HF#11988

This is my current favorite when it comes to half marathons. A small half marathon that is sponsored by Jack Daniel's Distillery in the small Tennessee town of Lynchburg that will have you counting down the days until next year's registration that only stays open for maybe 24 hrs to fill the 1450 spots. The course goes around Lynchburg on country back-roads with nothing but rolling hills, cow pasture, and forest. There is one massive hill, Whiskey Hill, that is a vertical climb for over half a mile but once you are over, the course is rolling and mostly downhill if anything. The aid stations on route have a cheering contest that runners vote for at the end for who offered the best nutrition and support on the course. The race management group understands that Lynchburg is small and most runners travel in the wee hrs of Saturday morning to get to the race so packet pickup is mostly handled the morning of and there is no pre-race expo but the post race festival is probably like none you have experienced. Not only are you greeted at the finish with a unique wood carved and leather lanyard medal but you have plenty of refreshments and local, homemade, Southern treats available to sample and help you recharge. Also, Jack Daniels will custom engrave a bottle of their infamous Tennessee whiskey with the years finish medal and/or your name and official finish time. The biggest thing I would suggest to people is the hang around enjoy the festival because there is one road in and out of Lynchburg so enjoy your accomplishment rather then sitting in traffic and getting post race cramps and aches in your car.