PRESS RELEASE

ST. JUDE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL NASHVILLE MARATHON & ½ MARATHON MAKES COURSE UPDATES FOR 2016 RACE

•  Marathon course will run through The Nashville Sounds’ First Tennessee Park
•  The Music City Challenge added to events
•  The Wallflowers to headline the Toyota Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert Series at Bridgestone Arena
•  2016 Race will take place on Saturday, April 30 with more than 30,000 runners

NASHVILLE, TN, – March 24, 2016 – Race organizers for the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon announce course updates for the 2016 race. The most significant change will be that marathoners will go into The Nashville Sounds’ First Tennessee Park and do a lap around the field. 

In addition to the changes listed below, the marathon and half marathon start time will be moved to 7:15 a.m. to accommodate the Music City Challenge. 

•  Marathon and half marathon start line moved from 5 Ave and Broadway to 8 Ave and Broadway.
• 5K start line moved from 4 Ave and Demonbreun St. to 7 Ave and McGavock St.
• Marathon and half marathon now turns right off Broadway onto 4 Ave instead of onto 1 Ave.
• Marathon and half marathon no longer turns left on 5 Ave, right on Korean Veterans Blvd and right on 6 Ave. New course will go straight up Demonbreun St. until a right on 7 Ave.
• Last year, the half marathon turned onto 7 Ave. off of Jefferson St. This year, it turns 5 Ave.
• This year, marathoners will go into First Tennessee Park and do a lap around the field instead of going straight down 5 Ave.
• Instead of working their way up to the Woodland Street Bridge on James Robertson Parkway like in years past, all runners will now utilize the Gay Street Connector and2 Ave.
• Marathoners will turn right off Woodland St onto 10St. Last year, they took Woodland to 12 St.

“We made some minor changes to improve the runner experience; however, the majority of the course will remain the same as last year,” explains Kevin Buffalino, Race Director.

Formerly known as the St. Jude Country Music Marathon, the event has been rebranded as part of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series for the first time in 2016 as the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon. The musically themed road race attracts more than 30,000 runners and walkers who will take on the 26.2, 13.1-mile and 5K courses, while passing many of Nashville’s best live bands performing along the route. In addition, 4,000 junior racers will participate in KiDS ROCK Nashville presented by YMCA of Middle Tennessee.

During the marathon, thousands of St. Jude Heroes will run for a reason, hoping to raise more than $2 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Over the event’s 5-year partnership, nearly $6 million has been raised for St. Jude

In addition, organizers recently announced a new addition to the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon schedule of events: The Music City Challenge.

The Music City Challenge will allow runners to tackle the 5K at 6:45 a.m. before making their way back to the start line to then run the marathon or half marathon. To show off their accomplishment, the runners will receive a 5K participant tee, a half/full participant tee, a 5K medal, a half/full medal and a bonus Music City Challenge tee. This bonus Music City Challenge long sleeve can be picked up at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series tent at the Finish Line Festival. 

Event weekend kicks off Thursday, April 28 with a free two-day Health & Fitness Expo at the Nashville Music City Center. All race participants will visit the expo to pick up their race numbers and browse over 100 exhibitors featuring free samples, the latest in running gear and sports apparel, as well as a series of interactive clinics.

Fifty of Nashville’s favorite live bands will perform along the course, interspaced with cheerleaders and themed water stations. Race weekend includes a post race headliner concert at the Bridgestone Arena Saturday night where participants and volunteers receive free admission. The event concludes on Sunday afternoon with KiDS ROCK Nashville presented by the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, where more than 4,000 junior racers from grades K-7 will complete the final mile of their modified marathon.

On Saturday evening, the race continues the strong tradition of great music combined with the premier running event in Tennessee as The Wallflowers take the stage for the Toyota Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert Series at the Bridgestone Arena at 7:00 p.m. 

The concert is open to the public and tickets are now on sale for $35.00. Tickets can be purchased at the Bridgestone Arena box office, TicketMaster charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.

For more information or to register for the event, visit RunRocknRoll.com/Nashville and follow the marathon on Twitter @RunRocknRoll with the hashtag #RnRNashville.

Free marathon, half-marathon and 5K training plans are also available online.

About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other deadly diseases. St. Jude has the world’s best survival rates for the most aggressive childhood cancers, and treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since we opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90 percent in the next decade. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs we make, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org or following St. Jude on facebook.com/stjude and twitter.com/stjude.

About the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & 1/2 Marathon

The St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & ½ Marathon will celebrate its 17 year running Music City on Saturday, April 30, 2016. Featuring many of Nashville’s best live bands on 28 stages along the route, the musically themed road race annually attracts more than 30,000 runners, walkers and junior racers. Saturday’s marathon and half marathon conclude with a nighttime Toyota Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert Series headliner performance by The Wallflowers at the Bridgestone Arena. Race weekend kicks off with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo on Thursday, April 28 and Friday, April 29. KiDS ROCK Nashville presented by YMCA of Middle Tennessee, a one-mile fun run for children K-12, takes place on Sunday, May 1. For more information, please visit RunRocknRoll.com/Nashville or follow @RunRocknRoll on Twitter with hashtag #RnRNashville.

Media Contacts:

Kim Dettwiller, (615) 330-5656, [email protected]

Dan Cruz, (619) 925-7671, [email protected]

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