Memphis Marathon - Race Reviews

The organization and course support and mission is awesome. Second time running this race and would highly recommend anyone seeking a great marathon course to give it a try. Emotional AF when passing by the hospital and seeing the kids. Not a dry eye around. The pickle shots on the course were fun and I admit to even taking a few random shots from the friendly community block parties!

I ran the half marathon. Was very impressed with the organization, expo, race day set up, great track a little emotional, running through St. Jude's. Was great to support such an important organization. The fan support was incredible for the whole route.

This is first and foremost a fundraiser for St. Judes and it comes off like it. The race is really more of an afterthought. St. Judes is an awesome organization and if you want to raise money for them, you should do this race. If not, find another one. The course is fine with a lots of water stops and spectators. It has some hills but I wouldn't call it hilly. The race was delayed by an hour due to weather that ended up not being that bad, but I don't fault the RD for keeping people safe. Lastly, there were 24,000 half marathoners and 3,000 marathoners so you can imagine who the race is really designed for.

This was my first time running the race. The course had changed from last year and it was quite hilly. The race was delayed an hour due to rain by an hour. First time I saw that. The rain would have helped keep me cool! Muggy weather. Great crowds throughout the course and lots of water stations, etc., informal aid stations included alcohol, etc. Very friendly people in Memphis and I got to be on tv the first night there giving my opinion on police brutality. Great bbq restaurants on Union Street and of course a pleasant tour of Graceland as well. Worth doing this race just for the friendliness of the residents and Lyft drivers. Looks like a lot of people want to see Trump v. Springer in 2020!

This was overall a great race. The fan support was really incredible throughout the race with a lot of cheering, music, and many handing out food and drink. The section through the hospital was especially empowering. I thought overall the organization was well done. The expo and packet pick up were well planned, especially considering the number of people attending. The aid stations were well spaced, well manned, and covered the water, Nuun, and gel needs. The finish area was really well done with the finish in the stadium where there was plenty of space to recover before going through the line for food. The pizza, donuts, and soup were all really good and certainly a big positive in my book. Overall, I thought the course was good. It had a few rolling hills, but overall was good. Traffic control throughout the race was really well done and had to involve a staggering number of Memphis' finest. There were two things I would change to make it better. First, the corral system at the start could improve. It was a confusing mess that included no delineation in the corrals, runners clearly in the wrong spots, and non-runners in the way. I know some races almost seem militant in controlling who gets in specific corrals, but that can make a better start for the runners. I would also re-consider the last 3-4 miles of the race. Looping back and forth through an ugly industrial area for the sake of getting miles really pulled down the overall great course. Maybe a bigger loop through a different neighborhood or around a park would be a better option. Overall a great race though that I would recommend.

This is a funny marathon. Not for everyone, but if you are looking for a race with a good cause and a huge fun party atmosphere, you can have a great time here. The crowd really gets into the race. Lots of people along the course from beginning to end. Spectators are giving away all sorts of food and drink, live music plays here and there throughout the course, Many, many people thank all the runners by name and call them heroes. I was called a hero more times during the marathon than during the rest of my life combined. Which felt good. The race organization is basically OK. Registration was smooth. A few weird glitches: first, there was no schedule of expo speakers anywhere except for a sign in the middle of the expo-it was easy to come and go without realizing there were any expo speakers at all. Second, they switched the race hydration option only a few weeks before the race-it was only nuun and water on the course where powerade had been also promised in the literature. Third, a lot of the on-course hydration was badly done: cups filled with barely enough fluid to wet my lips; other cups filled to the brim sloshing liquid onto my shirt. But the volunteers were all very friendly. The bad part of the race experience is the course itself. It's boring and bleak for great stretches-you are running through blighted urban wastelands with crumbly roads, and you are right alongside traffic for long periods. There are lots and lots of turns, especially at the end where you have to run a whole pointless 3- or 4- mile loop under and over a traffic cloverleaf and the surrounding neighborhoods. All in all, a worthwhile experience. Not one I am likely to repeat, but it is not hard to see why people like this race.

You will be warmly greeted by Memphis. The race weather was great, the spectators were the best I've seen, and plenty of aid stations, porta potties, etc. The finish line food is abundant and good. One word to the wise - you corral yourselves according to the time you think you will run, as opposed to some races that assign you. Add that to a crowded race, esp first 11 miles until the half splits. The result is trying to navigate around people who should've been in slower corrals. I don't mean conservative starters, I mean walkers and people in jeans.

This marathon is a big fundraiser for St Jude's Children's Research Hospital. It includes a 5k, 10k, all marathon, and full marathon. Many of the runners in all events run as St Jude's heroes which includes different levels of fundraising commitments that get you extra amenities. The course is a mix of urban streets and residential areas highlighting some of the sites in Memphis, but with only a very limited stretch along the Mississippi River. The course is generally rolling with only a few hills of note. The start is near AutoZone Park and is done in waves 3 minutes apart. There are water stops about every 1 mile to 1 1/2 miles along the course. This year they had water and Nuun at each top and some Gu at later stops. You run with a fair number of people until the half splits off at 11 miles and then things get a lot less crowded. You run past the finish with about 3 miles to go and do a weird loop before coming back to the finish. The finish is in the outfield of AutoZone Park. You have to climb up some metal steps to get into the stands and then up several concrete steps to get to the food and drink. Food was limited and somewhat picked over by the time I got there at 4 1/2 hours. There is beer (2 free) if you partake. You then must walk around the entire outfield area to get back to the gear check area. The course supposedly has a 6 hour time limit, but there were times in the results that were up to 7 hours. Overall very well organized, but I was not a big fan of the urban course with too many turns.

Everything about this race was first rate. It felt great knowing that the event garners lots of funds for St. Jude Hospital. (It was especially touching running past the hospital and witnessing such strong support for the runners from patients and workers. Talk about putting pain in perspective!) The expo was fun and varied. Memphis offers no shortage of great dining. I especially enjoyed McEwen's and Flight. The Double Tree on Union was very well-located, though I would have chosen the fantastic Peabody if it hadn't sold out. The course was well laid out with a few inclines, but nothing too difficult. Support and volunteers were terrific. The only things I would change are the late start (8:30 AM) and the finish area food layout. I found pizza and Power Ade, but I have a feeling I missed some other offerings in the big loop around the stadium. (There are also stairs to walk up, but I didn't mind.) I usually stay away from the larger races, but the incredible spirit and thoughtful organization of the Memphis Marathon made me so glad I chose to run.

I ran this race with a group of friends who were running for a young boy in our community who is battling cancer. This was such an unbelievable marathon and experience, I would recommend it to anyone and would love to come back to run it again. The course was great, the organization was fantastic, nice shirt, and beautiful medal. Not to mention running through the St. Jude Hospital campus with all of those people out cheering you on sent chills down my body. Spectators throughout a vast majority of the course just kept saying, 'thank you for running for St. Jude.' It was truly a humbling experience. If there is one downfall it would be that I would have loved to have had some Memphis BBQ at the finish instead of Domino's, but that's just me being picky. Again, this was a great event and worth the trip.

Earlier this month, I ran the St Jude's Marathon for the first time. December is a great time to run in Memphis because the weather's perfect! It was blue skies and sunny throughout the course. The beginning was tough because the low was under 30 degrees Fahrenheit. But by the time the race began, the weather was already in the 40s. All in all, this is a fun course with great spectators. Also, the signs out there were hilarious. There aren't too many hills throughout the course. There's a grinding incline around mile 23 or so, but nothing grueling if you train normally for hills. Favorite parts of the run include a beautiful sweeping decline along the Mississippi River early in the run. It provides for breathtaking photos of downtown Memphis. Early in the race, Beale St is kind of nice too with excellent crowd support. Then somewhere around mile 8 maybe, you actually run thru St. Jude's Hospital and you see where you donation for this grade marathon goes towards. Lastly at around mile 15, there's beautiful scenery around Rhodes College and then on into Hein Park. Throughout the race, the water stop support is excellent and the crowd. I've run 19 marathons and have not run into better spectators (not even the Brooklyn Crowd at the NYC Marathon). I enjoyed this marathon so much, I plan to run it again every other year.

As previous reviewers have noted, your heart will be touched by running thru St. Jude's Children's Hospital with the children and parents out there cheering you on. The expo is very nice for a race of this size. There were at least 3 GU spots and a water stop every mile. The post race food was very good but some items like the donuts and fruit was cleared out by the 5K and half marathoners but there was plenty of pizza and chocolate milk left. My only complaint is the last few garbage miles of the race. The race course should be adjusted so you can run back to Children's hospital for a 2nd time. That would give you a great boost to finish the race.

I am really glad I ran this race. I was able to knock Tennessee off of my list and have fun while doing it. The expo was ok and organized but getting inside was a bit chaotic. Several Hundred cars were jammed up at the Convention Center on Friday night trying to figure out how to get their packet while also avoiding the $10 - $15 parking fees. This was not a good way to start the experience. How about jacking up the registration fees by this amount and renting the lot out so that parking can be free on Friday night? Once getting through the jam, I simply parked about 3 blocks away and made the walk. I would recommend this strategy to all. Packet pick up was well organized and friendly. Race day morning was chilly and a great day for running. It was nice to have a person gabbing to the crowd that you could actually hear and understand. U2's Beautiful Day and Bruce's Born To Run played often before the start which is always awesome. Course was nice although quite a few pot holes. I saw a few folks go down. You got to run near the zoo where I heard the apes howling. Rhodes College was full of great sights. The water stations were all well staffed and included many friendly faces. At mile 1 upon turning the corner, there was a large group of special needs folks cheering. This is just so heart warming. The course is very well marked and each and every mile marker was visible from afar, which is a pleasant change from some races of late. As a slower runner it was also nice to be on the course with many people who were much slower than me. I think the running for a good cause brings out many people who would not otherwise give a marathon a shot. The finish line was a bit of a let down. It was great entering the stadium. This reminded me of Cleveland and Huntington. But as you cross the line you are forced to walk up steep steps to get to where you are going. Then once you scale the steps, you have to circle the concourse to get food and drink. It was nice but a real hassle after just running 26.2. Water at the finish line is always a nice sight. There were thousands of Domino's Pizzas at the finish. Sadly, they all appeared to be cooked at the same time. MUCH earlier in the day. Each slice was handed out with a smile and an apology. It was ice cold. The race was a nice experience and I am glad I ran it. I would recommend to anyone trying to knock Tennessee off of their list to give this race a shot. Be sure to register early (certainly before Thanksgiving) as you may get shut out. When in town, you must see the Lorraine Hotel. It is always nice to mix in a marathon with history. Memphis is one awesome town. Good job everyone!

Great cause, wonderful logistics and venues. Spectators throughout the race if not super in shear numbers. Course road surface chewed up/potholes as I spotted quite a number of falls. Could not understand why the finish line is not pushed further up into the stadium so spectators could actually see finishers without binoculars. A small loop nearing the finish could be eliminated by shoving the finish line further up. Might consider the convention center for the start so that participants could stay inside in cold or rain prior to the start. It was difficult to enter the corral from the side streets coming from the ballpark. I would explore advising people to enter alternate side streets back from the start line basis predicted pace. Slow people could not get back to their proper corral areas and were forced to start with faster runners.and made for a mess. Gatorade and water was mixed up together at the aid stations so it was a task figure who was offering what. Fantastic to have aid stations every mile and fully stocked and staffed-loved it. Music great for most of the marathon, but then it seemed to completely stop after mile 20 when the runners needed it most. Staying Downtown worked great. .

This was only my second marathon so I don't have much to compare it to but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and highly recommend this event and the city of Memphis to everyone looking for a December marathon. One cannot ask for a more worthy cause than St Jude and you even get to run through the hospital campus early and late in the run. One cannot describe the feeling of seeing the little patients lined up to cheer on runners as they pass through the campus. What really stood out was the number of times I heard 'thank you' from volunteers all over the course. I bet I heard someone tell me thank you for participating no less than 100 times that morning. Everyone at the bag check, start line, water stations, and finish all said thank you to us for helping St Jude. The course was mostly flat with some small inclines over and under various roads and the roads are in good shape. It is mostly run on city streets but there is some good scenery of the Mississippi River and Overton Park. The start was very well organized and proficient in getting everyone off in a timely manner. I was in one of the rear corrals and I was able to begin within about 20 minutes from the start. There are aid stations and porta-potties at every mile and GU at several as well. There were several bands along the course for the first half but not too many on the second half. The run ends in Autozone Park which houses the AAA team for the Cardinals so there were tons of people present to cheer on the finishers. Food and drink were great at the end. There was so much pizza, donuts, fruit, snacks, and drinks (including a beer garden) that people were taking whole boxes of extras home with them. I highly recommend this run for anyone looking for a fun experience (Memphis is a great friendly town), easy course, or a great cause to support.

When you finish the race you DO NOT have to walk up the stairs in the baseball stadium. There are elevators near the FIRST AID area. Use the elevators and be kind to your legs:)

I've run the half and whole multiple times, and there is no better cause to run for than this one. My biggest gripe (every year) is that it is a Saturday race, with no Saturday packet pick-up and the Friday night cut off is 9:00. Coming in from out-of-town is next to impossible if you work for a living.

What an awesome race. The course was great, not too flat, not too hilly. Loved the wave start to keep down congestion in the early parts of the race. Organizers compensated for unseasonably high temps with water stops every mile. The best part, running through the St. Jude campus. Can't imagine a more meaningful race! I'll be back every year, some for the full and some for the half, but I'll be back every year!

Race was great. Spectators were a little less after half split (expected). Aid stations were well stocked. Volunteers were great. Post-race food was plentiful and diverse. Plenty of beer also. Finishing in stadium was cool. Wave start was very organized and efficient. I PR'd!

I really enjoyed this marathon. It's for a great case & the spectators are fantastic. Lots of music, water stops, & the volunteers were still full of energy & enthusiasm for even us slowbies. But who came up with making us finish by having to climb the stairs of the stadium after completing 26.2 miles!!

Plenty of aid stations and 3 with gu. course was well marked and clocks at every mile. A lot of food in the finishers area including pizza and beer! course had some rolling hills to keep it interesting, but none were challenging. There were 2 u-turns in the course that took away some momentum, but those areas had tons of spectators and sort of necessary for the great finish on the warning track. I recommend the race for both fast runners and recreational.

Ran this St. Judes Marathon in December 2011. Great city and a fun marathon to run. Well organized, you get to see many hi-lights of Memphis and very motivational running thru St. Judes early on. Very positive vibe to this race start to finish. PS Check out the Ducks at the Peabody Hotel and have a Jack Daniels post-race. Pretty cool!

This was my first time running in Memphis and it was great. I raised money as a St Jude Hero and received lots of pre-race communication. The expo was pretty typical, did not experience any problems. The pasta party was a tear jerker hearing about kids with cancer. Race morning: great, you could stay warm in the indoor part of the stadium, plenty of bathrooms. Wave start went well, was crowded the first couple miles but not as bad as other places. Hills were all a matter of perspective, I didn't think it was anything. I thought the crowd support was good. In the last 6 miles people were very supportive, calling out your number and cheering you on. Aid stations were great and just after every mile marker from 3-25. It was fantastic to have them so predictable. Finishing in the stadium was awesome, getting to take a shower was great too. Food as mentioned was good, loved the soup. My only complaint was the pacers, 4:10. They were all over the place on times. We would approach a mile marker and they would call out the goal time, we could be 10 sec ahead one mile, 40 the next, back to 15 the next, all over the place irrespective of hills. Overall a great experience and I will be back

Great organization. Nice course. Good aid stations. Good spectators. Not much critical to say. It would have been nice to have run through St. Jude at the end of the marathon, could have used that inspiration in the late miles. There was a decent amount of running right next to busy traffic, so exhaust was a little bit of an issue, but what can ya do? It's 26 miles! Overall, recommended.

It's a really good marathon. It's run well, expo is average to above average, shirts and medals are usually good (or at least they've been good the last two years, my total experience with the event). Crowds are good in most places along the route. The course itself is relatively flat and the weather (again the last two years) has been very cooperative - a little chilly at the start but overall a nice day. Finishing in Autozone Park (the St. Louis Cardinals AAA affiliate team) is a pretty cool way to finish the race. Add in St. Jude as the cause and it's one I recommend.

Pros: Water stops- every mile! The Gatorade was also not very potent, which was nice. GU's handed out on the course 4 times Fan support- many spectators played loud music and were dancing and cheering very enthusiastically. Great finish line in the AutoZone stadium Weather- Perfect! The temperature at the starting line was 46 degrees. The finish was around 65 degrees. The sun was shining and there was only a small breeze. 6. Post- race food- SO much food for the runners: Pizza, Soup, Chili, Beer, Gatorade,and more 7. Plenty of beer at the finish (unlike Go! St. Louis) 8. Nice technical finisher's shirts Cons: The focus was on the 1/2 marathon- the fans definitely thinned after the 1/2 The marathon actually repeated part of the course Volunteers at the expo- I hate to complain about the volunteers, since they are volunteering...but we asked some questions at the Information Booth, and the volunteers really didn't have a clue. For example, we asked the Information Booth about the gear check. The volunteer said that the gear check was not secured, and that you had to make your own tags. However, once we got home, we realized that indeed that was a bag tag included, and the gear check was completely secured. We also asked about GU's on the course, and were told that there were none- but there were 4-5 GU stations! Course marshalls were not policing all the intersections, and my spectator told me that she witnessed a car accident, as well as several near-accidents with runners and drivers! Eeeks... The last mile of the race was not near the crowds, and it was on a freeway underpass. This was a bit of a downer, even though the actual finish line was great. Please see the following link for a full review: www.therightfits.com

This is one of my favorite races. Not only is it for a good cause, but it is not too big and very well organized. Running through the St. Jude campus is amazing. There are a few moderate hills on the course, but nothing major. The only thing I saw that was lacking was there was no fruit along the course; only water/gatorade and gu gels at certain stations. Lots of spectators in key areas, but many areas were without crowd support. I would still recommend this marathon to anyone who has never run it.

This is a perfectly-sized race with great organization and support. Water stops and porta-potties every mile with great spectators for the first half. The second half has the water, gel, and potties, but almost no spectators. I am really glad I was running with some friends, because it got a little boring. The roads are kinda bumpy, and there were several places where they were down-right rough. I actually turned my ankle at one water stop. Any shortcomings don't change the fact that this is a great race. I have done the half here three other times, and this was my first full. I couldn't have picked a better race to do!

I saw comments on this course being flat when I first checked into running this race. It is NOT flat. It is by no means extremely hilly but other than the stretch by the Mississippi River, the course always seemed to be inclining either up or down. For folks that care about that stuff, be warned. Race organization was great. Crowds were light to nonexistent after the halfers split off. Water stations were every mile. A couple of stretches of road had a VERY noticeable camber if you didn't run the middle of the road. Location of the start/finish relative to downtown lodging was wonderful! No shuttles!!! All in all, a nice event for a good cause.

Ran the Half as a St. Jude Hero. well-organized; St. Jude and volunteers did everything for runners except the actual mileage; wonderful pasta dinner the night before the race; great support from City of Memphis; great course; fabulous cheering crowds; wearing the Hero shirt made me a rock star for the weekend! great perks for Heroes! nice expo; nice weather; nice medal; set a PR by 10 minutes. amazing experience running through the St. Jude campus to cheers and thanks of crowd!!! definitely want to run it again!

This is an absolutely AMAZING run. I don't know where to begin. This is the best half marathon I have ever completed. Running through the campus of St. Jude is something you will never forget. Beautiful course along the river and Beale street was amazing. Can't wait to go back.

The race started with a young lady singing the national anthem which was very touching. All the water stations were well stocked and supportive. Various crowd support along the way which was very encouraging in many ways. Good variety of food at the finish and the way it was handed out was effective and efficient. Nice touch with the pictures of Elvis at the end and Elvis signing along the way. Don't think I would change anything.

Course is billed as not hilly but it has some short steep inclines - do not be deceived. My biggest complaint is that many of the roads that you run on for 3-5 miles slope significantly towards the sides. This forces you to run as close as possible to the white line in the middle of the road. I tried to run tight corners and tangents as much as possible but my Garmin still said I ran 26.5 miles. Spectators were not all that enthusiastic. My pace team leader had to stir many of them up to cheer and make noise when we would run by - with the exception for the St Jude's campus itself. Expo was fair and easy to navigate. The highlight was meeting Hal Higdon and hearing him speak. Swag was nothing spectacular for the price. After race food was bountiful. Hot soup and hot chocolate are a great idea to prevent a rapid drop in your core temperature after running.

This is a first class event with some of the best people in the world. It is very flat for the most part, you can finish with a really good time.

This is a great race in a great city. The volunteers are great. The course and weather is great. The expo could be better, but overall a winner! Can't wait to get there again.

I am from Memphis, so of course I had to fly in from Austin for my first marathon. I also did Austin, so I can only compare the two. The course in Memphis was flat and had great fan support for most of the race. They provided GU and had water at every mile. The post-race food was plentiful and included pizza, fruit, bagels, etc. I have realized that these are big pluses after doing the Austin Marathon and supporting friends at their marathons. I also think this race was very organized and it was great crossing the finish line without a traffic jam. Great race!

I would recommend this marathon. The organization was great, and I enjoyed the course - particularly the stretch along the Mississippi River, Beale St., the St. Jude Campus, and the finish in the ballpark. Excellent post-race food. Cool December weather allowed for a PR opportunity. Really nice finisher's medal. Enjoyed staying at a hotel within walking distance of the start and finish.