The Rock 'n' Roll Nashville Marathon course is a hilly and challenging tour through Nashville. Runners will find solace that the the last 11 miles is relatively flat and will give runners a break from the constant hills.
The Rock n Roll Nashville Marathon was the 27th largest marathon in the U.S. last year and was the 36th largest in 2022.
This year 2.8% of finishers qualified for the Boston Marathon and 3.5% of runners qualified for Boston in 2023.
This gives the Rock n Roll Nashville Marathon the 378th highest percentage of Boston Marathon qualifiers in the U.S. last year and the 335th highest percentage so far in 2024.
Its Course Score of 98.15 ranks it as the 308th fastest marathon course in the U.S. and the 4th fastest course in Tennessee.
The typical race time temperature and humidity levels are above the ideal range for optimal marathon performance. This, coupled with the Course Score, gives the Rock n Roll Nashville Marathon a PR Score of 96.83. This PR Score ranks it as the 345th fastest marathon in the U.S. and the 7th fastest in Tennessee.
Learn more about PR Scores and Course Scores on the FAQ page.
Rock n Roll Nashville Marathon Elevation Chart
Max Elevation: 627 feet (191m) Min Elevation: 407 feet (124m)
Hotel & VRBO Accommodations for the Rock n Roll Nashville Marathon
View available accomodations around the Rock n Roll Nashville Marathon Finish Line and Course. Book your Reservation now before the best places are sold out.
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J's review of 2024 Rock n Roll Nashville Marathon.
2 /
5 Stars
Review
Likes- Love the City of Nashville! Great crowd support!!
Dislikes- Weak Expo, cluttered race website with actual important race day info scattered and difficult to find, NO CORRAL MANAGEMENT! Many walkers and slow runners in the first corrals!, Extremely inadequate number of portable toilets for huge number of runners, course extremely hilly with large hill at the very end, course extremely crowded for half marathon, course funnels runners into very narrow gaps along course along with many tight, crowded turns. Rock N Roll does terrible job overseeing this event.
Race Tips
Expect crowded, hilly course with many tight turns right up to finish line. Weather is typically warm to hot. Support crowds are great for half marathon but not many for second half of full marathon. Most of second half of full is down and out in unattractive industrial part of town.
MJ's review of 2024 Rock n Roll Nashville Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
Overall this was a very fun race! I no longer care about race packages etc, as those glory days are long gone. That said, it was super quick and efficient to get the race bib. As most people can probably attest to, Nashville is not the most conducive spot to prepare for a marathon. We were out on Broadway until 10:30pm the night before drinking beer ha ha.
I'm a 3:05 marathoner, so got to start in the first corral. I had a buddy running in the half, while our wives ran in the 10k. All in all, it was pretty well run. The 10k looked like it got off to a good start, then we walked to the marathon start a block away.
Race day weather proved impossible for a PB (21 degrees Celsius @ 7am, climbing to 26 by end of race and 29 by Noon), so it was more about enjoying the experience. This race is HILLY! I thought most of the reviewers just hadn't raced a hilly marathon before, but damn....this was an experience. The elevation map on the official site is very misleading. The second half is just as hard as the first. My buddy who ran the half could not imagine that I had to do double those hills.
In terms of atmosphere, Nashvillians were out on their lawns having parties and cheering us on. It was very appreciated. I don't really care about the musicians playing music when I'm feeling like absolute crap, but I'm sure lots of people loved it. Very cool to run around lots of famous spots in Nashville. The second half of the marathon is more desolate and industrial, which isn't the worst thing when you are in the suffer fest. Being from Canada, this race was so hot that I'm pretty sure I had heat stroke. My stomach was completely in knots from having so much water in my belly. I probably consumed 4-5 litres of water, and was still extremely dehydrated when I finished. What a wild experience ha ha. My 3:30 finish felt like a 3:10 accomplishment.
I would say if you are a serious marathoner, there is almost no possibility of a personal best on this course. That being said, sometimes marathons are not about PBs. They are about tackling the elements of that day and persevering (and having fun!), and I would say of the 25 marathons I have done, this one ranks in the top 5 for most proud accomplishment.
The best part of this race is that you get to hit the honky-tonks after! Nashville is one of the funnest cities I've ever been to. Enjoy!
MJ's review of 2024 Rock n Roll Nashville Marathon.
5 /
5 Stars
Review
Overall this was a very fun race! I no longer care about race packages etc, as those glory days are long gone. That said, it was super quick and efficient to get the race bib. As most people can probably attest to, Nashville is not the most conducive spot to prepare for a marathon. We were out on Broadway until 10:30pm the night before drinking beer ha ha.
I'm a 3:05 marathoner, so got to start in the first corral. I had a buddy running in the half, while our wives ran in the 10k. All in all, it was pretty well run. The 10k looked like it got off to a good start, then we walked to the marathon start a block away.
Race day weather proved impossible for a PB (21 degrees Celsius @ 7am, climbing to 26 by end of race and 29 by Noon), so it was more about enjoying the experience. This race is HILLY! I thought most of the reviewers just hadn't raced a hilly marathon before, but damn....this was an experience. The elevation map on the official site is very misleading. The second half is just as hard as the first. My buddy who ran the half could not imagine that I had to do double those hills.
In terms of atmosphere, Nashvillians were out on their lawns having parties and cheering us on. It was very appreciated. I don't really care about the musicians playing music when I'm feeling like absolute crap, but I'm sure lots of people loved it. Very cool to run around lots of famous spots in Nashville. The second half of the marathon is more desolate and industrial, which isn't the worst thing when you are in the suffer fest. Being from Canada, this race was so hot that I'm pretty sure I had heat stroke. My stomach was completely in knots from having so much water in my belly. I probably consumed 4-5 litres of water, and was still extremely dehydrated when I finished. What a wild experience ha ha. My 3:30 finish felt like a 3:10 accomplishment.
I would say if you are a serious marathoner, there is almost no possibility of a personal best on this course. That being said, sometimes marathons are not about PBs. They are about tackling the elements of that day and persevering (and having fun!), and I would say of the 25 marathons I have done, this one ranks in the top 5 for most proud accomplishment.
The best part of this race is that you get to hit the honky-tonks after! Nashville is one of the funnest cities I've ever been to. Enjoy!
3.4 Stars from 18 Reviews
