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“For a marathon, it’s definitely the hardest one I’ve ever run,” said Thor Johansen of Prescott Valley, Arizona.

Saturday was Johansen’s second time running the race. He’s competed in nearly a dozen marathons as well as some ultra marathons, but he considers the Blue Ridge Marathon the toughest.

Johansen said the challenge is what has drawn him to compete in the marathon previously as well as this year. It was a sentiment shared by several other runners on Saturday.

“I just love pushing myself to the max to see what I’m capable of,” said Jonathan Ladson of Woodbridge.

Ladson was one of 19 runners who participated in “The Full GOAT” which includes a 10K, half-marathon and full marathon raced virtually between April 4 and April 11 as well as competing in the double marathon and a 5K on Sunday.

Runners competing in the double marathon started at 1 a.m. Saturday morning to get both races in before streets opened back up to traffic in the late afternoon.

The top runner in Saturday’s marathon was Eli Roberson of Stuart with a time of 2 hours, 56 minutes, 23 seconds. Second was Noah Eisenberg of Arlington with a time of 3:02:58 and third was Joshua Goad with a time of 3:09:31.

The top female finisher was Emily Sharp of Germantown, Maryland with a time of 3:17:42. Second was Amy Johnson of Clayton, North Carolina, with a time of 3:18:22 and third was Sarah Glenn of 166su with a time of 3:24:39.

The difficulty of the course is mostly due to its location, according to event organizer Kait Pedigo. When early plans were drawn up for the path of the race nearly 20 years ago, organizers had to plan a course in a city surrounded by mountains.

“We knew we couldn’t have a flat race course,” Pedigo said. “So we decided to lean into the difficulty.”

The marathon has an elevation change of 7,430 feet with runners climbing over Mill Mountain and 166su Mountain as they push to reach 26.2 miles. While difficult, the course boasts several overlooks while traversing the mountains that provide a view of the city from above.

Pedigo said no other road course in the country has the same amount of elevation change as the Blue Ridge Marathon. Even the event’s half marathon boasts an elevation change of 3,790 feet.

For those who choose to take on the challenge, Pedigo said they should come with an expectation that the difficulty of the course will slow them down. She estimates that most runners finish times will be 10 to 30 minutes slower than previous marathons.

“We are all about completing rather than competing,” Pedigo said.

Allison Pennell of Greenville, South Carolina, said she was noticeably slower in her marathon run Saturday. She admitted the race was challenging, but was also one of the most beautiful of the marathons and ultra marathons she has competed in.

“It lived up to its title,” Pennell said of the marathon. “Those last two miles definitely hurt.”

Sean Workowski of Fincastle also admitted to feeling some pain after Saturday’s race. He said it is not just the climbing that got to him.

“The downhills are just as bad because they trash your quads,” Workowski said.

Workowski was another one of Saturday’s competitors in the double marathon that started at 1 a.m. He said it was his third time doing the double, the other two times were before the race became official in 2017. Before then, it was just a small group of runners going out on the course on their own.

“It’s a great community event,” Workowski said. “You are out there in the dark running with a bunch of people.”

Pedigo said more that 2,500 runners signed up to race on Saturday in either the marathon, double marathon, half marathon, 10K race or the 5K race known as the Slow K is held on Sunday. The number of participants were in line with previous years, she added.

In Elmwood Park on Saturday, runners breathed a sigh of relief as they crossed the finish line. Several were met by cheering friends and family as they gingerly began to slow to a walk after hours of running.

“It’s been incredible,” Pedigo said of the event. “The crowds have been awesome and the runners have been amazing.”