Approximately 24,000 Registered Runners Take On The 2023 St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Nashville for A Running Tour of Music City

April 22, 2023

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 22, 2023)/ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – 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 25^th 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.

For more information on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series, please visit www.runrocknroll.com. Media inquiries may be directed to press@runrocknroll.com.

** Terms and Conditions: Footage and photography is provided courtesy of The IRONMAN Group for news and editorial coverage within 48 hours of the event and is not to be archived. Media may use up to a total of two minutes of video. The B-Roll packages are not provided for the intent of posting the footage in its entirety. Any commercial use or other use of the footage and or photos is strictly prohibited unless a separate written license is obtained from and signed by an authorized representative of The IRONMAN Group. Additional terms and conditions can be found here. Usage of materials constitutes acceptance of terms. **

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About Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series

The Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series is the world’s largest running series taking part in destination locations around the world every year. 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 weekend kicks 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^® Series, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf^®, UTMB^® World Series 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 including Haute Route^®, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually 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 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. 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, 1010data and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 17,000 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.