NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 27, 2024) – The St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Nashville event provided an unforgettable running tour of Music City for over 23,000 registered runners. With a distance for everyone, Saturday’s distances included a 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon. The event continues Sunday with a 1-mile, KiDSROCK and Doggie Dash events.
Saturday’s St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Nashville marathon also saw elite runners take to the course. It was Mitchell Small (Atlanta, GA) with a time of 2:27:33 and winning in a time of Kate van Buskirk (Brampton, ON CA) 2:27:40 coming home victorious in the men’s and women’s races, respectively.
Mitchell Small states, “I competed at Vanderbilt a lot so I know Nashville pretty well, and I wanted to come here. It’s only a four-hour drive and I thought it was by a fun Saturday afternoon. I looked up last year and saw I’d probably have to run around 2:25:00 to win. I felt like I could beat anybody if I put it together.”
Small added “This was my first marathon. I didn’t do a half first just because I didn’t want to think about it. I was going to go and out what I could, and luckily that was first.”
Kate van Buskirk stated “I ran my first half at the Ashland City Half-Marathon about eight weeks ago. I was actually co-race director for that one so I was going on about four hours of sleep setting out cones the night before and morning of. I’m Canadian, but I split my time between Toronto and Nashville. This is the most fun I’ve ever had at a race. It was awesome.”
Chris Frias (Ventura, CA) with a time of 1:07:24, and Katrina Ivancic (Bozeman, MT) finishing in 1:20:39 were the male and female overall winners of the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon.
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series is a best-in-class road running series Bringing Fun to the Run® through music, entertainment, and community immersion, all combining in Nashville to provide an unforgettable experience. The Rock 'n' Roll Running Series Nashville brings participants through the city's most iconic neighborhoods with rich history around every corner, passing many iconic landmarks including Broadway's honky-tonks, Dolly Parton's recording studio, Country Music Hall of Fame, and many more all before ending the event at the finish line at Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans.
For nine events including St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® is the official benefiting charity partner of the St. Jude Rock ‘n‘ Roll Running Series. Thanks to the over 1,500 St. Jude Heros and the generous support of the Nashville community, people across the region and country are aware that St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital continues to lead the way the world understands, treats, and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. To learn more and to become a St. Jude Hero, visit www.stjude.org.
“The passion and dedication shown by our St. Jude Heroes at Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville exemplifies the power of purpose-driven unity. With every stride taken and every dollar raised, their unwavering support helps fuel the pursuit of advancements in pediatric cancer research and treatment by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital," said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "With the dedication of every Hero supporting us, we draw closer to a future where every child has the opportunity to live a healthy and fulfilling life, no matter where they live."
Several local bands, including the Nightingale, Belmont Church Band, Second Sunset, Mad Mojo, Black Hole Sons, and many more, performed live on band stages along the route all before Restless Road and The Tom Yankton Band took the stage at the Finish Line Stage outside Nissan Stadium as the Encore Entertainment.
The St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Nashville weekend continues Sunday with the KiDSROCK, 1-mile, and Doggie Dash event all taking place at Nissan Stadium.
Presale registration for all distances of the 2025 edition of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Nashville. will be open online until May 5 at 11:59 p.m. PDT. Lock in presale pricing by visiting www.runrocknroll.com/nashville. Special presale pricing will be at the lowest price of the year, at $89 for the marathon, $79 for the Half Marathon, $69 for the 10K, $49 for the 5K, and $19 for the 1-mile and KiDSROCK events. To register for 2025 or learn more about St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Nashville., please visit www.runrocknroll.com/nashville.
Next Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Events Coming Up:
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series continues as the series makes its way to the Birthplace of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series, San Diego, California. As the original event of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series, Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series San Diego will take place June 1-2, 2024, and has long been a favorite stop on the best-in-class running series tour, welcoming visitors from all over to experience the ultimate tour on foot of America’s Finest City. Participants will explore everything San Diego has to offer with a picturesque course, jam-packed with spectator support. The half marathon and marathon courses lead runners on a scenic tour through some of San Diego’s most iconic neighborhoods, including Balboa Park, Hillcrest, North Park, Normal Heights, and more, before finishing in Downtown San Diego. Registration for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series San Diego is open by visiting, www.runrocknroll.com/san-diego.
To see the full schedule of Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series events, visit www.runrocknroll.com/all-events.
For more information on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series, please visit www.runrocknroll.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@runrocknroll.com.
About Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series
Established in 1998, the Rock ‘n’ Roll® Running Series’ simple idea of making running fun has transformed both the U.S. and global running landscape by infusing the course with live bands, cheer teams, and entertaining water stations, creating a block-party atmosphere for participants and spectators alike. Focused on running, music, and community, race weekends kick off with a free Health & Fitness Expo showcasing the latest in running gear, sports apparel, health and nutritional information, and much more. Events culminate with an Encore Entertainment experience featuring eclectic musical artists from a variety of genres. With a goal of helping participants find the Beat in Their Feet™, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series has also featured some of the biggest names in music, with past performances including the likes of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, O.A.R., Aloe Blacc, Pitbull, Flo Rida, The Band Perry, Fitz and the Tantrums, the Goo Goo Dolls, Bret Michaels, Kesha, The Revivalists, Hunter Hayes, Capital Cities, and Matt Nathanson. Further information about the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series can be found online at www.RunRocknRoll.com and follow @RunRocknRoll on all social platforms.
About The IRONMAN Group
The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll® Running Series, IRONKIDS®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf®, UTMB® World Series trail-running events including the Canyons Endurance Runs™ by UTMB®, Tarawera Ultra™ by UTMB® and Ultra-Trail Australia™ by UTMB®, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world, providing participants the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz® virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected to fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business, and Orkila Capital, a growth equity firm focused on building great brands. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.
About Advance
Advance is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education, and other promising growth sectors. Our mission is to build the value of our companies over the long term by fostering growth and innovation. Advance’s portfolio includes Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, The IRONMAN Group, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 14,000 people in 29 countries. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.
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