Run It Fast®

It is eighty miles from my home to Nashville. Give or take a few miles. It depends on where in town you are going. Yesterday I was going to LP Field, the place where most Country Music runners park.

I got up at 3:30 a.m. drove I-40 blurry-eyed. Once parked, I headed across the Shelbly Street Pedestrian Bridge, joining a stream of runners. A slate gray morning light that earlier had hit the downtown towers now turned red. I hoped to meet a Twitter pal I’ve never seen.

I was assigned Corral 6. Always before I’d started from Corral 1 so as to lower the gun time used in state records. This year it didn’t matter. Even though I wore a marathon bib number I intended to run the half marathon. And I intended to run it slow. State record was a non factor.

Intended to run the half because on Monday I’d run the Boston Marathon, and by some miracle actually finished it, although I’d not run much prior in a couple of months. So wasn’t going to run 26.2 again so soon.

Read the full story by Dallas Smith by clicking HERE

These are the medals for the Country Music Marathon & Half Marathon that took place on April 27, 2013 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Great colorful medals! Hits all the right notes. 😉

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[medal photo submitted by Katherine Phillips]

19-year old Ryan James, making his marathon debut yesterday, won the 2012 St. Jude Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee with a time of 2:32:47.

James won easily by eight minutes over Arizona’s Steve Slaby (2:40:16) with third place going to Daniel Smoak (2:41:44).

Top overall female went to Georgia’s Erin Sutton in 2:54:16. It was her debut marathon as well.

Second place female was Karen Lockyer (2:56:21) and third went to Anya Bogdanets (3:02:15).

Only 11 runners of the 3,925 finishers went sub 3-hours on the hilly and hot course.

Top 10 St. Jude Country Music Marathon Finishers

1. Ryan James – 2:32:47
2. Steve Slaby – 2:40:16
3. Daniel Smoak – 2:41:44
4. Calvin Bannister – 2:51:25
5. Timothy Clarke – 2:53:21
6. Erin Sutton – 2:54:16
7. Colin Meyer – 2:54:33
8. Jadyn Stevens – 2:56:13
9. Karen Lockyer – 2:56:21
10. Tim Carven – 2:58:03

2012 St. Jude Country Music Marathon Searchable Results

I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from Ryan and Erin.

Top 5 St. Jude Country Music Half Marathon Finishers

1. Sammy Kiplagat – 1:10:08
2. Johnathan Lejeune – 1:11:44
3. Jordan Wilson – 1:12:44
4. Bradley Chronister – 1:14:19
5. Brian Shelton – 1:14:42

The female winner of the CMM Half Marathon was Sharon Thompson, from Franklin, with a time of 1:19:39. Second female went to Tamara Karrh (1:20:26) with third going to Ashley Evans (1:22:47).

Congrats to these top finishers and everyone who finished the Country Music Marathon or 1/2 Marathon yesterday.

We asked on Twitter (@runitfast) where you were running this weekend and 80 of you responded!

Good luck to you all this weekend and Run It Fast!

Joshua Holmes – Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee

Naresh Kumar – RIF#2 will be running the Country Music Marathon #CMM

Scott Wood – Nashville Country Music Half Marathon

Terri Selig – I’m running the KY Derby Festival Marathon!!! Woohoo!

Lia – Big Sur Marathon!

Miss Potter – I’m looking forward to the #TwitterRoadRace this Saturday! Still time to sign up… http://tinyurl.com/87jqvqv

Arturo Moreno – St. Jude Nashville Marathon

Lisa Gonzales – I’m doing back-to-back long runs on local roads & trails.

Don Newman Kazery – Starkville, Ms

Kosher Peter – barefoot on grass this weekend and a 10k in Shiprock the following weekend! 😀

Neil Zeller – Police Half Marathon in Calgary Alberta. @YYCPoliceHalf

Chris Haynes – Country Music Half Marathon, Nashville, TN!

Kat – Get in Gear Half Marathon – Minneapolis, MN

Shawna – First Full Mary!!!! @CountryMusic262 in Nashville!!!

Daniel – Eisenhower Park 4 miler!

Luis Ayala – Marvel Race!! Hulk costume!!

Alvin Lee – Local 10k Pikes Peak Rockville, MD

Jeff Burrell – nashville marathon

Jesse Schneider – Derby Festival Mini Marathon in Louisville, KY

Vanessa Goodman – the @TheGreenRun #Houston Sat. My first 10k! I’m ready to #runfast

Jesse Salazar – Big Sur marathon, CA.

Domenick P. Addesi – Tough Mudder PA baby!!! #thetimehascome

Jared Friesen – hitting the trails while in vacation on Maui!

Billy Zuccaro – Nashville TN fun race 1/2 marathon

SKORA Running – Eugene Marathon!

Erin Tucker – Running the Run For The Trees 5k in Winter Park, Fl Saturday!

Monkey Trent – Me too RT @bayou: @runitfast Country Music Marathon in Nashville, Tennessee

Kelly Berry – 23-mile training run around Minneapolis – my 2nd to last long training run before #Grandma‘sMarathon in June!

Matthew Mitchell – Cleveland 10 Miler #HermesCleveland

PerOla Axelsson – Lidingö Ultra 50km, Stockholm Sweden

Tim MacBean – Eugene marathon!

Ryan Malone – I’m running a 5k for Noble Hospital in Westfield MA on Saturday 🙂

Angie Gerber – Eight mile run. Countdown to Avenue of the Giants Marathon next Sunday! The taper is torture!

Edith Hurt – After long haul flight from Germany to Australia I’ll just get circulation going with 5-10km while @CanTooRunSwim buddies do 38km

Dennis Arriaga – Inaugural Pleasanton Half Marathon – Pleasanton, CA

Caloy Bautista – Does #TwitterRoadRace count? Doing it tomorrow

‘Ama – I would be running Pikes Peek 10K, if I wasn’t injured. 🙁

Robin Robbins – Country Music 1/2 Marathon Nashville,TN

Laura Gulso – @CrazylegsRun 8K is where I’m running tomorrow! Can’t wait to cross the finish line in Camp Randall Stadium!

Larry Keister – Kentucky Derby (half) Marathon in Louisville, KY

Brad Bennett – country music half tomorrow

Michelle Walker – Kentucky Derby Marathon

Hideki Kinoshita – I’m running @kdfrunner #KentuckyDerbyMarathon on Sat in Louisville. Marathon #95 / State #40, & I hope 23sub4. Thanks!#RunItFast

Colene Lord – Eugene Half Marathon Sunday!!! The finish line is on the University of Oregon track!

Laura Raeder – Big Sur…finally!

Erica Agran – Chicago Lakefront 10 and Ravenswood 5k!

rb – CCK Singapore

Marcia Larsen – Cara Lakefront 10 mile in Chicago

Tom Martin – I am running the Cherry Creek Sneak 5 mile run. Sunday

Crystal – I’ll be running the virtual #TwitterRoadRace on Cape Cod. I get to choose my own adventure.

MarathonJunkie™Engle – I will run on the beaches of Hawaii Sunday by 11 am.#mantan #vacay #notgonnarunEugene 🙁

Dallas Smith – Rock N Roll Nashville Country Music Marathon, whatever they’re calling it now.

Mike Clifford – running my first marathon in Gettysburg PA on Sunday!#excited

Nicholas L. Norfolk – I’ll be in #Nashvegas at @CountryMusic262. I’m doing the half, but it will be full of fun. #CountryMusicMarathon #RNRNash

Maria Stivers – Have several friends running Rock and Roll marathon in Nashville this weekend! Good luck @Mary3Smith, Terrie, Sandy and Jen!

Jordan Adams – Bob Jones Track Sectionals (Section 4, 4a)

telisa – Illinois marathon- Champaign Illinois

Bradley Reiter – Loaring Sun Run 5k this Sunday in Tecumseh ON.#pbseason

Cordell Lewis – Lime City Relays at HNHS

HalfMarathons.Net – The 21-miler at the Big Sur Marathon in Monterey!

Jeff Cook – Tour dePaul little rock ar

RunWell – Running @outrun24 in Ohio. Going to be cold for this Florida resident!

Gregory Wilson – My first Big Sur Marathon.

Kelley – I’m participating in the #TwitterRoadRace virtual 5k in my home town on a new route.

Elizabeth Kalifeh – big sur marathon!

Ed Ayres – Pacific Crest Trail, California. Hope the rattlesnakes are still asleep!

Kevin Ronayne – #TwitterRoadRace tomorrow

neilj1971 – James Joyce Ramble in Dedham MA

Beth – Louisville KY mini marathon in celebration of the Derby. My dad runs the race every year, this is my first year joining him.

elizabeth v rehmer  – #TwitterRoadRace !!! In Livingston mt

Laurie Cyr –  #ilmarathon relay. I am ready to run!

Timothy Agee – 4-hour pacer at the Country Music Marathon.

XC problems – everywhere!

Bill Hoover – Parkway Half Marathon, Sacramento CA

Running with Kids – 34th annual Minuteman 5K in Westport CT along beautiful Long Island Sound & through Longshore Country Club

Leah Thorvilson  – #FriscoRun in Willard (the Las Vegas of) Missouri.

Kristen Jones – Ben Layton Memorial 5k Run/Walk in Salisbury Maryland. I will be walking because I am almost 9 months pregnant!!

Chad Norton – Derby Festival Half Marathon

Stephen G – Conn’s Green 6.2 @TheGreenRun

Michelle Berg – Cheshire (CT) Half Marathon 4/29

———–

Here is a sneak peek look at the finisher medals for the 2012 Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon that will be handed out on April 28, 2012 in Nashville, Tennessee.

You will also notice the medal for Mini Marathon which is a massive 2.62 miles long and costs about the same as the regular marathons.

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

Here is a look at The 10 Best Marathons in Tennessee. The list is up for debate and based on some personal preferences and experiences. Feel free to drop a comment below with your thoughts on any of the marathons listed below or any that might have been omitted.

1. Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon (race website)- If you have never run a marathon then don’t dare attempt this one as your cherry-thon.  It is by far the best in Tennessee and the most beautiful, but it is extremely challenging with nearly 10,000 feet of ascents and the same amount of descents in the beautiful Harpeth Hills near Nashville.  The best race swag you will ever receive at any race (this side of a belt buckle) is at the Monkey.  Race participants in 2010 received a long sleeve personalized tech shirt, a tie-dyed Monkey t-shirt, and a beautiful wooden Monkey finisher’s medal.  And yet the post-race food buffet was even better than the race and swag combined. But this race fills up fast, like really fast, like 32 minutes fast.
2. St. Jude Marathon (race website)- The most meaningful marathon you can run in Tennessee and perhaps the United States. All of the proceeds go to St. Jude Children’s Hospital that treats children with cancer regardless of ability to pay.  The race is in early December and the weather is usually cold but good running weather.  It starts right outside of Auto Zone Park and finishes inside the stadium, after rounding the outfield warning track.  During the 26.2 miles you hit almost every major Memphis landmark including the Pyramid, Fedex Forum, Sun Studios, the Memphis Zoo, along with running through the St. Jude campus early in the race with several of the patients outside cheering you on. They will inspire you to run further and faster.  The race is a must-do for any Tennessean and highly recommended for out-of-staters as well.
3. Andrew Jackson Marathon (race website) – My hometown marathon so naturally it scores a bit higher with me than it probably would with others. The course is beautiful and rolling. Approximately 20 of the miles are out in the country, with the rest of the race in peaceful suburban neighborhoods with almost no traffic. It starts and finishes at Union University.  The field is usually small (less than 100), which I have come to enjoy, and most that run it have run it before at some point.  The AJM also includes a half marathon and 5K as well on race day. The finisher’s medal was actually a paper weight but aren’t all medals once they make it home?
4. Rock Creek Scenic City Trail Marathon (race website)- The only trail marathon to make this list. It is truly a great and peaceful run out in the woods of Chattanooga.  If you love the outdoors and endurance running then you won’t want to miss this beautiful trail run from the Rock Creek people.
5. Blister in the Sun Marathon (race website) – The toughest marathon in Tennessee due to three things: 1. heat, 2. repetition, and 3. hills.  The Blister lives up to it’s name as it takes place in early August which is a no-no for most Tennesseans to even run out to their car to grab their Marlboros.  Race day temps at the inaugural blister reached a blistering 89 degrees. The course at Cane Creek park in Cookeville consisted of 5 loops through a park before ascending a hellacious hill up and around Cane Creek elementary school.  The field in 2010 consisted of just 14 freaks, all with resumes that would easily have condemned the Bush administration if it had forced terrorists to attempt their feats.  Blister and Flying Monkey are by far the two toughest marathons in Tennessee.  The RD is a sub-3 hour freak so good luck beating him on his home course.
6. Southern Plunge Marathon (race website) – The inaugural Plunge in 2010 was surprising in how many things they did extremely well right off of the bat.  The Race Director put together an impressive logo that was then placed on top-notch Zorrel tech shirts and finisher’s medals.  The course was tougher than expected.  I had been told there was a small hill at mile 2. Well that was correct. It was the smallest hill that day.  The course had several climbs and the second half was rather taxing to most of the runners.  There is a rumor already circulating that the course will be changed for the second edition of the Plunge in 2011.
7. Knoxville Marathon (race website) – The best part of this marathon, especially for Tennessee Volunteer fans, is that you get to run the last 50 yard to the finish inside of Neyland Stadium.  The first half of the course is hilly, but it levels out a bit towards the end.  Nearly 700 people raced it last year.  The race t-shirt and medal were sub-par but that is nitpicking a bit.  There are better options to run a marathon in Tennessee, but if you are nearby Knoxville when this one is held you should check it out.
8. Country Music Marathon (race website) – One of the biggest half marathons in the United States, as well as one of the most overrated marathons in America. It’s a Rock N’ Roll series event which means it will be very large and populated. Usually there is around 26,000 runners for the half and just 4-5,000 for the full.  The best part of this race is the first half, even with the thick stack of people, where you run down Broadway and up Music Row.  After the 26,000 half marathoners divert off for the half finish the course gets extremely boring, hilly at points, and runs through the most industrial parts of Music City.  If you want to run in extreme weather this might be the right marathon for you.  In 2009, the marathon had temperatures in the mid 80’s and last year 75% of marathoners got diverted to a shortened finish (around 22 miles) due to tornadoes in the area.
9. Endorphin Marathon (race website) – One of the younger marathons on this list. It is located in Jackson, Tennessee and takes place around Labor Day each year.  The course is relatively flat and easy.  The field has grown each year and the swag is pretty impressive from what I’ve seen of it.  There is also a half marathon, 10K and 5K that takes place the same morning.  With a little bit more promotion and exposure this hidden gem of a marathon could become much larger and even rival Andrew Jackson.
10. Rutledge Marathon (race website) – If you have ever wanted to finish a marathon on a working-farm then this is the race for you.  The race is rather small but the race director does a very good job of making everyone feel welcomed and appreciated for coming out.  Rutledge is in east Tennessee so the course is one rolling hill after another, but the hills are minor and help keep the legs fresh throughout the race.