Salem Half Marathon goes virtual this year

The Salem Half Marathon/8K race, an annual tradition held throughout the City of Salem, will be held virtually this year, giving competitors 16 days — from Oct. 3 through Oct. 18 — to complete the race at their exercise location of choice.

Roanoke College has teamed up with Salem Parks and Recreation to offer free participation to the first 100 students who use the code ROANOKE to sign up. T-shirts will be available for pickup on Oct. 10.

“These races had to go virtual due to COVID-19 concerns, so we wanted to help get our students, faculty and staff involved in supporting this great event and get some people out to explore the City of Salem Greenway and get some exercise,” said Tom Rambo, associate dean of student affairs and director of campus safety.

Grab a friend or head out solo to explore the trails and greenways Salem has to offer, or compete through the beautiful neighborhoods that surround campus. Participants are asked to post a time and compete for top placement in various age groups. Running not your speed? Walking the half-marathon or 8K is an option.

Roanoke College has a special competitor this year — our very own President Mike Maxey. The president can often be found taking long walks around campus, so he is sure to bring his A-game!

Registration deadline is Oct. 18. If you have questions, please contact: Tom Rambo, at rambo@roanoke.edu; Joe Boucher, director of student activities, at boucher@roanoke.edu, or SGA President Senn Boswell ’21 at ssboswell@mail.roanoke.edu.