2026 Chessie Trail Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, & 26.2 Relay 2026
- Date
- Saturday, November 7, 2026
- Start time
- 8:00 AM start (New York)
- Location
- Lexington, Virginia
- Entry fee
- From $26 · goes up to $47 on Oct 1, 2026
- Included with entry
- Includes a shirt
Registration is open.
Likely to sell out. 143 finished the 10K in 2025, and this year's cap is 155.
We earn a small commission when you register through this link, at no cost to you. Details
Official race websiteAdd to calendar: Apple or Outlook · Google
Events and entry fees
| Event | Distance | When | Entry fee | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10K | 10K | Nov 7, 20268:00 AM | $41$47 after Oct 1, 2026 | 155 |
| 10K (With Valid Student ID) | 10K | Nov 7, 20268:00 AM | $28 | 50 |
| 5K | 5K | Nov 7, 20268:00 AM | $37$42 after Oct 1, 2026 | 155 |
| 5K (With Valid Student ID) | 5K | Nov 7, 20268:00 AM | $26 | 60 |
| Half Marathon | Half Marathon | Nov 7, 20268:00 AM | $63$74 after Oct 1, 2026 | 290 |
| Half Marathon (With Valid Student ID) | Half Marathon | Nov 7, 20268:00 AM | $31 | 120 |
| Marathon | Marathon | Nov 7, 20268:00 AM | $73$89 after Oct 1, 2026 | 200 |
| Marathon Relay | Relay | Nov 7, 20268:00 AM | $149$169 after Oct 1, 2026 | 100 |
| Marathon Relay (Valid Student ID Required-All Members) | Relay | Nov 7, 20268:00 AM | $99 | 40 |
| Marathon (With Valid Student ID) | Marathon | Nov 7, 20268:00 AM | $41 | 60 |
| VIRTUAL 10KVirtual | 10K | Oct 1, 20268:00 AM | $37 | – |
| VIRTUAL 5KVirtual | 5K | Oct 1, 20268:00 AM | $34 | – |
| VIRTUAL Half MarathonVirtual | Half Marathon | Oct 1, 20268:00 AM | $51 | – |
| VIRTUAL MarathonVirtual | Marathon | Oct 1, 20268:00 AM | $61 | – |
Entry fees exclude processing fees. Prices and dates come from the race's registration page and refresh nightly.
The 10K fee goes up to $47 on Oct 1, 2026.
Race day planning
Entry fee schedule
- 10K: $41 until Sep 30, then $47 until Nov 5.
- 10K (With Valid Student ID): $28 until Nov 6.
- 5K: $37 until Sep 30, then $42 until Nov 6.
- 5K (With Valid Student ID): $26 until Nov 6.
Online registration closes Nov 6, 2026, unless the race fills first.
How the price compares
At $73, entry is about 14 percent below a typical marathon in Virginia, which costs $85 right now.
Light and altitude
Sunrise on race morning is at about 6:49 AM, and the 10K starts at 8:00 AM. The start sits about 1,260 feet above sea level.
Fees exclude processing fees. Comparisons use current entry fees and published results from races nearby.
Start location and course
Chessie Trail-McKethan Park, Lexington, VA 24450
The pin marks the address the race lists, which is usually the start. The organizers have not shared a course map with us yet.
2025 results
All results (3 years)Half Marathon
10K
5K
Aggregated from official results (Run Roanoke) for 2026 Chessie Trail Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, & 26.2 Relay. Individual finisher names are not stored here.
How fast do you need to be at 2026 Chessie Trail Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, & 26.2 Relay?
At the 2025 Half Marathon, the fastest tenth finished in 1:40:30 or better, the top quarter in 1:51:45, and half the field in 2:07:48; the last tenth came in after 2:56:19.
At the 2025 10K, the fastest tenth finished in 51:23 or better, the top quarter in 57:32, and half the field in 1:03:18; the last tenth came in after 1:22:13.
At the 2025 5K, the fastest tenth finished in 23:11 or better, the top quarter in 29:28, and half the field in 34:09; the last tenth came in after 50:05.
| Age | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Under 20 | 1:59:09 | 1:59:31 |
| 20-29 | 1:38:05 | 1:27:15 |
| 30-39 | 1:43:39 | 1:47:12 |
| 40-49 | 2:05:55 | 1:39:37 |
| 50-59 | 2:04:12 | 1:42:01 |
| 60-69 | 2:25:45 | 2:19:12 |
| 70+ | n/a | 2:19:53 |
Groups with fewer than five finishers are left out. Awards vary by race; check the race's rules.
What would my time get me?
Where a finish time would have placed in 2025.
Finishers by year
Up 27 percent since 2023.
All events combined, from official results.
2026 Chessie Trail Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, & 26.2 Relay Half Marathon year by year
From 2023 to 2025, the field went from 206 to 259 finishers, and the median time rose from 2:05:29 to 2:07:48.
| Year | Finishers | Median | Fastest tenth | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 259 (-4%) | 2:07:48 | under 1:40:30 | 1:18:19 |
| 2024 | 270 (+31%) | 2:10:43 | under 1:42:44 | 1:10:47 |
| 2023 | 206 | 2:05:29 | under 1:44:00 | 1:18:47 |
From each year's official results for the Half Marathon; virtual options are left out.
How fast is it?
Faster than most US trail half marathons
The fastest quarter of the 2025 half marathon field finished under 1:51:45, against 2:16:23 in a typical US trail half marathon, so times here run 18 percent faster.
- 10K: About average for Virginia trail 10Ks. The fastest quarter of the 2025 10K field finished under 57:32, against 57:37 in a typical Virginia trail 10K, so times here are about average.
- 5K: About average for Virginia trail 5Ks. The fastest quarter of the 2025 5K field finished under 29:28, against 29:28 in a typical Virginia trail 5K, so times here are about average.
Compares the fastest quarter of each field, so walkers and first-timers do not skew it. It reflects the course and the field together: a flat course, cool weather, or a competitive crowd all make times faster.
Typical race-day weather
Around November 7 the day usually runs from 39°F at dawn to 63°F in the afternoon, with measurable rain on about 13% of days. Cold snaps dip to 29°F and hot years reach 73°F.
Based on 70 days within a week of the date over the last 5 years, from historical weather for the start area. Not a forecast.
Race details
- Where
- Chessie Trail-McKethan Park, Lexington, VA 24450Map
- Course
- Trail
- Start elevation
- About 1,260 feet
- Included with entry
- T-Shirt
- Distances
- 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon, Relay
- Editions
- 2026 (Nov 7, 2026), 2025 (Oct 25, 2025), 2024 (Oct 26, 2024), 2023 (Nov 4, 2023), 2022 (Oct 29, 2022), 2021 (Oct 30, 2021)
Organize this race? Add details or a correction
Plan your race
Quick answers
- When is 2026 Chessie Trail Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, & 26.2 Relay?
- Saturday, November 7, 2026, starting at 8:00 AM.
- How much does it cost?
- Entry starts at $26 before processing fees, and rises to $47 on Oct 1, 2026.
- When does registration close?
- Online registration closes Nov 6, 2026, unless the race fills first.
- Is the entry fee high for Virginia?
- At $73, entry is about 14 percent below a typical marathon in Virginia, which costs $85 right now.
- Do runners get a shirt or medal?
- Entry includes a shirt, according to the race's registration page. Check it for sizes and whether kids' races get the same.
- What distances can I run?
- 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, Marathon, Relay.
- How big is it, and how fast?
- In 2025, 259 runners finished the Half Marathon; the median finish was 2:07:48 and the winner ran 1:18:19.
- Does it sell out?
- It can. 143 runners finished the 10K in 2025, close to this year's cap of 155, so register early.
- Is it a fast course?
- The fastest quarter of the 2025 half marathon field finished under 1:51:45, against 2:16:23 in a typical US trail half marathon, so times here run 18 percent faster.
- Where does it start?
- Chessie Trail-McKethan Park, Lexington, VA 24450.
From the organizers
2026 Chessie Trail Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K & 26.2 Relay
November 7, 2026
www.runthechessie.org
11th Annual Run The Chessie!
Run America’s most spectacular rail trail! The Chessie Nature Trail has twice been voted one of the nation’s top three recreational trails. 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.