St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & Half Marathon

Saturday, April 27, 2024 • Nashville, TN • Course Map

Runners start their race in front of downtown Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, the “Mother Church of Country Music,” at the St. Jude Country Music Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K, which saw more than 20,000 runners, walkers and wheelchair racers cross the finish line in all races combined last year, including more than 18,000 in the half marathon alone.

The race — which was first run in 2000, added the half marathon distance in 2002 and became part of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series a few years ago — follows a point-to-point course that starts off with a gradual uphill for the first few miles, which unfold through downtown Nashville and then head south, passing by the campus of Vanderbilt University.

From there, the unfolds along a hilly and sometimes challenging route, with plenty of rolling hills throughout both the full and the half marathon courses, and ends on the other side of the Cumberland River that cuts through the city, on the grounds of the Nashville Stadium and LP Field, the home field of the NFL’s Tennessee Titans.

Along the 13.1 miles of the half marathon route, participants will encounter much of what makes the city a destination for country music lovers around the world — in recent years, the first mile of the race along Broadway has featured live music for the entire length of the mile.

The next few miles — which head into residential areas south of downtown — feature the longest uphill stretch of the half marathon, a gradual climb that peaks in the Belmont neighborhood around mile 4. That’s followed by a downhill stretch over the next couple of miles and then an equally gradual downhill descent in the second half of the race.

The rest of the race will also have live music and entertainment, thanks to what organizers say will be hundreds of cheerleaders from area high schools stationed along the route, as well as dozens of bands blasting all kinds of music out for the runners — including country, rock, blues, jazz and more — as they pass by one of more than two dozen stages along the course.

The final couple of miles bring runners past the Tennessee State Capitol building and Bicentennial State Park before they head over the bridge at Woodland Street, to the finish line at LP Field.

Runners (and walkers and wheelchair racers) will have a 4-hour course time limit for the half marathon and a 6-hour time limit for the full marathon.

Race Weather & Climate

Located near the center of the northern part of the state, along the banks of Tennessee’s stretch of the Cumberland River, the city of Nashville typically experiences mild to moderately cool weather in the spring (and sometimes cold, especially in the mornings) with occasional showers.

  • April 27 average low temp: 53ºF
  • April 27 average high temp: 71ºF

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

See race website

Fees

  • $65 and up – half marathon
  • $75 and up – full marathon
  • $55 and up – 6.15-mile
  • $35 and up – 5K

Registration

To reserve your spot in the spring 2024 running of the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon or Half Marathon race, register online at Active.com here.

Official Race Website

runrocknroll.com/nashville

Comments

Ever run in the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Half Marathon? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.

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3 comments… add one
  • sabeita Hoyos July 9, 2021, 12:54 pm

    Hello, I paid for the Nashville, TN 1/2 Marathon in 2020 but it never took place instead now moved to 11/20/21. Please let me know what I need to do to secure my place for the upcoming race. Also, can I change the name of my application and put my son’s name instead?

    Reply
  • Carlina Freeman-Paredes October 27, 2020, 9:09 am

    I need to deferred my registration to next year.

    Reply
  • Clifford Schultz September 24, 2020, 7:22 am

    Do you have a date for the 2021 Nashville half marathon?

    Reply

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