FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Running Tour of Music City Updates Race Route
Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon presented by Nissan Returns for a 12th Year
New Course to Highlight Scenery, Runner Experience
Nashville, TN – February 24, 2011 – The musical miles that wind through
Nashville each spring will feature a few changes as the 12th annual Country
Music Marathon & ½ Marathon presented by Nissan returns on Saturday, April
30th. The event remains the largest running event in the state of
Tennessee, bringing more than 30,000 runners and walkers to the Nashville
area, along with thousands of spectators, friends and family.
The scenic running tour of Music City will feature live, local bands at
nearly every mile, cheerleading teams, and themed water stations, offering
motivation and entertainment along both the 13.1 and 26.2 mile courses.
Runners will enjoy many of Nashville's most historic sites like the
Parthenon, Nashville's world-renowned Music Row and an expansive finish
line festival outside the Tennessee Titan's home, LP Field, located along
the Cumberland River.
The redesigned course will offer a familiar start line at Centennial Park,
and will still finish at LP Field, but on the north side on 1st Street to
accommodate more participant parking. Other notable changes include
eliminating the out and back on Belmont Boulevard and instead redirecting
south on Belmont and back north toward Music Row on Granny White Pike,
removing a stretch of the full marathon course through Metro Center and
adding a run through the east Nashville neighborhoods. Changes were made
primarily to enhance the runner experience by alleviating crowding, and
highlighting spectator-heavy areas and scenic routes.
"After more than a decade in Nashville, we are continuing to learn and grow
and will always do our best to make this the best possible experience for
both the city and our race participants," said Adam Zocks, General Manager.
"We're proud of the tradition this race has become locally and look forward
to celebrating our 12th year here."
Full course information and maps can be found online at
www.nashville.competitor.com.
The Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon presented by Nissan will begin at
7:00am on Saturday, April 30th. After celebrating their accomplishment with
a post-race concert and finish line festival at LP Field, runners will have
the best ticket in town as Nashville legends Montgomery Gentry take the
stage at Bridgestone Arena later that evening for the headliner concert.
Runners can get prepared for race day at the Health & Fitness Expo
presented by Power Balance on Thursday, April 28th and Friday, April 29th
The expo is free and open to the public and takes place at the Nashville
Convention Center. A runner's ultimate resource, the Expo brings together
nearly 100 exhibitors offering the best in gear, nutrition, and training
along with legendary running experts and athletes hosting interactive
clinics.
More than 4,700 kids in grades K-7 will run a marathon of their own at ING
KiDS ROCK Nashville on Friday, April 29th. The cumulative kids marathon
program aims to tackle childhood obesity by demonstrating that physical
activity can be fun and instilling a lifetime love of fitness. ING KiDS
ROCK Nashville is sold out.
For more information or to register, visit competitor.com.
About the Country Music Marathon
A Competitor event, the Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon presented by
Nissan will celebrate its 12th annual running in Music City on Saturday,
April 30, 2011. Featuring many of Nashville's best live bands on 28 stages
along the 26.2 and 13.1-mile courses, the musically themed road annually
attracts 35,000 runners, walkers and junior racers. Race weekend kicks off
with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo on Thursday, April 28 and includes the
ING KiDS ROCK Nashville and a post-race concert Saturday night at the
Bridgestone Arena. The Nashville Convention Center is home to the free
Health & Fitness Expo which is open to the public as all race participants
pick up their race number, browse through fitness related products, enjoy
free samples and interactive clinics. For more information, please visit
www.nashville.competitor.com or follow us on Twitter @runrocknroll.
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