. It was sobering to think of the soldiers who fought a battle in this terrain. The race organizers proudly advertise it as the only race that goes through a battlefield, which does seem disrespectful, but there it is. Lots of hills (I walked), but that also means lots of downhills, which I enjoy. The organization was superb. I liked the long sleeve shirt; the medal was a small, simple wood cookie with a burned-in logo. In a sea of large, colorful medals from other races, it’s become one of my favorites.
Tough race but scenic course
We were bussed to the start at about 6am from the finish. It started in Harper's Ferry National Park. The course starts there and then we ran though some trails … MORE
We were bussed to the start at about 6am from the finish. It started in Harper’s Ferry National Park. The course starts there and then we ran though some trails and a field and back to a road. Eventually ended up on the C&O canal trail. I was having GI issues so this race felt even harder to me. Needed more port-o-pots on this course. Around mile 16.5 you head to the hills and you then run through a battlefield. This part was so challenging. I would suggest wearing trail shoes for this race. You end up back on the flat trail and then on to the finish. Wish the aid stations had more food – this felt like an Ultra! They had pizza at the end and also a free beer at the after party. It was fun but we were both exhausted.
Hills,hills and More hills
Save your energy for Antietam National Battlefield. It's very hilly. Start of Marathon nice and easy down hill be care of the spiral stairs. Next 12 miles flat than at … MORE
Save your energy for Antietam National Battlefield. It’s very hilly. Start of Marathon nice and easy down hill be care of the spiral stairs. Next 12 miles flat than at 15.4 you hit the first hill up up and up. It was rainy so going into the battlefield grass is wet and slippery, you had to watch your footing.
Trail Race on Historic Battlegrounds
The constantly changing terrain (crushed gravel and leaves along the river, uneven grass through battlefield sites, loose stones, sharp turns, steep hills) really kept things interesting. The softer and varied … MORE
The constantly changing terrain (crushed gravel and leaves along the river, uneven grass through battlefield sites, loose stones, sharp turns, steep hills) really kept things interesting. The softer and varied surfaces made for a slower pace but also may have prevented developing as much muscle soreness as usual. The swag (flimsy hat) and after race refreshments (apple, banana, water, zero calorie Nuun, pizza) offered was minimal for the price. If you took the time and effort to walk another quarter mile across the street and up a hill to the after party, there were more desirable options (muffins, various snack bags of chips and a better drink selection – chocolate milk, orange juice, beer.) The lack of overall or age group awards was actually very appalling. Even small 5K races have awards to recognize achievements of a large portion of participants.
Gorgeous course, great race
I really enjoyed this hilly historical race! The scenery, support, and communication was superb. I liked that it was a little cheaper because you didn’t get a shirt but could … MORE
I really enjoyed this hilly historical race! The scenery, support, and communication was superb. I liked that it was a little cheaper because you didn’t get a shirt but could opt to buy one. A little bummed no awards- it was the first time I’ve been first place in age/gender, very exciting but no small token to show for it. That’s ok though, still a phenomenal race.
One of the best in the country.
Save something for the second half and the hills through the national park. The run along the canal is one of the best ever. Shady, flat, quiet. Highly recommended. Run … MORE
Save something for the second half and the hills through the national park. The run along the canal is one of the best ever. Shady, flat, quiet. Highly recommended. Run this race!
Beautiful, hilly course in West Virginia
This race was challenging, but absolutely gorgeous. Packet pick-up was easy the day before (they also had race day packet pick-up). I arrived at the start an hour early and … MORE
This race was challenging, but absolutely gorgeous. Packet pick-up was easy the day before (they also had race day packet pick-up). I arrived at the start an hour early and was one of the first people there. It is a smaller race and if you are staying close enough to walk or shuttle, you could get there by 8:15 am (starts at 8:30) and still use the port-o-pots (no line!!) The race started time and we headed across a bridge & down to the Canal Path. We ran alond therefor a few miles and then the hills started. They were through Antietam National Battlefield. The course was so beautiful that I didn’t mind them. I wasn’t running for time, just to have fun. We finished on the 50 yard line of their college stadium which was so cool. After they had pizza, bananas and apples and then we headed to the Baviaran Inn for our free pint glass and beer. Overall just the best race experience. I loved it and cannot wait to head back to tackle the full marathon.
Tough Tough Tough!
This is not the race to expect to get a personal best on. It is extremely challenging with the largest, longest hills I have ever experienced in a race. There … MORE
This is not the race to expect to get a personal best on. It is extremely challenging with the largest, longest hills I have ever experienced in a race. There are no timing mats as they expect everyone to take longer than their normal to finish.
There was pretty much no swag besides a long sleeve tshirt and pint glass that you get 1 free beer afterwards. Note, after running 13.1 miles of hills, to get your pint glass and beer-yup you have to walk up more hills!
The course is beautiful running through rural West Virginia including battlefields. There are pretty much no spectators though.
Communication from the race directors was great leading up to the race and parking was a breeze parking at the university.
Overall good race, but expect to be disappointed with your finish time.
Tough course! Battlefield worth it!
I was surprised at the level of difficulty on the flat, trail section of the course. There were roots and rocks hidden by leaves at times and several people took … MORE
I was surprised at the level of difficulty on the flat, trail section of the course. There were roots and rocks hidden by leaves at times and several people took spills. I nearly fell more than once. Also, bring a water bottle! There was no water between mile 4 and 9 and very few other stops on the course.
The “hills” in the battlefield are no joke. Very steep! Lots of walking on some of them. When you leave the battlefield there continue to be hills, but mostly rollers until the last steep hill on campus.
The post race party at the Bavarian Inn was a blast.
Love the shirts, love the clay medal. I loved the uniqueness of this course, but it’s the hardest marathon I’ve ever done.
Tough Course
Half marathon course is difficult. Starts on the C&O Canal Trail which was wet and gravelly. Very hilly in the first half through the Antietam battlefields. Swag was meh. Medal … MORE
Half marathon course is difficult. Starts on the C&O Canal Trail which was wet and gravelly. Very hilly in the first half through the Antietam battlefields.
Swag was meh. Medal is a fired clay medallion. Sponsored water bottle, pint glass and long sleeved t-shirt were also provided.
Course support was awful…. Too few stations for a hilly course. Gatorade served was very weak and diluted. They should have had reassigned course marshalls at non-intersections to man more stations.
Post-race was pretty good… Massage and stretch tables and recovery boots and cool Oktoberfest party at the Bavarian Inn. They could have had more food options close to the finish line (just pizza, fruit and bars).
NOTE: They use gun time for the race if you’re trying to get a PR.
All Time Favorite
I am fifteen marathons in and when people ask me my favorite, this is by far #1. I was in terrible shape, but ran anyway, and the course, scenery, history … MORE
I am fifteen marathons in and when people ask me my favorite, this is by far #1. I was in terrible shape, but ran anyway, and the course, scenery, history and overall production was incredible. The post race party was amazing. I hope to get back again one day, would be worth doing again (in better shape).
Beautiful Hills
My parents had a cottage near by and we use to spend weekends in these hills. It was nice to come back to the area, but a tough run and … MORE
My parents had a cottage near by and we use to spend weekends in these hills. It was nice to come back to the area, but a tough run and turned my son off from running permanently (I should have known it would be a hard one).
Harder than I thought!
Pretty through the tow trail and along the river. 2nd half tough, but the battlefields were nice. I was slow so there was no one at the finish line. Showers … MORE
Pretty through the tow trail and along the river. 2nd half tough, but the battlefields were nice. I was slow so there was no one at the finish line. Showers on campus were nice, yet felt like miles away! After party not too bad, but no options for non beer drinkers.
Tough but beautiful course
This is really challenging half marathon course with three steep hills between miles 3 and 6. However the course runs through the Antietam Battlefields which made it worthwhile - absolutely … MORE
This is really challenging half marathon course with three steep hills between miles 3 and 6. However the course runs through the Antietam Battlefields which made it worthwhile – absolutely beautiful and historic course. There were under 1500 runners for the half and the full which was also very nice and made parking very easy. Only problems noted: 1. lack of water bottles at the finish line (you were given a water bottle and had to fill it up using only 8 cisterns – very inefficient and it resulting in long lines before you could get a drink of water), 2. there was not a starting mat – all timing was off the gun – and it was unclear exactly where the start line was. Use start and finish mats next time, 3. I was not particularly impressed with the medal.
Battlefields of Hills
I really enjoyed this race, even though it was challenging. The course runs through several civil war towns and battlefields, so there is a ton of history and just as … MORE
I really enjoyed this race, even though it was challenging. The course runs through several civil war towns and battlefields, so there is a ton of history and just as many hills! Not only was it well organized, but you could feel how much the race director cares about this event – something that is sometimes lost in larger races.
Memorable Moments:
– In true historic war town form, the event takes off the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” instead of National Anthem.
– The “medal” is a simple, handmade clay mold from a local artisan.
– Shirts comes in several colors which are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis at the expo
– The free beer and concert on the lawn overlooking the town at the post-race party
Tough Day
This was a tough race. There was a problem in that there was a Government shutdown so we had to run an alternate course that I was not prepared for. … MORE
This was a tough race. There was a problem in that there was a Government shutdown so we had to run an alternate course that I was not prepared for. In no way was this the race directors fault. The race organization did a great job in coming up with an alternate when we couldn’t run the National Parks. I hope to go back and redeem myself on this one.
History lesson on the run!
I ran this race in 2011 in the rain and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The organization and planning is great. And as I write this review I am doing so … MORE
I ran this race in 2011 in the rain and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The organization and planning is great. And as I write this review I am doing so knowing I will be going back to run it again this year (2015). The course “runs” through 4 (yes 4) National Park lands. Harpers Ferry, Antietam, C&O Canal and the Potomac Heritage Trail and ends on the 50 yard line of the football field at Shephard University. Both the full and half marathons are capped at 1,000 runners. There is a generous time limit (7 hours for the full, 5 hours for the half). The races have separate start times so the field is a reasonable size. Aid stations are more than adequate but irregular in their distances. This is understandable due to limited access along some of the trails and it is clearly identified in the pre-race materials so you know what to expect.
The has numerous views and at least one “unique” characteristic…..you run across a footbridge (which is crosses a canal) and on the other side you “run” down a circular steel staircase. It was actually quite fun! The course is a mix of flat, rolling and HILLY terrain. Most is flat or rolling, the exception is the challenging portion through Antietam. And just when I was feeling sluggish and slowing down considerably, they started the rifle shooting demonstration! That surely added a bit of pep to my step!
Our hotel was very convenient, Shepardstown, WV is lovely and the area is full of the rich history of our great nation.