More than 1300 runners from around the country and locally are set to participate in the second running of the Great Smoky Mountains half marathon presented by Vacation Races, Saturday, Sept. 12. The race begins at 7:30 a.m. near Heritage High School on Old Walland Highway near Tuckaleechee Pike and goes south alongside the Little River before finishing at the lot next to the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend.
“It’s a pleasure to have Vacation Races return for a second year,” said Blount Partnership Tourism Director Kim Mitchell. “After the success of last year’s inaugural race with over 800 runners, the participation in this year’s event has exceeded our expectations. These races have been successful around other national parks, so it’s no surprise how well this has been received.”
Mitchell also noted that there are runners from 38 states and three foreign countries signed up for the race. In fact, 27 percent of the participants last year were visiting the Smoky Mountains for the first time.
Spectators are welcome at the start and finish lines. Even though race viewers are not allowed on Old Walland Highway, there are two bridge locations where the runners are visible. The first is at Melrose Station Road near mile two and the second at East Millers Cove Road near mile three.
Registrants can pick up their bibs and gear at the race expo Friday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., at Heritage Park (125 Townsend Park Road) in Townsend. Online registration continues through Friday evening at www.greatsmokymountainshalfmarathon.com. The cost is $120 per individual. There is no on-site registration the day of the race.
To encourage runners to enjoy the park, Vacation Races also offers race hikes and a Trifecta challenge. Runners that reach the Chimney Tops Trail summit within 72 hours of the end of the race receive 50 percent off next year’s race entry fee. Completing the Trifecta, which includes visits to Cades Cove, Laurel Falls and Clingman’s Dome within 72 hours of the race’s end, get 20 percent off next year’s entry fee. To be eligible, runners must send Vacation Races a picture of themselves with a clear view of their face, bib number and finisher medal.
Vacation Races began in 2012 and conducts seven races annually around a different National Park with a goal to get people to visit and enjoy the natural surroundings. Currently, half marathons are held at Zion National Park, the Grand Canyon, the Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Rocky Mountains and Lake Powell.