Blue Ridge Marathon claims nearly $500,000 economic impact

Roanoke’s mountain marathon and half-marathon spurred nearly a half-million dollars in economic impact last month, according to a survey of the runners. The $476,000 in direct and indirect spending by 1,684 runners in the April 20 Foot Levelers Blue Ridge Marathon and Half Marathon — and their friends and family who traveled with them — is up 26.3 percent from last year, according to the survey by Roanoke Regional Partnership and Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission. The race was in its fourth year, and was the biggest yet, up 77 percent from 2012, a partnership news release said, and benefitted from being listed among the toughest marathons in the world in several national publications. Runners traveled from 38 states, primarily in the southeast, as well as Canada, Germany, England and Ethiopia. Nearly half of the runners who responded to the survey said they stayed in town for at least one night, and about the same number brought others with them on the trip.

by Matt Chittum POSTED 2:53 p.m.

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