Explore Park Half Marathon, 10K, & 5K
About this race
Introducing the Explore Park Half Marathon, 10K & 5K!
New Race. New Course. New Adventure.
Get ready to experience Explore Park in a whole new way!
Roanoke County Parks, Recreation and Tourism is excited to introduce a brand new running event featuring 5K, 10K and Half Marathon distances through the beautiful scenery of Explore Park! Collaborating with Fleet Feet Roanoke to bring the adventures of Explore Park to the run/walk community in the Roanoke Valley.
With the completion of the Roanoke River Greenway through Explore Park, we're celebrating this exciting addition to our region's outdoor recreation opportunities the best way we know how: by putting some miles on it!
Whether you're a casual walker, a weekend warrior, a seasoned distance runner or looking to squeeze in one last long run before the Blue Ridge Marathon, there's a distance for you.
The Course? A Little Bit of Everything.
Picture peaceful miles alongside the Roanoke River, scenic stretches of Greenway, beautiful natural surroundings and rolling hills that'll have you questioning your life choices. In the best possible way, of course!
It's the perfect combination of riverside beauty, runnable flats and challenging climbs that make running in the Roanoke Valley so special.
Choose Your Distance:
- 5K: A great opportunity for walkers, beginners and anyone looking to enjoy the scenery while getting some miles in.
- 10K: A little more distance, a little more adventure and plenty of opportunities to embrace the hills.
- Half Marathon (13.1): Ready to go the distance? Take on a scenic challenge that's perfect for runners looking to test their legs ahead of the Blue Ridge Marathon.
Whether you're chasing a finish time, building toward a bigger goal or simply showing up to enjoy the outdoors with your favorite people, this inaugural running event is all about celebrating movement, adventure and the incredible places we get to explore right here in our own backyard.
Three distances. One beautiful park. A whole new way to explore.
Come make some miles and memories with us at the inaugural Explore Park Half Marathon, 10K & 5K!
Registration opens soon!
Pick your distance
Running
Explore Park Half Marathon
Explore Park 10K
Explore Park 5K
Typical race-day weather
Based on 3 years of Open-Meteo archive data for this event's race dates in Roanoke, plus the 3 days either side.
The sun rises at 7:23 AM and sets at 7:31 PM local time (EDT) in Roanoke on March 20, 2027 — 12h 08m of daylight.
Course
No course map published yet.
The organizer hasn't released a route for this event, and we don't publish guesses. If you're the organizer, send us a GPX file and we'll draw the profile.
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Virginia's Blue Ridge Triple Crown & Bank of Botetourt Triple Crown Sprint Series
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🏃 Plan Your Next Race in Roanoke
Find upcoming events by distance:
- Roanoke 5K Races 11 races
- 10K Run Events in Roanoke 4 races
- Roanoke Half Marathons 3 races
- Roanoke Running Calendar 2026 26 races
Where this page comes from. Race details were last updated on . We re-check listings regularly and again in the week before race day.
- Entries, prices, waves and inclusions — the event's official registration page
- Temperature and humidity — Copernicus ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)
- Elevation and terrain relief — Copernicus DEM GLO-90, ESA (CC BY 4.0)
- Comparisons and counts — Race Discovery calendar, 28 Roanoke events
Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.