Via Marathon

The Lehigh Valley Health Network Via Marathon (LVHN Via Marathon) is a unique Full & Half Marathon, 5-person Team Relay, 5K Run, Kids Race & Via Walk. Bart Yasso, Chief Running Officer at Runner’s World Magazine designed the course and yes, a river runs through it; the Lehigh River to be exact. As Bart likes to say; it’s a course designed by a runner for a runner.

This net descent course starts marathon runners and relay teams at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown, PA. Maybe an odd location to start, but it’s easy to find and has plenty of parking. It’s a quick trip to the Lehigh Parkway, past the Fish Hatchery, across a covered bridge and heading towards the Lehigh River. At mile 7, you enter the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor. Mile 12 places you in Bethlehem, PA with a run through the 18th Century Industrial Quarter. Canal locks, a boat launch and several parks make up the run to Easton, PA. At mile 25, the confluence of the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers is right before you. Just 1 more mile places you at the finish line in Easton.

Scenic, shady and a net descent drop of 240’ make it an attractive qualifying run for the Boston Marathon. The average runner’s time for the past few years has been 4:02 hours. The half marathon starts half through the full marathon course and is run on the Bethlehem to Easton part of the course. The 5K Run, Via Walk and Kids Race are held at SteelStacks in historic south Bethlehem.