"Half the distance but just as hard." The High Country Half Marathon is roughly the first half of the Grandfather Marathon which is considered one of the toughest marathons in the U.S. We've added some incredibly scenic views and a nice downhill at the end, which varies from the marathon, but make no mistake, the course is challenging! 100% of the proceeds will benefit Girls on the Run of the High Country.

Ron Rash is the author of the 2009 PEN/Faulkner finalist and New York Times bestseller “Serena,” “The Risen,” and “Above the Waterfall,” in addition to four prizewinning novels, including “The Cove,” “Saints at the River,” and “The World Made Straight.” Twice the recipient of the O. Henry Prize, he is also a Sherwood Anderson Prize recipient, received an Appalachian Book of the Year award for “One Foot in Eden,” and has been inducted into the South Carolina Academy of Authors.

Born in Lily, Ky., in 1971, Silas House is a New York Times bestselling author of six novels, including “Clay's Quilt” (2001), “A Parchment of Leaves” (2003), “The Coal Tattoo” (2005), “Eli the Good ”(2009), “Same Sun Here” (2012) and, most recently, “Southernmost” (2018), as well as a book of creative nonfiction and three plays.