If you’re planning on running the Great Smoky Mountains Half Marathon and will be traveling, you are probably wondering where to stay. We are in the process of working with local hotels to negotiate special rates for runners. We will have more information on that soon. In the meantime, there are three main spots you will want to look at when making reservations.
The course starts in Maryville and ends in Townsend. We will also have shuttles worked out though we don’t have much information on them right now. So your obvious two choices are Maryville and Townsend. Both towns offer a variety of hotels, cabins, bed & breakfasts, etc. These are the two options closest to the race start and finish and to the entrance to the park.
These places will likely fill up. If that is the case, Knoxville is only a 45 minute drive away! Knoxville is a larger city than the other two and has more options. The distance isn’t much, especially since we will likely be starting the race a little later in the morning than our other races to get out of the fog.
One more place you might consider is Gatlinburg. Now, Gatlinburg isn’t for everyone. But if monster truck riding, hillbilly golf, and moonshine sampling are your thing, then Gatlinburg is the place for you! Only about 40 minutes from the starting line (or a little longer if you take the scenic route through the north part of the Great Smoky Mountains park.
We will post more lodging info as we get it all ironed out. Any locals have any recommendations on places to stay?