Beer City 20k relay draws runners, boosts Asheville tourism

The Beer City 20k Relay turned New Belgium Brewing and the French Broad River corridor into a busy race-day hub Saturday, drawing runners, spectators and out-of-town attention to one of Asheville’s most visible event districts. With Asheville still leaning on sports tourism and festival traffic to support hotels, restaurants and breweries, the relay showed how a local race can ripple beyond the finish line.

The 5th annual Beer City Relay started at 9 a.m. May 23, 2026, with the first wave, the solo 5K and the solo 10K all going off from New Belgium Brewing at 21 Craven Street. Early packet pickup was set for Friday afternoon and evening at Mountain Running Company, and race-day packet pickup began at 7:30 a.m. at New Belgium. The event offered team-of-four relay, team-of-two relay, solo 5K and solo 10K options, making it accessible to both competitive runners and people looking for a lighter entry into Asheville’s race scene.

The course ran along the West River Arts District Greenway, started and ended at New Belgium, and included a water stop near French Broad River Park. Organizer Leslie Grotenhuis of Kick It Management described the setting as part of the appeal, saying New Belgium sits on the banks of the French Broad River and that the relay is a flat course along those banks. That riverfront setting has become more than scenic backdrop. It is increasingly being used as a stage for events that keep visitors circulating through the River Arts District, downtown and nearby businesses.

Race results show the event had meaningful turnout. The solo 5K drew 127 finishers, the solo 10K had 28, and the team 20K relay posted 115 total racers. In the 2-person mixed category alone, 22 teams took part. Those numbers help explain why Asheville event planners keep returning to the Beer City model: it is broad enough to pull families, serious runners and relay teams, but concentrated enough to drive foot traffic around a single anchor site.

The relay also fit into Asheville Beer Week 2026, giving breweries and hospitality businesses another weekend of activity in a market where timing matters. WNC Magazine said a portion of each entry fee was donated to Consider Haiti, adding a charitable layer to an event that already works as a low-cost, community-friendly tourism draw. In a city still rebuilding its event economy after Hurricane Helene, New Belgium’s riverfront role was on full display: not just as a brewery, but as a landing point for a growing sports-and-hospitality corridor along the French Broad.