Here at last, on the shores of the sea, comes the end of our fellowship... Gandalf

When we formed the BMRC in February of 2006, we did so with a number of objectives. Some, like organizing events, came to be. Others, like holding lectures and seminars, never materialized. But, we never dreamed that some seven years later, we'd be hosting a wildly successful marathon, a popular 24-hour event, and two growing ultramarathons that run beside the Linville Gorge. These events have allowed us to not only showcase our area but to also allow us to meet many wonderful people along the way.

But like the "One Ring" wore heavily on Frodo Baggins, our club has steadily found itself crushed by the weight of its own success. While the events grew in size, for various reasons, many of our local members were moving out of the area. The many tasks necessary to put on the races was gradually falling on the shoulders of fewer people until it became too much to manage.

So, we made the difficult decision to dissolve the Brown Mountain Running Club.

However, we knew we did not want to let our events die without first exploring other options. The Ridge

to-Bridge Marathon will become "Peak-to-Creek Marathon" and live on under new management, guided

through the transition by race directors David and Rhonda Lee and with many of the same, knowledgeable

race-day volunteers. As of today, registration is still scheduled to open on June 1st. Watch this site!

We have two area running clubs interested in taking over Table Rock Ultras--Revolutions and Appalachian

Mountain Goats. Both are experienced race hosts and bring a lot of creativity and energy to this event. As

with the marathon, our key organizers will still be heavily involved this year's event. Registration is still

scheduled to open on July 1st.

The Freedom Park New Year's Eve Ultra is quite a challenge not only for the runners but to organize and execute. While it takes place on a one-mile loop track, it has been challenging to get volunteers on a holiday evening/morning and the time commitment is much greater than the 24 hours of the event. That said, we are still working to make this event happen in 2013, so if you were considering participating, keep checking this site or www.leetiming.com.

So while the BMRC may be boarding the white ships for the Grey Havens, the races live on.