Hillbilly Half Marathon

Saturday, September 29, 2018 • Leiper’s Fork, TN • Course Map Here in this region filled with green, rolling hills that lies virtually a stone’s throw from the Natchez Trace Parkway — the historic 444-mile-long highway that runs through Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi — this tiny village just outside Franklin plays host to the 6th annual running of the Hillbilly Half Marathon (known as the Franklin Half Marathon until 2015) just as summer is giving way to fall here on Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau region. The race is set to take runners on a big, sweeping out-and-back course through the country roads near Leiper’s Fork, an unincorporated village that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its preserved 19th-century architecture. Leiper’s Fork also lies on the Natchez Trace Parkway, now a National Park Service-designated historic highway that has been an important travel route for thousands of years, going back to the Choctaw, Chickasaw and Natchez native American tribes. Runners in the Hillbilly Half Marathon will start the race at the corner of Old Hillsboro Road and Floyd Road, and from there make a clockwise loop along Bailey Road, Bear Creek Road and Leipers Creek Road. After the stretch on Leipers Creek Road, the course brings runners back onto Old Hillsboro Road for the race finish back where they started. The inaugural race in 2013 was dubbed the “Hot, Humid and Hilly Half.” We will have plenty of runner support out there, but you should be prepared for heat, humidity and hills. It was also dubbed one of the most scenic courses as well — you will definitely be rewarded for the challenge ahead. The cutoff time for the race is 4 hours, which organizers note will be strictly enforced. The race also will be limited to the first 2,000 entrants, so runners are encouraged to sign up early. The Natchez Trace Parkway near Franklin, Tennessee. (Photo by Annette Keeler/flickr) Race Weather & Climate Located near the Natchez Trace Parkway in central Tennessee, about 20 miles south of Nashville, Franklin typically sees mild to warm weather in September, with moderate precipitation all year long. On race day (Sep. 29), the average low is 51°F and the average high is 78°F. Past Results 2017 Hillbilly Half Marathon Results 2016 Franklin Half Marathon Results 2015 Franklin Half Marathon Results 2014 Franklin Half Marathon Results 2013 Franklin Half Marathon Results Course Map See the race route map for the Hillbilly Half Marathon here. Starting Time 7:00 AM Fees $65 – $95 for the half marathon $30 – $45 for the 5K Registration To reserve your spot in the early autumn 2018 running of the Hillbilly Half Marathon at Leiper’s Fork, register online at Chronotrack.com here. Official Race Website hillbillyhalf.com Facebook Conversations Ever run in the Hillbilly Half Marathon? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below. [fbcomments] See more races in: September, Tennessee