Virginia Marathon

Virginia Marathon is a scenic Loudoun County road race that trades flat-course promises for horse-country scenery and honest climbing. The full, Merikos, half, 10K, and 5K share the same Middleburg base, but the marathon stands out as the hard option for runners who want rolling countryside instead of flat speed.

The marathon starts and finishes at The Hill School and runs through Virginia horse and wine country on paved roads with some gravel mixed in. The official race page is clear about the defining feature: the full marathon and Merikos go up Bull Run Mountain and back, pushing total gain past 3,000 feet.

Late March in Middleburg usually means a cool start, variable spring wind, and temperatures that stay manageable even when effort climbs. On this course, the hills matter more than heat, but damp roads or headwinds can make the mountain segments feel longer than they look on paper.