The neighborhoods were beautiful. The residents/fans were spectatular. The hills were plentiful! This is a very well organized event and I would recommend it for anyone who does not need a "big city" feel with all the glitz and glam to push them through. This is still a young event for Knoxville, and I imagine that over time it may have a chance to compete in the league with Nashville's Country Music Marathon. It definitely has the potential.

The only downside was having to run about a half-mile on the highway at mile 20 (I fell victim to muscle spasms). I understand that we had to get back over the river, but surely there is a better route!

Anyone who is looking for small-town charm, enjoys the challenge of hills, and is not actively seeking a PR... this is for you. And remember, you're in the South. So be sure to expect and welcome the Southern hospitality!

Very nice mid-sized marathon on a pretty, varied and interesting course (don't believe what you read about the hills - they're just not that bad!). Very good organization and facilities - especially at the start line, with access to the convention center (real bathrooms!). Good aid stations, orange slices the last couple of miles and very nice volunteers. Not too many spectators because of the rainy weather, but those who were there were very enthusiastic. Thanks to everyone who put on such a great race!

This was a great run despite the wet weather. The spectators were great, although a little sparse. Thanks to the runners of the half because without their numbers (and dollars) there probably would not be a marathon. It was my first-ever trip to Knoxville and it made for a positive experience. Great pre-race meal on the downtown mall, which looks like it is undergoing a revival. Free parking for all the events and a great parking garage halfway between the start and finish. Finishing on the football field was a special treat. I ended up running with one of the pacers and his timing was phenomenal. He was within 3 seconds of the predicted time. Very user-friendly marathon, which to me is a far more attractive option than the mass participation Rock and Roll type if looking for a marathon in Tennessee. There was also a lot of live music along the course. Thanks. The course itself gave us a nice feel for Knoxville. We saw the river, an elite neighborhood, a great trail, a student neighborhood, an industrial area, more river, downtown, the university and the stadium. Hills? A few, and as one fellow runner pointed out, nothing big - just a whole lot of little ones put on top of each other.

I agree with all the preceding comments and would recommend this race to anyone prepared for a few hills and unpredictable weather. After 26.2 I don't walk any extra distance so I didn't even try to locate the post-race party. There were PowerAde, water, bagels, pretzels, etc. at the finish anyway which was what I needed when I needed it.

Excellent finisher's hat. Medal was fine. Mighty friendly folk down there. Thanks Knoxville.

I bike more than 60 miles and run more than 25 miles per week. Still I had difficulties to complete the half-marathon in Knoxville. Well, the course was quite hilly and since I am from Maryland, I was training over flat distances.... Anyway the organization was perfect and Knoxville is a great place to visit. Really I loved this race. Food was OK but not perfect. Why don't they have the post-race party inside the stadium? In addition they have to put more signs to show where the party was located. I was very confused trying to find the party area....
Medals look nice, but very similar to the 2006 Ocean City Marathon medals. (Did the same company make them?)

My wife and I traveled to Knoxville from VA to run the marathon and were generally delighted with the overall organization and attention to details in the race. From the packet pickup (which was a breeze) to the small but well managed expo, everything was top-notch. They even had a guy giving out prizes! Very cool. Although the entire city has yet to fully embrace this marathon as their own, there was really good support from many neighborhoods along the course. Volunteer course marshals were outstanding in every way, and the policemen along the course made runners feel completely safe (even at the more difficult street crossings).

A word about the course - mostly thumbs up, but why does it seem that every marathon we've run routes us through the grottiest section of the city (after mile 17) when what we really need is beautiful eye candy and spectators. That said, there was some wonderful sections to run on the course - especially the old neighborhood along the river, and the section through the park with the running trail. Great aid stations were plentiful throughout the course with water and a variety of sport drinks, and the volunteers were passing out GU like candy. The finish was incredible with your image on the Jumbotron, and there was exceptional care given to the runners as they crossed the finish line with volunteers standing by to give you your medal, hat, and offer medical assistance as needed. The small amount of recovery food at the finish line was adequate, but it would have been nice to have more substantial food in the immediate vicinity. Why not have the post-race party in the stadium?

Overall, a top-notch event. It's hard to believe that it's only the third year. As more businesses in the city get involved, this will certainly turn into a must-do marathon. Congratulations.

I've run many different marathons, and I was generally very impressed with this one. The expo was good for a race of this size, with a couple of other events in the convention center to visit also. Nice, low-stress start: nearby free parking, and you get to hang out in the convention center before the race, with sufficient bathrooms and the start literally right outside the door. Plentiful and well-staffed aid stations. Visible and accurate mile markings (no, this is not a given, as even bigger races like Detroit can't seem to get this right). The course is tough, expecially the first 7 1/2 miles, but it's not brutal and the decline at the end may actually bring a smile to your face. My only complaints involve the post-race experience. Instead of making us walk 1/2 mile or more to the after-party, how about a couple of shuttle buses? And the glitch that delayed the awards ceremony 45 minutes or more was annoying, especially when we got no word for the first 30 minutes as to the nature of the delay and when it might be resolved. Overall, though, the organizers do a nice job, and I hope the numbers grow. I would run this race again.

It is a tough, challenging, fun marathon. The key to Knoxville is training. I ran it 5 minutes quicker than 2 years ago. I will do it again.

I like courses that tour a whole city, because I like variety. An additional benefit is local musicians stage throughout the race to entertain you. The course starts in the middle of the 1982 World's Fair Ground (it's most famous feature is that golden sun globe, which is on the finisher's medal which is one of the nicer ones in my collection). The downtown area is a bit confusing and hilly, and you see it again at the half for the benefit of the half-marathoners who split off shortly after mile 12. After mile 1 you have an easy run along the Cumberland River and UT campus, followed by a hilly but scenic section in the wealthy section of town. The flowering trees were beautiful, and there was a nice crushed gravel path in the middle of the boulevard that only a few runners like myself took avail of. Mile 7 is in the middle of the steepest climb of the race. Any climbs were generally short but steep. Not long afterwards you hit a really nice bike trail for several miles. The 2nd half of the race puts you past some brightly painted homes (purple, red, etc.) At mile 18 you run past the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and mile 19 gives a somewhat intimidating view of your next mile across a looong bridge. Miles 21/23 featured a bluegrass group called Wild Blue Yonder who sang their 'notorious possum' song. And the finish on the 50yd line in the Tennessee Vols stadium was awesome - that place is huge! Post race goodies were plentiful and free massages, but required a 1/2 mile walk which was good for the legs. Plenty of free parking available.

Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon
Sunday, April 1, 2007, 7:00 AM
Knoxville, TN

Knoxville is a very nice city located in the foothills of Great Smoky Mountains. As advertised, the course was hilly and tough (not an April Fools Day joke!). In my opinion, not suitable for PR, and certainly not for the timid. Start was outside the Convention Center. The finish line was less than a mile from the start line at the 50-yard line in Neyland Stadium (home of the University of Tennessee football team). Race day temperature remained in the 70s, overcast, on and off rain showers throughout the run which were actually helpful, and a bit humid. There were 18 water/sports drink stations, as well as several bands and individual musicians alongside the route. Sports gels at two locations. Mile markers were easily visible. Crowd support was sporadic. Start elevation: 887 feet. Finish elevation: 859 feet. The highest point: 964 feet. The lowest point: 823 feet. The first half was indeed scenic. From about mile 13.5 to about mile 17.5 was rather boring, as we ran through some road construction sites where footing was less than desirable. Shortly after mile 17.5, we entered The Old City, and from there to the finish was fairly scenic. We climbed the first hill shortly after the start. Whoever had designed the course showed his/her wicked sense of humor by making us climb the same hill less than a mile from the finish line! As we were crossing the finish line, we could see ourselves in the stadiums JumboTron!

Knoxville Track Club had organized a very fine running event. Packet pick-up at the Convention Center was very efficient. Good expo too. Our bag of goodies included the race T-shirt, running gloves, and a few sample items. Nice finishers medal and embroidered running hat for the finishers. There were recovery food, water, and sports drinks at the finish. More refreshments at the post race party which was held inside the UT student center, and the long walk from the finish line to there did not bother me.

I am a '50 stater' and this was #27.