The Oak Barrel Half Marathon course starts just off the square in Lynchburg, Tennessee and winds through rural Moore County Tennessee and passes the Jack Daniel’s Distillery. The course finishes the 13.1 mile loop on the Lynchburg town square. Lynchburg sits at the low point of a beautiful, picturesque valley, …
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The Oak Barrel Half Marathon course starts just off the square in Lynchburg, Tennessee and winds through rural Moore County Tennessee and passes the Jack Daniel’s Distillery. The course finishes the 13.1 mile loop on the Lynchburg town square.
Lynchburg sits at the low point of a beautiful, picturesque valley, and because of this, the race course does include a few hills. Since start and finish locations of the race are essentially at the same elevation, any hills that you get to climb, you also get to descend.
Understand, that because Lynchburg sits in a valley, the race course incorporates a few hills. The scenic beauty of Moore County; however, will far outweigh any of the challenges presented by the hills. This will NOT be a flat and fast personal record setting course but hopefully will be a fun and memorable race.
As promised the course includes a few hills. Most of the altitude required to get up on the ridge above town is gained in a little over a mile. In addition to that one major hill, the course includes few rolling hills but none that are significant. After mile 9, the course is either a shallow downhill grade or flat to the finish line.
Things to know about the course:
– This is NOT a flat course
– There is one character building hill (Whiskey Hill) that starts at about mile 4.
– Whiskey Hill is a gradual climb for about a mile. The last little bit of it however gets very steep. The steep part is very short.
– There is one other hill that is very short.
– There is a gradual downhill section that runs from about mile 9 to 12.
– The last mile is flat.
Note: Regular (non-charity) registration sells out within hours, so interested runners should plan to register on opening day.
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Beautiful Whiskey Farm Country
Whiskey Hill is no joke. The first half is rolling hills with Whiskey Hill as well but the back half is mostly downhill to flat. Jackets were nice but they … MORE
Whiskey Hill is no joke. The first half is rolling hills with Whiskey Hill as well but the back half is mostly downhill to flat. Jackets were nice but they didn’t have them all delivered in time so MANY had to be mailed to individuals later.
Great race and awesome after party!
Yes, there is Whiskey Hill (and that’s a challenge) but who doesn’t love a bit of a challenge? Gently rolling hills after mile 4 and a beautiful run! And the … MORE
Yes, there is Whiskey Hill (and that’s a challenge) but who doesn’t love a bit of a challenge? Gently rolling hills after mile 4 and a beautiful run! And the after party is one to behold! The community is SO warm and welcoming. I LOVE this race!
Not for a PR! But absolutely awesome.
This race is wonderful. But it is capped at 1500 runners and registration sells out in a couple of hours. Registration opens in October so you have to be ready … MORE
This race is wonderful. But it is capped at 1500 runners and registration sells out in a couple of hours. Registration opens in October so you have to be ready to sign up.
The race itself is great. But as the website says, it’s not a race for a PR. The race has the famous Whiskey Hill which will test your metal if you don’t want to walk. The last 50 meters or so of the hill, I am pretty sure I could have walked faster than I was running.
The race starts and finishes in downtown Lynchburg, home of Jack Daniels. The town is only a few blocks long so 90% of the race is on rural roads. You’ll run past fields, horse farms, sporadic homes, and beautiful Tennessee countryside.
The race has a water station contest. All of the water stations really come out and support wonderfully. Your race bib has a ticket to vote for the best water station after your run. I voted for the little kids dressed up as super heroes. 😁
The good news about running up Whiskey Hill, which starts at about the 3.8 mile mark, is after you run the Ridgeline, you get a lot of downhill on the back half of the race.
After your race you get a hat and socks, on top of the wooden finisher medal. And the food and atmosphere at the finish line was also awesome. Grilled cheese and Hoe Cakes!
And every race Bible is personalized and the announcer at the finish line does an awesome job calling out every name as they come across.
Only warning about the race: the entire town shuts down from 8-12 for the race. Don’t plan on leaving quickly when you’re done. The same road closures that supported you are still in place to support everyone else.
We popped into a bathroom, freshened up, and explored the downtown shops that were all open. We left about five after 12 and drove away easy.
Great race. Would definitely do it again!
Fun, tough, course
Oak Barrel lives up to its hype. The course is beautiful that almost makes you forget about the hills. Whiskey Hill is "The Beast" of hills. I have ran many … MORE
Oak Barrel lives up to its hype. The course is beautiful that almost makes you forget about the hills. Whiskey Hill is “The Beast” of hills. I have ran many a races with hills galore but this one… oh buddy, it’s long and steady; but it is satisfying when you reach the top. The rest of the course has gentle hills and some bank turns but nothing too bad. I will continue to run this race yearly.
Fantastic!
Awesome swag but the after race party was incredible! Food, drinks, music…so much fun! Whiskey Hill was intimidating but if you can’t run it, you walk it! MORE
Awesome swag but the after race party was incredible! Food, drinks, music…so much fun! Whiskey Hill was intimidating but if you can’t run it, you walk it!
Just do it!
Whiskey Hill is no joke I plan on being more prepared next year. Stunning scenery and the whole race is beautiful! I will be doing this again many times! MORE
Whiskey Hill is no joke I plan on being more prepared next year. Stunning scenery and the whole race is beautiful! I will be doing this again many times!
Beautiful tour thru rural Tennessee
The Mach Tenn track club from Tullahoma puts on an excellent half marathon with sponsorship from the Jack Daniels distillery. 2020 was delayed until late October and the fall colors … MORE
The Mach Tenn track club from Tullahoma puts on an excellent half marathon with sponsorship from the Jack Daniels distillery. 2020 was delayed until late October and the fall colors had started. The start and finish were in Lynchburg but the course winds thru farm country. The water stations were numerous and had themes, runners could vote for their favorite after the race. The tech shirt was very good quality and the 2 sided medal was made from an oak whiskey barrel- the OBH initials on it are also parsed into the race length, 13.1, pretty clever. Whiskey Hill is a fun feature that gives everyone something to talk about. I am glad I was part of the 845 lucky people running the race.
Challenging with Beautiful Scenery
The Oak Barrel has great middle TN scenery, wonderful swag, and an awesome after race food party. Whiskey Hill is a butt kicker to tackle but creates a great sense … MORE
The Oak Barrel has great middle TN scenery, wonderful swag, and an awesome after race food party. Whiskey Hill is a butt kicker to tackle but creates a great sense of accomplishment when you reach the top. The April race date in TN can be either warm or some years it can snow. It snowed at the start in 2018. The locals are wonderful and it’s a well organized race.
Country Roads
You must register on the day it opens, as SOON as it opens or your chances of getting in are limited! Set your alarm to their local time at 0600 … MORE
You must register on the day it opens, as SOON as it opens or your chances of getting in are limited! Set your alarm to their local time at 0600 and be ready! It sells out QUICK! I was able to make it in through a charity position that costs a bit more, but is not an unheard of race price! I cannot stress this enough!
The weather was a bit chilly for this race, but I was so glad it did not rain as it had the whole day prior! Parking was a bit far for this reason ( arrive early and get a spot right next to the finish), but the Tennessee hospitality shone through when a business owner in town was shuttling people back to their parked car after the race!
The course was GORGEOUS! There was always a beautiful view to behold! The water stops were fun, enhanced by a competition they have for Best Water Stop! Post-race food was so wonderful! I was so cold and to have hot soup, grilled cheese, hot corn cakes (hoe-cakes) and chocolate milk was so appreciated! The medal is wood, so unique =)
You also have the opportunity to tour the Jack Daniels Distillery. If you want to do this “GO EARLY”. You can book a tour online and be reimbursed when you shown your bib. I believe it is a discount, not free. And you can purchase certain sized bottles and have them engraved, again “GO EARLY”. the line for this was crazy and although I purchased a bottle of Gentleman Jack, I was unable to wait for the engraving.
The town is small and very cute! I stayed in an airbnb in Lynchburg and will do it again. There is not tons of local options, so book early and cancel if you don’t get in or book as soon as you get in! Although it was COLD and I was basically alone for this race (my husband is my cheer section and couldn’t get an early enough flight) it is probably one of my favorites thus far. State 30/50 and 43 lifetime.
Gorgeous Race
This was fantastic! I rented a house in the middle of downtown Lynchburg. The start line was literally right outside the front door, the packet picket was a three minute … MORE
This was fantastic! I rented a house in the middle of downtown Lynchburg. The start line was literally right outside the front door, the packet picket was a three minute walk behind the house. The course was beautiful, weather was perfect- warm & overcast, but no rain. The course is on a road, which was closed for the race. Whiskey Hill was not as scary as I thought it would be, but it was still tough. The course is slightly hilly. The “Medal” ( a carved piece of barrel) is wonderful- it smells faintly of wood smoke & whiskey. Usually it’s freebies or nothing with me (there were free tech socks & a tech long-sleeve shirt. both are excellent), but I’m glad you could buy commemorative bottles of whiskey. Means you can buy as many as you like/ can afford. I got two, with laser etching. “13.1 MILES, AND ALL I GOT IS THIS EMPTY BOTTLE!” and “I RAN 13.1 MILES AND GOT JACK!”
Visiting Lynchburg makes a neat weekend vacation, as Jack Daniel’s Distillery offers tours, 7 days a week. Definitely worthwhile.
Great race!
Pros: -Beautiful course, well organized, hospitable volunteers -Nice swag, from the wooden medals, three quarter zip long sleeve shirt, socks, and post race visor (you could get a hat instead), … MORE
Pros:
-Beautiful course, well organized, hospitable volunteers
-Nice swag, from the wooden medals, three quarter zip long sleeve shirt, socks, and post race visor (you could get a hat instead), this race had some of the best swag
-Great post race food too!
-Small-ish (around 2500 runners I believe). Enough to feel like there were others around, but never crowded.
-Free parking close to race site (but arrive early)
Cons:
-Fills up FAST. Registration is open in October, don’t miss it.
-Whiskey Hill is no joke (But it’s mostly down hill after), I was amused that speakers were playing Dueling banjos midway up.
-Hard to find a place to stay in Lynchburg if you are a poor planner (i.e.- don’t be me. But Tullahoma to Lynchburg was an easy drive on race morning)
Bottom Line: One of my favorite races, I hope to run it again in the future. I loved every minute of it minus about 30 seconds when I thought I was at the top of Whiskey Hill only to realize it was actually a switch back that got steeper. Even if you are not a whiskey drinker, take a tour of Jack Daniels. It’s interesting and informative.
Overlooked southern gem
I don't remember how I found out about this race, but I do remember what made me sign up: the medals. They're made of wood and very detailed. I wasn't … MORE
I don’t remember how I found out about this race, but I do remember what made me sign up: the medals. They’re made of wood and very detailed. I wasn’t disappointed. It begins in the sleepy town of Lynchburg, Tennessee and enters the woods on paved roads. Around mile 5, you’ll crest Whiskey Hill, and from there it’s mostly downhill back to the start. You’ll run on hilly, country roads and see a spectator or two before finishing. Age group awards are pieces of whiskey barrels and the Jack Daniels museum is right in town. Very southern, very charming.