One of America's Toughest Marathons
Welcome to the website of the Grandfather Mountain Marathon! The marathon has been held each year (since 1969) during the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, one of the largest Scottish Games in America.
Registration for the 2020 Grandfather Mountain Marathon to be held on July 11th will open Tuesday, February 4th at 7am.
Home page header photo courtesy of the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation.
The Grandfather Mountain Marathon is a non-profit and all proceeds from this race will go to various Watauga County organizations, as well as the Appalachian State University Track Program. Thank you for your support!
This marathon begins in Boone, NC on the the track at Appalachian State University’s Kidd Brewer Stadium. The marathon then winds through the breathtaking NC Blue Ridge Mountains, over the Blue Ridge Parkway, and up long steep climbs to McRae Meadows where you will be greeted by the sound of bagpipes and an estimated 5,000 spectators.
This unique marathon will provide challenges that are overcome by the rewards.
General Information | The Course | Aid Stations | T-Shirts & Medals | Accommodations | Shuttle | Schedule-at-a-glance
Are you interested in running in 2019? Online Registration opens Tuesday, February 5th at 7:00 am.
Spectators – we have a list of locations where you can see your runner along the course and information about attending the Highland Games at the finish line.
We can’t run a race without volunteers. Find out how you can help us before, during and after the race.
Online registration opens Tuesday, February 4th at 7:00 am EST for the 53rd running of the Grandfather Mountain Marathon on Saturday, July 11th, 2020. The race is limited to the first 400 entries; however, the Grandfather Mountain Marathon does not fill up until around the middle of June. Be sure to read through the site …
The 2019 results (overall and age groups) are now available. Thank you for running our race this year and we hope to see you next year!
The 2018 Overall and Age Group results are now available!
