The Maggie Valley Moonlight Race got a publicity boost this month.

Running Journal, the premier running magazine for the Southeast, featured the Moonlight Race on the cover of the magazine along with a full-page article and the race results inside. The Maggie Valley Moonlight Race is held each August along the main drag through Maggie Valley.

In its heyday, the Moonlight Race attracted upwards of a thousand runners, including some of the elite runners in the country. The Maggie Valley Visitors Bureau took steps this year to reclaim that status. Part of that plan was contracting with a professional race organizer, Wendy Johnson of Motion Sports Management, to conduct the race and publicity.

Mary Lou Day, the long-time editor and general manager of the Running Journal, personally covered the race. Next year, the Maggie Valley Moonlight Race, an 8K, will be included in the Running Journal’s Grand Prix series.