This was one of the most challenging half marathon courses I have ever experienced and every year I come back to beat my previous time. The route is a point-to-point course beginning in Lenoir City, TN and ending in Loudon, TN. The Half Marathon has 768ft of elevation gain, but the Full Marathon boasts a whopping 1,365ft of elevation gain! Both Lenoir City and Loudon are historic towns set along the "Lakeway to the Smokies" in East Tennessee. You'll experience a lot of small town vibes as you pass teachers and small businesses along the course volunteering as course monitors and water station vols, high school bands playing, old downtown buildings, a cool red caboose, giant water towers, local historic landmarks, and the gorgeous Fort Loudoun Dam over Watts Bar Lake. The race finishes in front of the 2nd oldest courthouse still in operation in the US and an old ice cream parlor, which is cute. The local cheerleaders from the area hand out medals. The expo is low key and the swag bag is filled with goodies from the area businesses. Every person behind the race was super helpful answering questions and offering that good old Southern Hospitality.