Moonlight on the Falls - Marathon
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Moonlight on the Falls Marathon : Blackwater Falls State Park
Moonlight on the Falls is the 6th Annual overnight running event held August 29-30, 2026 at Blackwater Falls State Park in Tucker County, West Virginia. The event emphasizes a destination experience with a festival-like packet pickup and pre-race gathering featuring live music, vendors, and food.
Distances offered:
- Marathon - 26.2 miles
- Half Marathon - 13.1 miles
- Quarter Marathon - 6.55 miles (USATF-certified)
- Distance Challenge - team and solo options to run multiple laps
The certified course is a mostly out-and-back route beginning and ending at Pendleton Point. The quarter consists of one loop, the half two loops, and the marathon four loops; the Distance Challenge allows participants to run as many loops as they choose. Due to trail conditions in 2026 the course will not descend to the falls; starts and finishes are on the grass at Pendleton Point and the course is designated stay right. There are aid stations positioned for four hits per lap at approximately 1, 3.1, 5.4, and 6.55 miles; each aid station will have two porta-johns, with additional portos at the Lodge and Blackwater Falls. Distance Challenge participants may set a personal aid station on the first/last mile.
Packet pickup is scheduled Friday evening and Saturday evening at Pendleton Point. Someone else may pick up a packet with the entrant's confirmation and ID; cell signal is poor in parts of the park. The event includes an expanded parking and shuttle plan with frequent van departures from the Lodge and one-way traffic patterns on North Park Road. Participants are required to wear hi-vis vests and use a headlamp or other forward visible light for nighttime running. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
