Montvale is a great trail system in old growth forest. It really is a gem and when not filled with racers, it is a great place to see all kinds of wildlife. The 5 mile course will start after the creek crossing on the Creekside Trail taking this to the …
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Montvale is a great trail system in old growth forest. It really is a gem and when not filled with racers, it is a great place to see all kinds of wildlife.
The 5 mile course will start after the creek crossing on the Creekside Trail taking this to the access road, continue on the access road to where Beale’s treasure intersects it, then take Beale’s Treasure, right, to a left onto Easy Street, Water Stop at the Quarterwood parking lot, Easy Street to Ridgeline, Ridgeline to Coyote Ridge, at the end of Coyote Ridge you will take a left onto Cliffhanger, Cliffhanger back to the creek, then, over/through the creek to the finish at the pavilion.
Approximately 5.2 Miles
The 10 mile course follows the 5 mile course above, but at the end of Coyote Ridge you will take a right, where you will go out for a 2nd loop of the above. Then at the end of Coyote Ridge, the second time you will take a left onto Cliffhanger, Cliffhanger back to the creek, then, over/through the creek to the finish at the pavilion.
Montvale Park is a newly created park in Bedford County, just behind the Montvale Elementary School.
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Small, friendly, runnable: do it!
The Montvale Trail Races are the 3rd in a series of 6 run in the Roanoke area to highlight local trails and provide non-ultra trail races. I'll be honest, I … MORE
The Montvale Trail Races are the 3rd in a series of 6 run in the Roanoke area to highlight local trails and provide non-ultra trail races. I’ll be honest, I loved this little race. I know a lot of people that run the RNUTS (Roanoke Non-Ultra Trail Series), and speak highly of Mountain Junkies (the production team).
I’ve never run these trails, nor in Bedford County, VA at all — the park seems to be a somewhat recent addition, and in addition to the trails, there’s a new playground – that’s quite big, and a shelter. The trails were awesome — packed earth, not super technical, there seem to be a system of overlapping trails. I think one could get lost out there, although there was also a lot of signage.
The race itself has 10 milers (running two loops) and 5 milers (running one loop). Registration is capped at, I think, 250, and is between 20 and 35 dollars based on distance and timing. It was a really well-marked course, and a friendly volunteers. We were crowded at the start, but within a mile we spread out nicely. If you’re a 10 miler, note that the 5 milers start in a second wave, and the fast ones will be coming to pass you.
Bottom line: cheap, friendly, competitive, runnable, do it.