LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — It only took a couple of hours for the 2026 Oak Barrel Half Marathon registration to sell out last October but there is some good news for those still interested in running in April. According to the Mach Tenn Running Club’s Melissa Miller, there are still around 65 charity slots remaining.

Here’s how a charity slot works. Head on over to the 2026 Charity Slot Sign Up page by clicking here. All charity slots cost $140 each and 100 percent of that money goes to a local charity. Once you successfully sign up for a charity slot, organizers will email you instructions. You’ll then mail in a check already made out to your choice of one of the three designated charities for the 2026 event: the Moore County Resource Center, Middle Tennessee Spay and Neuter Clinic, or Moore County Friends of Animals. Charity slots are transferable. Regular registration is not transferable or refundable. Once your check is received, you’ll be added to the official entry list for the 2026 Oak Barrel Half Marathon.

The popular annual event brings hundreds of runners to Lynchburg each year. The 2026 race date will take place on April 4. The organizer will host two Whiskey Hill preview runs. The first will happen on Sunday, February 22 and the second will take place on Sunday, March 8. Interested runners should gather at Woodard’s Market at 10 a.m. for a seven-mile run that includes Whiskey Hill. The Market is located at 1415 Fayetteville Highway in Lynchburg.

The Mach Tenn Running Club hosts the event annually and the majority of the funds raised go back into the race but any remaining funds are donated to Lynchburg charities and other regional non-profits. For more information, visit the Oak Barrel Half website by clicking here or check out the event’s Facebook page by clicking here. •

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