ROANOKE, Va. – The Blue Ridge Marathon brought a significant economic boost to the Roanoke Valley.
The race, combined with Freedom First’s Down By Downtown music festival, officials saw a record $1.6 million.
There were 2,800 runners, and more than half were visiting from out of town, which helped the local hospitality and tourism industry.
“We reached out directly to restaurants and hotels, different organizations that we work within the downtown area. And they said they had a noticeable uptick, not just people from outside the area, they had that but it encouraged people to come out and support not just the race but those businesses,” said Julia Boas, event director for Roanoke Outside Foundation.
This year, the event also brought in $10,000 for 14 different nonprofits.