The Blue Ridge Marathon is still weeks away but as the runners continue their training, those behind the scenes are working hard as well.
The Burton Center for Arts and Technology offers its students a more-hands on approach to education.
Chris Overfelt's students are learning firsthand how to get a big project done, hand-making all the trophies for the Blue Ridge Marathon.
"It teaches them a little about production and welding procedures and using the settling torch, basically from nothing to a finished product, just like they would in industry," said Overfelt.
And even though they're students, the school will be paid for their services. After all, a lot goes into making these silver trophies made from actual rail road spikes.
"We go through cutting the circles, from there we clean the circles up, take the railroad spikes, cut the end off the pointy part, round them off on the belt sander," said Overfelt.
From there, Overfelt's class bends the spikes into the shape of a runner in what's called an iron worker and welds bent nails for the arms and legs.
Then they're cleaned up, quality checked and painted.
For these young men, it's a great opportunity but most importantly they say it's a lot of fun.
The students are making around 200 of the trophies.
About 2-thousand people will be running in the April 23rd race.
