Join the only race in Kentucky that runs through 4 Central Kentucky horse farms. The Pisgah Farms & Furlongs Half Marathon celebrates the beautiful and historic community where champion thoroughbred horses are bred, trained, and live. The 10K runs through WinStar Farm; the Half Mare-athon course runs through Ashview Farm, …
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Join the only race in Kentucky that runs through 4 Central Kentucky horse farms. The Pisgah Farms & Furlongs Half Marathon celebrates the beautiful and historic community where champion thoroughbred horses are bred, trained, and live. The 10K runs through WinStar Farm; the Half Mare-athon course runs through Ashview Farm, Buck Pond Farm, and WinStar Farm.
The race is being orchestrated by residents and members of the Pisgah Community Historic Association. 100% of the proceeds and donations from the race will benefit our mission of preserving this historic community.
The Pisgah Community Historic Association is an incorporated non-profit established for the purpose of providing services to the Pisgah community. Those services include, but are not limited to, the analysis and documenting of historic sites in the Pisgah community for the educational advancement of the State of Kentucky and furthering the protection from destruction and encroachment in Pisgah’s historic sites as recognized by the Woodford County Fiscal Court, the Kentucky Heritage Council, and the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, those services include educating the general public as to the importance of preserving the natural beauty and health-giving benefits of the Pisgah community, deemed a local, state, and national treasure.
The Pisgah Historic Agricultural District was placed on the National Historic Register in 1987. It is one of the very few such districts in the U.S. and is the largest in Kentucky.
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Beautiful Race and Excellent Production!
Transportation: I drove the 8 hours from North Carolina, so I had my own vehicle. My family was supposed to take a weekend trip to visit my in-laws in Kentucky, … MORE
Transportation: I drove the 8 hours from North Carolina, so I had my own vehicle. My family was supposed to take a weekend trip to visit my in-laws in Kentucky, which was about an hour and a half from the race. My husband was unable to go at the last minute due to work, so I met his parents so they could spend a few days with the kids. I stayed overnight for the race and drove back to NC right after.
Hotel/lodging: Home2 Suites Lexington Keeneland Airport, about 20 minutes away from the race site (Ashbrook Farm). It was conveniently located and super clean. Check-out was at 11 a.m. I highly recommend this hotel!
Pre-Race Expo/Packet Pick-Up: No expo, but packet pick-up was held the day before (12-6 p.m.) at the Pisgah Presbyterian Church, about a mile away from the race site. The volunteers were all really nice and helpful, and a few horses near the parking area added to the overall vibe. Race day packet pickup was an option, but we were encouraged to pick it up the day before if possible.
RACE: Honestly, I was initially aiming to do the Run the Bluegrass half-marathon earlier in May, but I was busy that weekend. I had read so much about some of the bigger or well-known races in KY, but I really like smaller races with easy logistics and good scenery. It had only two reviews on Race Raves, but both rated it highly; then I checked out the Facebook page and loved the pictures! As cheesy as it sounds, I felt like this was the race I was supposed to do for Kentucky, so I signed up.
Difficulty: The course was definitely not flat, although it was pretty fast! Surprisingly, I PR’ed and came in first in my age group😳 With over 800 feet of elevation change, it was pretty hilly, but rolling hills are expected on horse farms in Kentucky. I would definitely recommend Hill training for this course, but it wasn’t bad, and the scenery more than made up for it.
Scenery: Absolutely beautiful horse farms and rolling hills. The course ran through four horse farms- Ashbrook, Newtownnanner Stud Farm, Winstar Farm, and Buck Pond Farm. 5.2 of the 13.1 miles were through the farms, with 833 feet of elevation change. Winter Farm was my favorite, but they were all incredible, especially with how Green and lush everything is this time of year. It felt like something out of a storybook in some areas!
Production: There were 182 runners in the half-marathon. The start time was at 6:45 a.m. I left the hotel at 5:55 a.m. and parked at 6:15 a.m. Parking was on site, right by the start/finish- my favorite!
Communication was great! I received a few emails with details about race-day logistics/timeline, packet pickup, and FAQs. Also, on Wednesday before the race, I emailed the race director because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it and inquired about a possible deferral. She was prompt and understanding. I ended up talking to her after the race, and she was just as nice in person. I really appreciated her kindness, especially considering how busy she was right before the event!
There were plenty of water stations and bathrooms throughout- we passed a total of 12 hydration stations along the 13.1 miles. There weren’t really any spectators, but the volunteers were encouraging as we passed.
Swag: Included a gender-specific shirt (women’s was a somewhat fitted V-neck of a poly-cotton/rayon blend). A long-sleeve dry-fit quarter-zip, hats, and a sweatshirt were sold at packet pick-up, but the shirt was the only swag included in the race cost. I honestly don’t care about swag, though. All I want is a decent shirt I can lounge or possibly run in and a medal. And I loved the medal!
Sightseeing/Extras: I didn’t explore Lexington, but driving along the horse farms was so pretty! I passed by the Kentucky Castle (I initially had no idea what it was lol), which is apparently a boutique hotel and event space. I would’ve booked a tour had I known about this place beforehand- I love stuff like this! If you have the dough, you could stay here and only be a few minutes away from the race!
This is an absolutely beautiful race!
This race is absolutely beautiful with actual ranch owners volunteering. You get to run through 4 different horse farms. This is a smaller race but it is definitely one I’ll … MORE
This race is absolutely beautiful with actual ranch owners volunteering. You get to run through 4 different horse farms. This is a smaller race but it is definitely one I’ll run again!
Absolutely stunning course & hills!
This was their inaugural race and did not disappoint. From traveling out of state, the communication was excellent. We had no issues whatsoever from packet pickup to face morning to … MORE
This was their inaugural race and did not disappoint. From traveling out of state, the communication was excellent. We had no issues whatsoever from packet pickup to face morning to awards to breakfast. There were lots of rolling hills but it really won’t bother you because the horses are so majestic you just stop and look. I took two videos and tons of pics while running this half. Tons of volunteers and easy to follow, lots of Gatorade, water and port a potty stops. Incredible photographer who sends you the photos of start, finish and in between for FREE. Gorgeous area and course, light breakfast at the end. No swag or goodies but I bet there will be next year! Shirts and medals and awards are all amazing. We are looking at making this a yearly run!