(See Information on the Memphis Grizzlies House 5K)
Race Start
The Marathon and Half Marathon start at 8 a.m. See the Events/Schedule section for more details.
Entries capped: To ensure the quality of the “race experience” for all participants, registrations will be limited to 3,000 in the marathon ... 8,000 in the half marathon ... and 3,000 in the Memphis Grizzlies House 5K.
Key Features
- Start and Finish lines two blocks apart and near over a dozen Downtown hotels, lots of restaurants, and Beale Street, Memphis’ entertainment district
- Dynamic finish in AAA baseball stadium (with use of locker rooms and shower facilities)
- Wave start
- Aid Stations with clocks, water, PowerAde®, and portolets . . . all at every mile
- Lots of spirit, music, and southern hospitality
Course Information
Runners and walkers will enjoy a course that's relatively flat with rolling hills featuring some of Memphis' most distinguished neighborhoods. With the race beginning (and ending) in Downtown Memphis, participants will pass many of the city’s most popular landmarks and attractions including the Mississippi River, Beale Street, Sun Studio (where Elvis Presley first recorded) and the National Civil Rights Museum. Runners will experience a dynamic finish at AutoZone Park, home of the Redbirds, Memphis' AAA baseball team.
View this year's course map.
List and description of course attractions and landmarks.
Course Elevations
Start = 245 feet above sea level
Finish = 230 feet above sea level
Highest point = 310 feet above sea level
Lowest point = 210 feet above sea level
On Course Support
Aid Stations at every mile: Each Aid Station features a visual display clock, portolets, Band-Aids®, Vaseline®, water, and PowerAde®. Race officials, runner number verification points and direction personnel will be located on the course as well. Energy gel will be available at mile markers 9, 15 and 21.
Spirit Stations throughout the course: Be entertained by both Memphis Music and non-traditional zaniness!
Traffic control will be directed by the Memphis Police Department.
Medical Support: There will be a full emergency field hospital at the Finish. In addition, there will be medical support on the course with nurses at several of the Aid Stations. The course doctor will be in the Race Director's car throughout the race and will be able to respond to emergencies in a few minutes. Runners who must drop out of the race will be picked up at one of the Aid Stations, which will be in radio contact with the main medical unit at the Finish.
Post Race Support at AutoZone Park: Finishers will have access to a variety of food and beverages. Complimentary massages will also be available, as well as an attended bag check area and access to the shower facilities in the ballpark’s locker rooms (participants should furnish their own soap and towels).
Certification/Sanctioning
The event is sanctioned and supervised by Memphis Runners Track Club, an affiliate of RRCA.
The course has been certified by USA Track & Field (USATF):
Marathon ... #TN07046MS
Half Marathon ...#TN07045MS
The event is recognized by USATF as the official Tennessee State Championship for both the Marathon and the Half Marathon.
The event is sanctioned as a qualifying race for The Boston Marathon. Additionally, qualified times in this year's St. Jude Memphis Marathon will achieve eligibility for the next two Boston Marathons since both of which will be held within 24 months of this year's SJMM. For additional details and a list of qualifying times, go to www.bostonmarathon.org.
Participant Amenities
All registrants will receive a race number, timing chip, goody bag, and official long-sleeved T-shirt (available at packet pickup area only).
All finishers will receive a medal, access to food and beverages, and invitation to the afternoon Post-Race Celebration.
Certificates of Completion are available online several weeks after the event.
Awards & Prizes
Marathon Purse*: Prize money totaling $30,000 will be awarded to the top 10 male and top 10 female finishers in the marathon only as follows:
| 1st - $5,000 |
|
6th - $750 |
| 2nd - $3,000 |
|
7th - $600 |
| 3rd - $2,000 |
|
8th - $500 |
| 4th - $1,500 |
|
9th - $400 |
| 5th - $1,000 |
|
10th - $250 |
Note that we no longer offer prize money in the Masters Division or in the half marathon.
Course Record Money*: In addition to the first place check, a bonus of $1,000 will be paid to the male marathon champion who has a winning time of 2:16:48 or better . . . and to the female marathon champion who has a winning time of 2:37:10 or better.
*Individual checks will be mailed within 10 working days following receipt of proper tax forms.
A Note About Official Times for Prizes and Awards: The results for the Open Division only in all three races, including determination of cash prizes in the Marathon (as well as Course Record Bonuses), will be based on the actual order of finish (“gun time”). Results determining the awarding of trophies and plaques in all other divisions and age groups of all races will be based on “chip time.”
Shelby County Winners: The male and female residents of Shelby County, Tennesee with the lowest Marathon finish times will each receive a cash prize of $500 for first place, $300 for second, and $200 for third . . . generously funded and distributed by Memphis Runners Track Club. Click here for residency guidelines.
Trophies will be awarded on to the top three male and top three female finishers in both the marathon and half marathon in the following divisions: Open, Masters (40+), Grand Masters (50+), Senior Masters (60+), and resident of Shelby County, Tennessee. Trophies for the Open Division of both races will be awarded at the Awards Ceremony on race day. All other trophies will be mailed within two weeks after the event.
Plaques will be awarded to the top three male and female finishers in both the marathon and half marathon in the following age groups and a wheelchair division. Since plaques are personalized, production/distribution is targeted for 45 – 60 days following the race.
11-15 (half marathon only)
16-19 45-49
20-24 50-54
25-29 55-59
30-34 60-64
35-39 65-69
40-44 70-74
75+
The St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend follows the wheelchair definition set by Wheelchair Sports USA in Division 3 Specific Rules for Track Events, Rule 50.5.
NOTE: There will be no duplication of trophies or plaque awards.
Drug Testing: USA Track and Field (USATF), recognized by the United States Olympic Committee, is the sanctioning and certifying body for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon and Half Marathon. Without USATF certification, any record set or qualifying times achieved would not be recognized. Athletes who participate in this competition may be subject to formal drug testing in accordance with USATF rules and IAAF Rule 55. Athletes found positive for banned substances or who refuse to be tested will be disqualified from the event and will lose eligibility for future competitions. Some prescriptions and over the counter medications contain banned substances. Information regarding drugs and drug testing may be obtained by going to the United States Olympic Committee Web site at www.usoc.org or by going to the United States Anti-Doping Agency Web site at www.usantidoping.org.
Elite Athletes
In addition to offering a cash purse (Marathon only), we do welcome Elite Athletes by waiving entry fees for those runners who have bettered certain finish times in a 24-month period prior to this year’s marathon. For a list of those standard times and a printable Elite Athlete Entry Application, click here.
Email marathon@stjude.org for more information on our Elite Program.
Other Important Information
Chip Timing: All participants will be furnished a ChampionChip with their registration packet which will determine the official finish time. The chip must be returned at the Finish Line to avoid a charge.
Wave Start: In order to alleviate crowding at the Start and first few miles of the race, we are once again featuring a staggered wave start. All participants will be asked to position themselves at the Start in a pre-assigned “Corral” which best corresponds to their projected pace (average minutes per mile). When the horn sounds, the first Corral (and Elites runners in front) will be released. The runners in Corral #2 will walk slowly to the Start Line where they will be held in place for two minutes, then released . . . and so on until the last Corral has been released.
Pace Team: This year's race will again feature pace teams, coordinated by volunteer members of the Memphis Runners Track Club. Pace teams will be organized at target finish times, beginning with 3 hours and 10 minutes and continuing in 5-minute increments through a finish time of 4:00, then at 15-minute increments from 4:15 through a finish time of 5:45. For more information, visit the pace team booth at the Expo when you obtain your info packet and race number.
If you are an experienced marathoner and would be interested in leading a pace group for a specific time, please contact Brooke Sansone, Pace Team Coordinator.
Course Closing: Officially, the course will be open for six hours after the official start time (or adjusted if a late start). However, note that traffic control by the Memphis Police Department, the use of cones and the operation of Aid Stations will cease in stages along the course (some before 2 p.m) as the event progresses. Accordingly, it is important that runners and walkers maintain a minimum 14 minute per mile pace to take advantage of this support. Once normal vehicular traffic resumes, participants should proceed at their own risk and are asked to use sidewalks. Volunteers will continue to monitor participants’ progress along the course.
The Finish Line will operate until 3:30 p.m. Official times will be recorded, and medals will be distributed until this time.
Walkers: Walkers will be positioned in the last Corral and will start at the same time as runners, following the prescribed course. For safety reasons, they must start behind the runners. Walkers who cannot maintain a pace of 14 minutes per mile may be asked to move to the sidewalk as portions of the course close and course support ceases.
Historical Temperatures for Memphisin the first week of December:
Average high - 56 degrees F (Record high of 81 degrees F in 1982)
Average low - 38 degrees F (Record low of 15 degrees F in 1937)
Mean - 46 degrees F
What’s Prohibited: (noncompliance with the following may result in immediate disqualification): Unregistered runners, unauthorized vehicles, bicycles, skateboards, strollers, baby-joggers, and runners with pets are strictly prohibited to assure runner safety and to comply with liability insurance requirements.
Under USATF Rule 144.3b, the wearing of headphones and other listening devices (such as Ipods) is prohibited while on the race course.
Finally, any type of support or unauthorized pacing will not be allowed.
