Set for its 19th annual running on a loop course that takes runners along the banks of the winding Tennessee River, the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K & Relay typically draws more than 4,000 participants in all four race events each year, including more than 2,000 runners in the half marathon alone.
Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K
April 6, 2025
Knoxville
Trail
Ready to sign up?
1,000-10,000
Challenging
Park Run
High: 74°
/ Low: 56°
Like the full marathon, the half marathon takes runners on a route that starts in downtown Knoxville, near the bridge at Clinch Avenue and Henley Street, just across from World’s Fair Park.
From there, the course starts out by heading through downtown on its way toward Neyland Drive, which runs alongside the river. Before they get to the river, however, runners will wind through the campus of the University of Tennessee, the home of the Volunteers.
Between the first and second mile markers, the half marathon route brings runners up to the banks of the river, and then heads west along Neyland Drive for the next mile and a half.
This section remains very flat as runners head north to meet up with Kingston Pike, where they turn left and head west, eventually turning left to head south on Cherokee Boulevard, which will take them along the banks of the river once again.
Runners keep heading south and west along with the river, through Knoxville’s Sequoyah Park, and then back north as the river curves around again.
A few turns along Kingston Pike, Newcom Avenue and Lebanon Street and runners are then turned onto the Knoxville City Greenways trail system, which taken together stretches an estimated 50 miles through the city. Runners will head northeast along the trail for roughly the next two and a half miles, all the way to Tyson Park.
Once the course passes along the edge of Tyson Park and meets up with Tyson McGhee Park Street, runners then turn off the trail and back onto the roadways for the final couple of miles of the race.
The next stretch brings runners back into downtown along 21st Street and Forest Avenue all the way back to the Knoxville Convention Center, where they’ll get to see the Knoxville Museum of Art and the famous Knoxville Sunsphere tower, which was built for the Knoxville World’s Fair back in 1982.
After a couple of turns, runners head toward the finish line back at the World’s Fair Park, in front of the World’s Fair Exhibition Hall.
Overview
Set for its 19th annual running on a loop course that takes runners along the banks of the winding Tennessee River, the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K & Relay typically draws more than 4,000 participants in all four race events each year, including more than 2,000 runners in the half marathon alone.
Course Description
Like the full marathon, the half marathon takes runners on a route that starts in downtown Knoxville, near the bridge at Clinch Avenue and Henley Street, just across from World’s Fair Park.
From there, the course starts out by heading through downtown on its way toward Neyland Drive, which runs alongside the river. Before they get to the river, however, runners will wind through the campus of the University of Tennessee, the home of the Volunteers.
Between the first and second mile markers, the half marathon route brings runners up to the banks of the river, and then heads west along Neyland Drive for the next mile and a half.
This section remains very flat as runners head north to meet up with Kingston Pike, where they turn left and head west, eventually turning left to head south on Cherokee Boulevard, which will take them along the banks of the river once again.
Runners keep heading south and west along with the river, through Knoxville’s Sequoyah Park, and then back north as the river curves around again.
A few turns along Kingston Pike, Newcom Avenue and Lebanon Street and runners are then turned onto the Knoxville City Greenways trail system, which taken together stretches an estimated 50 miles through the city. Runners will head northeast along the trail for roughly the next two and a half miles, all the way to Tyson Park.
Once the course passes along the edge of Tyson Park and meets up with Tyson McGhee Park Street, runners then turn off the trail and back onto the roadways for the final couple of miles of the race.
The next stretch brings runners back into downtown along 21st Street and Forest Avenue all the way back to the Knoxville Convention Center, where they’ll get to see the Knoxville Museum of Art and the famous Knoxville Sunsphere tower, which was built for the Knoxville World’s Fair back in 1982.
After a couple of turns, runners head toward the finish line back at the World’s Fair Park, in front of the World’s Fair Exhibition Hall.
