A weekly conquest of Roanoke's star hill helps get over the hump of the workweek.
First thing in the Morning
Mill Mountain Mornings [mmmornings] is a pedestrian collective that meets every Wednesday at 6am at Piedmont Park in Roanoke, Virginia. We run, walk, skip, and bike up the hill via the Old Road (aka the hard way) to the star and then loop back down on the parkway to the river.
The route is roughly 5.25 miles long and involves around 825 feet of elevation gain. The meeting spot is adjacent to the Roanoke River Greenway, which makes it easy to add any number of miles prior and/or after the run.
Starting at 6am means that we're up and climbing before the sun rises most of the year. This makes for some inspiring scenery as the sun meets us halfway on the hill. It also means that we can still make it to work on time— having already climbed the mountain that many Roanokers see on the horizon throughout their day.
Join Us
Erh... well, join me. For now.
A Roanoke native, I recently moved back after 10 years away from home. The last six of those years were spent in Charlottesville, where I made many friends through many running clubs. Most were brewery-based; you could (for a time) run with a different beer club every day of the week.
I wasn't a morning person until I was invited to run the streets with a group that was to become the Prolyfyck Run Creww. Their formation changed what I thought about running, community, priorites, and alarm settings. I miss the group, so I started running this hill the same time / day they run their hills— so we're still together in spirit. I'd love for you to join me. It's encouraging to [voluntarily] struggle alongside others and makes it easier to get out of the house when it's cold.
—adam