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After cancelling its April event due to COVID-19, the St. Jude Rock n’ Roll Marathon has been rescheduled for November 20

St. Jude Rock n’ Roll Marathon has been rescheduled for November 20, 2021.

Sharing in a release, “After assessing all event scenarios, we are pleased to share the 2021 St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & ½ Marathon, has been rescheduled for November 20, 2021.”

“We thank our participants for their commitment and look forward to providing them with an exceptional event experience later this year as they continue to pursue their goals,” continued the release.

No further updates have been shared in regards to entertainment. In addition, there’s no news on if the Health Expo Center will be available at Music City Center as was previously announced.

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by Donna Vissman

2021 Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon has been postponed again

After being postponed in 2020 before being officially cancelled altogether, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & ½ Marathon has met the same fate in 2021.

Race officials announced on Wednesday that the event, which was originally scheduled for April 24-25, has been moved to the fall due to COVID-19 risks. A likely target date for the rescheduled event could be Nov. 20-21, the same date the event was rescheduled for last year.

The race, which starts on Lower Broadway and wraps up near Nissan Stadium, usually draws about 30,000 participants and has a $40 million economic impact, according to Nashville Sports Council President and CEO Scott Ramsey.

“While this is a disappointing way to start the year, officials from Rock ‘n’ Roll and the City of Nashville feel confident the event will be better positioned for a strong return,” an official statement from the marathon read.

“Based on Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville utilizing Nissan Stadium as a key venue for the event, the new Fall 2021 race date is dependent on the Tennessee Titans home schedule and thus will be confirmed and communicated as soon as the NFL schedule is available for us to work through with host city officials and stakeholders.”

The race may be scaled down to accommodate local health and safety guidelines. All participants registered for the 2021 race will be receiving an email with further details. Hendersonville’s Scott Wietecha has won the race each of the last seven years.

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Participants able to take part in St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Nashville despite cancellation

Despite not being able to physically join each other at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon and ½ Marathon start line for the first time in over 20 years due to the recent impacts of Covid -19, the Rock ‘n’ Road Trip will bring Broadway to the global running community, offering five different distances to highlight one of the most iconic Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series destinations.

Following a virtual stop in Vegas that saw over 10,000 participants lace up for Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Las Vegas, the Rock ‘n’ Road Trip makes its way to Nashville providing participants a virtual tour of Music City. St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Nashville will offer participants a Marathon, Half Marathon, 6.15K, 5K, 1-Mile and Remix challenge options to participate in. Registration for the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll VR Nashville remains open and available for FREE to the entire global community from Nov. 20 - Nov. 22. All Rock ‘n’ Roll® Virtual Running™ (VR™) Series races during the Rock ‘n’ Road Trip begin weekly on Fridays at 5 a.m. ET and close Sundays at 11:59 p.m. ET with participants being able to compete in the virtual tour stop anywhere, indoors or outdoors, as long as the distance of their choosing is completed in one session.

“While we were all looking forward to once again providing in-person racing options in Nashville, the Rock ‘n’ Road Trip on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Running Club platform continues to provide the global running community a way to be competitive, stay active and engaged in what makes our event locations so special,” said Elizabeth O’Brien, Managing Director for North America at the IRONMAN Group.

“The virtual Rock ‘n’ Road Trip will provide participants both in Nashville and across the globe an option to channel the best of what Music City has to offer.”

Nashville InspiredRock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Club participants are encouraged to be Nashville inspired in their virtual activities and share photos and videos on social media by tagging #RnRVRNashville. Don’t live along Broadway, no problem. Here are several reasons why we love Nashville as well as some Rock ‘n’ Roll Road Trip prep on how runners and walkers can experience the best of the Country Music Capital in their own communities.

Music every step of the way: The race features 26 stages featuring the same bands every year so runners can look forward to friendly faces and familiar tunes. Les Kerr has even played at Stage 1 with his band Les Kerr and The Bayou Band every year for the event’s 20-year legacy. There is more live music at this event than most other races, including at the Expo and at the Kid’s Race. Find a local concert venue and run past with your best tunes on, like the sounds of Nashville were just around the corner.

Run 32 Laps for All 32 Honky Tonks: Make your miles count, the miles you run correspond to the bars Nashville is famous for. So, queue up some country, bluegrass, and blues and crank out those kilometers as you pass the likes of Nashville Underground, Tequila Cowboy, Paradise Park and Tin Roof Broadway, among the 32 iconic Honky Tonks lining Broadway in downtown Nashville.

A Marathon for Music Nuts: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville course, both 13.1 and 26.2 miles is a perfect run for the inner music lovers. Runners pass numerous famous recording studios, such as Dolly Parton’s rehearsal studio. Other highlights include running past the spot where Elvis Presley recorded “Ask Me” and “Memphis Tennessee,” and hearing the entire Belmont Church Choir serenade you from the steps of the church. Crank up the inspiration and high tail it past your favorite running locations as if you were running past a slice of music history. 

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The Rock 'n' Roll Nashville Marathon and Half Marathon scheduled for Saturday has been canceled due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the area.

The 21st annual event, which starts on Lower Broadway and finishes at Nissan Stadium, originally was scheduled for April 25, but was postponed because of the pandemic.

In October, race officials announced the event, which routinely draws about 50,000 participants and spectators, would be scaled down this year and not include the 6.15-mile run, 5K, 1-mile run/walk and Doggie Dash.

On Monday, however, the announcement came that the race has been canceled altogether and will return April 25, 2021.

Ironman, owner of the marathon, released a statement:

"In meetings leading up to the event, the regional safety and health authorities were satisfied that the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series’ proposed health and safety measures were well designed, and that participants, staff and the wider public would have been sufficiently protected from potential COVID-19 transmission. However, following a recent increase in cases across the greater Nashville region, we regret to share that the Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville event cannot take place in 2020."

Registered participants of the 2020 Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon and Half Marathon will receive an email with further details.

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The 2020 St. Jude Rock 'n' Roll Nashville Marathon & 1/2 Marathon has been moved to Nov. 21

The 21st annual race originally was scheduled for April 25. It was postponed on March 18 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Officials released this statement Tuesday:

"We appreciate the continued patience of our participants since our last update. Over the past weeks we have worked diligently with various host city partners to determine potential options and secure a new race date. After assessing all event scenarios, we are pleased to share the 2020 St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & 1/2 Marathon, has been rescheduled for November 21, 2020."

All registered participants of the event will receive an email with further information. The marathon and half marathon annually draw about 30,000 participants along with more than 20,000 spectators.

The starting line is on Lower Broadway, and the finish line is at Nissan Stadium for both races. 

Hendersonville's Scott Wietecha has won the last seven Nashville marathons.

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Rock N Roll has added a 6.15 mile distance to their Nashville program

Hometown area codes have become a cultural point of pride.

Now, Nashville's 615 pride is also a race distance.

The Rock 'n' Roll race series has announced that it's adding another event. A new 6.15-mile event will join the marathon, half-marathon and 5K distances, along with the kids fun run, for a weekend of Rock 'n' Roll running fun in Nashville.

It comes in honor of Nashville's beloved area code.

The 6.15-mile race will take place alongside the 5K on April 25 at 6:45 a.m. They will be followed by the marathon and half-marathon at 7:15 a.m.

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Organizers for the St. Jude Rock ‘N Roll Marathon have added a new 6.15 mile course distance to the April weekend run series

Along with the St. Jude Rock ‘N Roll Marathon, half-marathon, and additional distances, there will be a new 6.15 mile route through Nashville, giving runners of every level an opportunity to join in.

“There really is a distance for everyone!”

The new route will follow parts of all three run courses, touching upon the 5K, half-marathon, and full marathon courses.

The 6.15 Miler will start at 6:45AM on Saturday, April 25th, at the 5K starting line at the corner of 8th and Demonbreun Street downtown, and end at Nissan Stadium, crossing the main finish line with every other run.

The April 25th and 26th St. Jude Rock ‘N Roll Marathon weekend offers: 26.2 mile Marathon, 13.1 mile half-marathon, 5K, 6.15 Mile, 1 Mile, Kids Rock, Doggie Dash.

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by Derry London

Scott Wietecha won the St. Jude Rock and Roll Marathon for the seventh time

Scott Wietecha was greeted at the finish line by his family as he won the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon for the seventh straight year.

Wietecha’s wife handed him his medal after finishing the race in 2 hours, 34 minutes.

“You always want to win because people are rooting for you and it’s so much pressure,” Wietecha said after the race. “Any time I can get it done and win. I got 12 more months I can relax.”

More than 30,000 people ran the race. Organizers estimate more than $2 million was raised for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Last year Wietecha got pushed late because he had to take a bathroom break between miles 18 and 19.

This year he chose to slow down because he thought he had a more comfortable lead than he actually did.

"Someone told me I had about a three-minute lead so I said, 'Umm, three minutes, I can kind of chill,'" Wietecha said. "And then I was feeling sorry for myself because of all the hills; I hate hills and these hills were brutal."

Not long after that Wietecha was told Wilson was closing in on him and only about 20 seconds back.

Wietecha did not panic. The slower pace had helped him regain his energy and he had plenty left for the final two miles.

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Six-time winner Scott Wietecha won´t let injury get in the way from going for seventh straight Nashville marathon win

It's not as difficult to predict the winner of the 20th annual St. Jude Rock 'n' Roll Nashville Marathon, which will take place two days later also downtown on the third day of the draft.

Six-time winner Scott Wietecha missed several key weeks of training with an injury but said he recovered just in time to go for his seventh consecutive win in the 26.2-mile race that winds its way through the city before finishing at Nissan Stadium.

Wietecha, 37, has been so dominant in the race that he won last year even after taking a late bathroom break.

His six wins have come by an average of more than nine minutes. 

But he has never missed as much training as he did this year after suffering tendinitis in his ankle. He had to stop running in the middle of December and didn't start back until the middle of February.

After starting back, Wietecha, who is the cross country coach at Beech, came down with the flu and then a stomach virus that cost him more training time.

"I've had five good weeks of training since all of that," Wietecha said. "I was actually in pretty good shape in the fall before the injury. I tried to do some cross training while I was hurt like underwater running at a local pool. It was helpful but it's not the same as running. So I'm still trying to catch up."

Catching up hasn't come as quickly for Wietecha as it did in the past.

"I don't know if it's age or whatever, but something I've noticed over the last few years is that it's a little bit tougher to come back," he said. "I feel like I can still get there, just not as quickly, and I have to be more careful with smaller things. I feel like if I have eight good weeks before the marathon I should be in a pretty good spot."

If he hadn't been injured Wietecha said he would be running a total of between 110-115 miles per week at this point. He is several miles under that.

"I'm still a little quite a bit behind of where I want to be," Wietecha said. "I'm hoping that I get to the day of the marathon and not be too far behind where I would've been pre-injury."

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Peter Pressman known as the father of Nashville running will be remembered Saturday

On Saturday, as thousands of runners stand at the starting line of Nashville's biggest running event, Peter Pressman will be remembered. Pressman, a man known as the father of Nashville's running community, died last month while doing what he loved — setting up for a training run in preparation for the St. Jude Rock 'N' Roll Nashville Marathon & 1/2 Marathon. To honor him, Rock 'n' Roll marathon organizers have created wristbands and memorial flags and will hold a moment of silence before the race. "This race weekend, we will celebrate his life and what he loved to do and carry on his passion within our Rock 'n' Roll family," said Josh Furlow, managing director of the Rock 'n' Roll marathon. Peter Pressman, 'father of Nashville's running community,' died at age 72. (04/26/2018) Views: 1,938 ⚡AMP

Over 30,000 Expected At St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon

The St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & ½ Marathon weekend will kick off on Thursday, April 26 with a free two-day Health & Fitness Expo. The musically themed road race is expected to attract more than 30,000 runners who will take on the marathon, half marathon or 5K courses, while 50 of Nashville’s best live bands perform on improved band stages along the route. After the races five-time GRAMMY© nominee Hunter Hayes taking the stage as the Toyota Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert Series Headliner. (01/20/2018) Views: 1,615 ⚡AMP