The Run

Where is Ray?

Finished! 

Goal

Run the entire length of the Blue Ridge Parkway, 469 miles.

Photograph it, video it, blog it. Our goal is to make a journey along this scenic ribbon like none other ever attempted.

Hope

Explore and celebrate every twist, turn, nook, and cranny of the Blue Ridge Parkway and document it with photos, videos, blog posts, and on social media. This is the Centennial Year of the National Park Service--every park should be celebrated!

The Bigger Goal

Raise awareness and support for the Blue Ridge Parkway. That's "The Relay" part, encouraging individuals and business across the region to donate to the Parkway, volunteer for the Parkway, and even participate in the run. See The Relay for more details.

Runner

Dr. Ray Russell is Founder and President of RaysWeather.Com and an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Appalachian State University. In 2014, he created BRPWeather.Com, a custom weather service for the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Ray lives near the Parkway close to Bamboo Gap, east of Boone, NC. He has traveled almost every mile of the Parkway. He is on the Board of the Blue Ridge Parkway Association and is Co-chair of the High Country Chapter of the Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Ray is also a runner. He was a runner earlier in life, but began again in 2009. In the past 6 years, he has run 10 marathons (26.2 miles) and numerous races at shorter distance. His personal best marathon was in 2015, 3 hours, 22 minutes, 33 seconds. Among the 10 marathons completed, Ray has run the following Major Marathons: Boston Marathon (3 times), Berlin Marathon, New York Marathon, and Chicago Marathon. His "bucket list" goal is to run all the Major Marathons and has only Tokyo and London remaining to complete that goal.