Set for its 12th annual running here in this East Tennessee city that was once known as “Little Chicago” thanks to its reputed ties to the bootleggers of the Prohibition era in the 1920s, Johnson City’s Bluegrass Half Marathon celebrates a musical heritage whose roots run deep here in the Appalachian hills of Tennessee.
Bluegrass Half Marathon & Relay
Date
Sep 28, 2025
Starting Time
7:30 AM
Course
Road
Fees
$45 – $70
Location
Johnson City
Participants
100-500
Terrain
Some Hills
Environment
Small Town
Temperature
High: 76°
/ Low: 53°
Overview
Course Description
The 13.1-mile route for the half marathon follows what is roughly an out-and-back course through the streets of the city, starting at Founders Park, next to Oak Hill Cemetery near downtown
From there, runners follow the course first on a loop toward the area known as Mountain Home and around the Johnson City Medical Center, followed by a stretch that brings runners back around to the ETSU campus.
The race’s first several miles are largely flat with a few rolling hills, as runners enter the campus along Jack Vest Drive and follow the road around to the western end of the university’s Summer-Taylor Soccer Complex, where the ETSU Buccaneers men’s and women’s soccer teams play.
Once they make their way northeast through the campus, runners then head out into the downtown and residential neighborhood areas of Johnson City, heading out first along Pine and Maple Streets before starting a big, sweeping loop portion of the course along State of Franklin Road and University Parkway.
Past Results
