Black Mountain Marathon takes center stage

Icy weather cuts Mount Mitchell Challenge short

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
February 26, 2022

A light drizzle fell on downtown Black Mountain before the sun came up, Feb. 26, as hundreds of runners gathered at the intersection of Cherry Street and Sutton Avenue, facing the towering mountains to the north. 

But a 40-mile race to the top of Mount Mitchell wouldn’t happen, as the precipitation over the valley came down in the form of ice and snow at the 6,684-foot peak, forcing all participants to compete in the Black Mountain Marathon. 

The 24th Annual Mount Mitchell Challenge and Black Mountain Marathon began with an announcement that runners would have an opportunity to reach the top of the mountain, but race officials announced on social media that a closure of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a little less than two hours after the race began, would force all participants to run the 26-mile marathon. 

Both races follow the same route up to the parkway’s Black Mountain Overlook, where Challenge runners typically continue to Mount Mitchell and Marathon participants turn back to finish at Lake Tomahawk. Weather conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic have kept the event from reaching the summit since 2019.

While the marathon course is shorter, the race features nearly 3,000 feet of elevation gain, taking runners through much of Black Mountain, Montreat and along steep mountain trails. 

Leading the 311 runners for much of the way was Mac Dean, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, who jumped out early and held the advantage until a stumble in Montreat allowed Weaverville’s Evan Narbugh to take the lead. Narbugh would go on to finish first in the Black Mountain Marathon with a time of 3:28.40, while Dean finished in 3:29.01. After the race, it was determined that Narbugh inadvertently took the wrong route in the final two miles, and Dean was declared the winner. Andrew Laramore, of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, rounded out a tightly contested top three with a time of 3:29.48. 

The top female finisher was Paige Witherington, of Penrose, who completed the run in 3:39.33. Another Chattanooga runner, Martha Clemmer, took second place among the female athletes, finishing in 3:44.03. Representing Clayton, Amy Ross-Johnson finished third among women runners with a time of 3:55.40.

Black Mountain resident Alice Freeman was the top finisher of the female masters runners, posting a time of 4:42.04, while Eddie Posey, of Easley, S.C., captured first place in the male masters class.

Photos of the Black Mountain Marathon can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.