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Virginia Creeper Marathon race photo

Virginia Creeper Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Virginia Creeper Marathon race photoAbingdon
US
CCMotacilla · CC BY-SA 4.0
Race date in 178 days
Apr 4, 2027 Sun
City · Distance
Abingdon · 42.195km
Entry fee
$15Varies by event and entry period
Status
OpenTBD ~ Sat, April 3, 2027See how to enter ↗
Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 8, 2026
Virginia Creeper Marathon race photo
CC
Virginia Creeper Marathon race photo
Motacilla · CC BY-SA 4.0
About the raceRunner storiesHow to enterCourseRace PrepTravel
Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

About Virginia Creeper Marathon — what makes it special

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

Open throughout the entire Creeper Trail in Abingdon, Virginia.

It is a small competition with no unnecessary details.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Virginia Creeper Marathon runner reviews and race reports

Stories from those who ran it first.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 1
Brian CaryRan in 2023
“My goal was simply to train for AND finish the race without injury.”

The runner trained for three months for a first marathon and completed the 26.2-mile Virginia Creeper Trail without injury.

Read the original on Brian Cary

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

The Virginia Creeper Trail in 5 MINUTES

JoyfulTrails

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to enter Virginia Creeper Marathon — registration routes

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

Marathon

Entry cost $15

Virginia Creeper Marathon · until Apr 3, 2027 · subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page
Official race websiteEntry options
From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Virginia Creeper Marathon course map and elevation

The 42.195km I'll run

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 08:00
EventStart
Marathon42.195km08:00
START

Virginia Creeper Trail Abingdon Trailhead, Abingdon, Virginia

Start · Google Maps
FINISH

Virginia Creeper Trail

Abingdon Trailhead, Abingdon, VA

Finish · Google Maps
Show more

Virginia Creeper Trail, a former railroad corridor that reopened as a trail in 1989

There is one event: the Virginia Creeper Marathon.

Start line is located at the Virginia Creeper Trail–Abingdon Trailhead in Abingdon, Virginia, with an 8 a.m. local start.

Course is an out-and-back on the same trail.

Typical race-season temperature: around 11°C (52°F)
Short sleeves or light long sleeves + arm warmers
Aid stations
Every 3–3.5 miles, water, sports drink, snacks, and homemade snacks are provided

Participant benefits

Water stations

Marathon

Aid stations

Marathon

Where and when to collect your Virginia Creeper Marathon race bib

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2026 edition
Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the start

No train/subway/bus service to the venue — Abingdon, VA has no passenger rail or transit service.

Start/finish is on the Virginia Creeper Trail at the Abingdon Trailhead, 300 Green Springs Rd, Abingdon, VA —

an out-and-back trail race with turnarounds at Alvarado Station Trailhead and Watauga Trailhead.

Access is by car only.

Getting to the finish

Same as start.

Same as start — no transit access, car only.

More details

No organizer shuttle mentioned;

described as a low-key, low-frills event run by the State of Franklin Track Club.

Source · checked Aug 23, 2026
READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

The Virginia Creeper Marathon takes place on the Virginia Creeper Trail, a former railway line converted into a trail.

The route began as the Abingdon Coal and Iron Railroad in the 1880s and changed ownership several times.

After the final train service ended in 1977, it reopened as a trail in 1989.

The nickname “Creeper” is said to come from the story that the train was so slow that passengers could get off to pick berries and still catch it again.

The event is promoted as a low-key, low-frills local race, with an entry fee reportedly around $15.

Aid stations are placed every 3 to 3.5 miles and provide water, sports drinks, snacks, and homemade food.

Since the route follows a gently graded former railway rather than steep mountain trails,

many runners find comfortable running shoes sufficient instead of specialized trail shoes.

Times are local to Abingdon. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Hotels near the Virginia Creeper Marathon start line in Abingdon

Hotels that make race morning easy

7 places

Distances are straight-line from the start/finish area.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

The start and finish are in the same place
We picked stays around that one spot.

Holiday Inn Express And Suites Abingdon, An Ihg Hotel

Hotel · 739m

8.9/10(164)
View on Booking.com

Swipe sideways to see more hotels.

View on map →

Time for you, before and after the finish

1 experiences

Rest a little, wander a little.
Pick what suits you and whoever you're with.

Eating well is part of the tripA meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.View on mapSeeing Abingdon with the medal onThe city you ran — this time, a little slower.View on map

Hotel distances are straight-line from the start. Distances and ratings for food and sights come from the place provider, and experiences are travel products in Abingdon.

Total cost and budget for Virginia Creeper Marathon

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

ChecklistLocal eSIM · YesimFlight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelpPace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

Runner stories and questions about Virginia Creeper Marathon

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Abingdon runners' room

Frequently asked questions about Virginia Creeper Marathon

FAQ
When does Virginia Creeper Marathon 2027 take place?

It takes place on Sun, April 4, 2027 in Abingdon, VA, United States.

How much is the Virginia Creeper Marathon 2027 entry fee?

The main event costs $15.

What distances does Virginia Creeper Marathon 2027 offer?

Marathon.

What time does Virginia Creeper Marathon 2027 start?

The race starts at 08:00.

Where does Virginia Creeper Marathon 2027 start?

Virginia Creeper Trail Abingdon Trailhead, Abingdon, Virginia.

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