Entry through the organiser
Entry details on the organiser’s site →
The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.
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Country Music Marathon
At a glance
- Race day
- The 2027 race
- Start
- 07:207:20 AM
- Distance
- 42.2 km26.2 mi
- Marathon · Half marathon · 10K · 5K · miles
- Entry fee
- US$124
- For the 2027 race
- Time limit
- 6 hours
The course
The organiser describes a marathon through Nashville's iconic neighborhoods, past Broadway's honky-tonks, Dolly Parton's recording studio and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
- Broadway, Music Row and the GulchBroadway's honky-tonks, Music Row, the Gulch and the Hall of Fame.
- Start at 8th and Broadway, finish at the Titans' stadium8th and Broadway to the Titans' stadium; the 2027 courses are not out yet.
- A 7:20 start, corrals and a six hour limit7:20 am start, a 6 hour limit, corrals by estimated finish time.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
Whole courseLandmarkBroadway, Music Row and the GulchBroadway's honky-tonks, Music Row, the Gulch and the Hall of Fame.
The organiser’s course page says the marathon takes runners around Nashville through the city’s most iconic neighborhoods, past Broadway’s honky-tonks, Dolly Parton’s recording studio and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Its race home page also names Music Row and The Gulch among the landmarks on the route.
Live music and cheerleaders are promised at entertainment stages from start to finish.
Sourced
Whole courseFinishStart at 8th and Broadway, finish at the Titans' stadium8th and Broadway to the Titans' stadium; the 2027 courses are not out yet.
The organiser lists the start line as 8th and Broadway and the finish line as the stadium of the Tennessee Titans. The 2027 event schedule gives the same start location for the marathon and the half marathon.
The course maps on the organiser’s page are the 2026 maps, published as downloadable pictures and marked subject to change. The same page says the 2027 courses are coming soon.
Sourced
Whole courseConditionsA 7:20 start, corrals and a six hour limit7:20 am start, a 6 hour limit, corrals by estimated finish time.
The 2027 event schedule puts the marathon start at 7:20 am on Saturday. The 6 hour limit is the organiser’s published limit for the 2026 race; no 2027 limit is out yet.
Runners are placed in start corrals by the estimated finish time on their entry, and the organiser provides water, sports drink and gel along the course. Its FAQ says the marathon is a certified course and a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.
Sourced
Race weekend
Thursday 22 April Expo
-
12:0012:00 PM–19:007:00 PM
Health & Fitness Expo opens Music City Center, Halls C & D. Thursday expo hours, 12 PM to 7 PM.
Friday 23 April Expo
-
10:0010:00 AM–19:007:00 PM
Health & Fitness Expo Music City Center, Halls C & D. Friday expo hours, 10 AM to 7 PM.
Saturday 24 April Race day
-
07:207:20 AM
Marathon start 8th & Broadway. The half marathon starts at the same time and place. The 10K and 5K start at 6:30 AM from 8th & Demonbreun. -
Time not published
Overall time limit Time limit 6 hours for the marathon, as stated on the organiser's course page for the 2026 race. No finish-closing clock time is published for 2027. 6:00 limit: 8:31/km for 42.195 km6:00 limit: 13:43/mi for 26.2 mi
Times as published by the organiser, in Nashville time, checked . Confirm on their site before you travel.
The forecast for Saturday
Race morning, on the record
Add to calendar .ics file, times in Nashville time
Entry
Race fuel
Energy gel
5 gels for Nashville, plus 1 spare
Finish
One every 40 minutes, by the clock:
Under about 75 minutes most runners need no gel: water at the aid stations does it.
- km 7mile 4.4
- km 14.1mile 8.7
- km 21.1mile 13.1
- km 28.1mile 17.5
- km 35.2mile 21.8
For your long training runs:
Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side. Enough for race day and two test long runs.
Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.
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In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.
Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.
Anti-chafe
Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml
An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.
Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.
Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.
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We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Number belt
Compressport Race Belt
Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.
Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.
Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.
Get it on Amazon
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Electrolytes
SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20
One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.
One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.
Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Blister plasters
Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6
One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.
Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.
Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Questions about the Country Music Marathon
- When is the Country Music Marathon 2027?
- Saturday 24 April 2027. The start is at 7:20 AM.
- How do I enter the Country Music Marathon?
- Entry is through the organiser. Entry fee: US$124 (for the 2027 race). Entry details on the organiser’s site
- What is the time limit at the Country Music Marathon?
- Runners have 6 hours to finish.
- Where does the Country Music Marathon start?
- Start: 8th & Broadway.
Keep exploring
More races to look at after the Country Music Marathon.
