Chessie Trail Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, & 26.2 Relay

Saturday, November 7, 2026 · 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

79 Mckethan Park — 79 Mckethan Park, Lexington, VA

Run America’s most spectacular rail trail! The Chessie Nature Trail was voted one of the nation’s top three recreational trails in 2023 & 2024. Situated at the southern end of the Shenandoah Valley, the seven-mile Chessie Nature Trail parallels the scenic Maury River and connects historic Lexington, Virginia, with the boom-town community of Buena Vista. The smooth, flat, and fast, gravel and grass trail runs along the former Chesapeake and Ohio rail line and parts of the earlier James and Kanawha Canal towpath. You’ll run 26.2 miles without ever having to cross a road, jump a curb, or pound your knees on concrete and asphalt. You’ll glide through an ever-changing landscape along the wild Maury River, through farmland and leafy canopies at their peak of fall color, past ruins of massive stone locks and dams. View wildlife from fish and ducks to rabbits, deer, wild turkeys, river otters, and even bald eagles (if you are lucky), feel the cool moist air as you pass small caves, and enjoy the serenity of a breeze rustling through a bamboo forest. A corps of the most dedicated and friendly volunteers you’ll ever meet has been working for 12 months to provide you with an unforgettable…