RAILWAY RACES

Presented by Aetna

Celebrating a New Frontier in the WNC Running Community

September 12, 2026

The wait is over! The inaugural Railway Races presented by Aetna are coming to Hendersonville, North Carolina! The Ecusta Trail has opened a brand-new chapter for Western North Carolina, and now you can be part of the celebration from the very beginning. Join us for this inaugural event and experience the historic railway in a whole new way as runners and walkers come together on one of the region’s newest community treasures.

REGISTER

This event would not be possible without the generous support of Aetna. With a long-standing commitment to helping people live healthier lives, Aetna focuses on building stronger communities through wellness, support, and accessible care. Their mission aligns perfectly with what we’re all about—bringing people together to move, connect, and feel their best.

why you'll love this event:

Register before August 16th and get a FREE Bella Canvas race shirt! After the deadline, shirts are available for $25
All finishers receive a custom inaugural finisher medal
One-of-a-kind awards for overall and age group winners
Professional chip-timed event
A well-marked course with GPS route available
Complimentary race photos

The Course

Whether you’re taking on the timed 5K or joining the one-mile fun run/walk, both courses offer a welcoming race-day experience on the scenic Ecusta Trail. Beginning and ending at the Hendersonville Welcome Center, participants will enjoy a smooth paved greenway, gentle grades, and an easy-to-follow out-and-back route designed for all ages and experience levels.

5K

Start Time
7:30 AM

VIEW GPS ROUTE

1 Mile

Start Time
7:35 AM

VIEW GPS ROUTE

Proudly Supporting Bike.Walk.HVL

Whether you bike to work, walk your neighborhood, or simply want safer streets for your family, Bike.Walk.HVL is helping make that vision a reality. As a volunteer-driven nonprofit, they work year-round to advocate for safer pedestrian crossings, connected greenways and trails, bike-friendly infrastructure, and active transportation opportunities for the entire community. The Railway Races are excited to help raise awareness and support their mission. Every donation helps continue the momentum toward a safer, more connected place to live, move, and explore.

LEARN MORE

Frequently Asked Questions

All event details can be found on our registration page. Simply click "register" on this page and you will be taken to Race Roster, our registration partner.

Once you register, we will remind you about important details prior to the race. We send an email and text message the week before the event. It will contain a link to our interactive event guide that has everything you need to know in one place.

If you have a question and can't find the answer, we are here to help! Send us a message or email us at support@idaph.net.

Stroller friendly? No problem! This event is stroller friendly, but we do ask that if you’re not in it to win it, please start towards the back of the pack for the safety of all the participants. However, if you’re a competitive parent-child duo, and plan to be out front the entire race to win overall, feel free to start up front and show us what you’ve got!

Dogs allowed? The Railway Races are dog-friendly. Dogs are permitted but must be on a short leash at all times. Participants are responsible for their pets and must yield to other trail users.

Did you register to participate in person but can’t make it on race day? You don’t have to miss out! You can transfer your registration to the virtual event at any point before the start of the race. In the virtual event, you’ll run anywhere you like, post your results, and have your swag mailed to you after the event.

TRANSFERS: All participants can transfer into the virtual version of their event up until the start of the event. Send a message to support@idaph.net to request the transfer. There will be no refunds for the price difference between events. Transfers that occur within seven days of the event will cost $10.

Transfers between participants are prohibited. Participants who run with another runner's bib will be automatically disqualified and bandits will be banned from future iDaph events.

REFUNDS: We have a small, but mighty team that is working on all the details to produce this event safely for you and everyone in our community in attendance. We are incurring the expenses for production well before the day of the event, and we will not be able to provide a refund to you should you want to cancel your registration, or if the event itself has to be canceled due to a change in the status of the pandemic, weather, an act of god, or other unforeseen circumstance.

CANCELLATION: In the event of an unforeseen circumstance, such as an emergency, an act of god, not receiving approval of final event permits or a change in public health guidelines that results in the inability to have an in-person event, we reserve the right to cancel the event and automatically convert all in-person registrations to the virtual option. Should this occur, your swag will be mailed to you free of charge.

DEFERRALS: We do not allow deferrals from race to race. If you're unable to make it on race day, you may switch to the virtual option.

WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

Spend the Weekend

An Authentic Mountain Destination

If you're not from here, you're going to love visiting here. Experience the thrill of running or cycling amidst the breathtaking beauty of Western North Carolina, where the rugged mountains and pristine landscapes set the stage for an unforgettable adventure. We invite you to make our event your ultimate destination race. Our Visitor’s Guide features lodging options, airport info, and the inside scoop on what to see and do while you’re here.

View our Visitor's Guide