NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 22, 2023) – As the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series celebrates its 25 Years of Running, approximately 24,000 registered runners took part in the 2023 St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Nashville providing participants a running tour of Music City.
Saturday’s St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Nashville marathon also saw elite runners take to the course. It was Garang Madut (Dayton, Ohio) with a time of 2:27:06 and Sarah Higgins (Greenwood, Ind.) winning in a time of 2:43:54 coming home victorious in the men’s and women’s races, respectively.
“I knew the course from the map, but I wasn’t super sure about it. I knew it was going to fun because of all the bands. I am a big country music fan and just moved to Indiana from California and Nashville is really close to Indiana, so I had been looking forward to coming here. I had to try to keep my pace because the bands made me speed up and I was like, ‘Whoa, chill out Sarah,” said Sarah Higgins. “I was hoping to get top three. I was just going to run my race and see what happens. The course was definitely flatter than I expected it to be because I heard Nashville was hilly. There were still inclines and stuff, but nothing like a crazy hill that you had to work really hard to climb. You couldn’t have asked for better weather.”
“Scott Wietecha is a big inspiration. It feels good to come out and win it. I grew up here, my parents immigrated from South Sudan. It’s my hometown race — It’s good to come back,” said Garang Madut. “I took the lead from the get-go. I went out, I was like, I’m just going to see who goes with me. “My goal was to win this. I was going to do whatever it took to win it.”
Patrick Rizzo (Kingston Springs, Tenn.) with a time of 1:07:41 and Robin Pomeroy (Verona, Wisc.) finishing in 1:21:40 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. With a distance for everyone, runners and walkers hailed from all 50 States and 37 countries, regions, and territories to take on a running tour of Music City. 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 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.
“We are deeply grateful to our Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series partners and every person who was part of this year’s St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Nashville — especially our St. Jude Heroes, who trained with a purpose in support of this lifesaving mission,” said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Truly, Music City came together this weekend to help accelerate research and treatment for kids with cancer. Our finish line will be crossed when no child dies from cancer, no matter where they happen to be born.”
Several local bands, including the Less Kerr and the Bayou Band, U.S. Airforce Band, Hype Creek, and many more performed live on band stages along the route all before Greg Pratt, Angie Rey and Runaway June 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 continue Sunday with the KiDSROCK, 1-mile, and Doggie Dash event all taking place at Nissan Stadium.
Presale registration for all distances of the 2024 edition of the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Nashville taking place on April 27-28, 2024, is now open online through 11:59 p.m. PT on April 30, 2023. Lock in presale pricing by visiting, www.runrocknroll.com/nashville-register. Special presale pricing will be at the lowest price of the year, at $85 for the Marathon, $75 for the Half Marathon, $65 for the 10K, $45 for the 5K, $19 for the 1 Mile, KiDS ROCK, and Doggie Dash. To register for 2024 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 its 25th Anniversary celebration 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 3-4, 2023 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.
