Charleston Distance Run 2026

The Charleston Distance Run is a 15-mile road race in Charleston, West Virginia, held annually since 1973. It begins at the West Virginia State Capitol on Kanawha Boulevard, departs the riverfront early, and presents runners with a nearly 2-mile ascent known as Capital Hill Punishment before a long, flat finish. The primary race commences in the morning and is open to participants age 12 and older, featuring a three-person relay and a flat 5K run/walk. The course winds through Charleston's downtown streets, across the South Side Bridge, and into the South Hills neighborhoods, following the Kanawha River to a finish at University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field. Don Cohen, a local ophthalmologist, initiated the race to coincide with the city’s Sternwheel Regatta; the regatta ceased, but the run persisted. The distinctive 15-mile distance originated from designing a course around local landmarks, rather than adhering to a standard race length, and the event is promoted as America's sole 15-mile distance run.