2023 Knoxville Marathon: Whether you're running or cheering, here's what to know

Devarrick Turner, Knoxville News Sentinel
·3 min read

The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon is ready to run this weekend. The premier event of the Knoxville Track Club since 2005 will have six marathon events April 1-2, including the full 26.2-mile race.

With a slight change from last year, the 2023 course will take dozens of runners and walkers through several neighborhoods, starting at the Clinch Avenue Bridge and finishing at World’s Fair Park.

Twenty live musical acts, including the Party Boys DJ Show, will keep participants and spectators motivated and entertained throughout the races. A health and fitness expo will also be April 1.

Here’s what you need to know about the 2023 Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon.

Runners make their way up Clinch Avenue during the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon in 2022. The race returns April 1-2, 2023 with six events.
Runners make their way up Clinch Avenue during the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon in 2022. The race returns April 1-2, 2023 with six events.

Race lengths and start times

All race events will start on the Clinch Avenue Bridge and finish at World’s Fair Park.

Saturday, April 1 events

  • Covenant Kids Run (1-mile): Begins at 5:30 p.m.

  • Covenant Health 5K: Begins at 7 p.m.

Sunday April 2 events

  • Marathon (26.2 miles): Begins at 7:30 a.m.

  • 2-Person Relay (26.2 miles total): Begins at 7:30 a.m.

  • 4-Person Relay (26.2 miles total): Begins at 7:30 a.m.

  • Half Marathon (13.1 miles): Begins at 7:30 a.m.

Clayton Health & Fitness Expo

The health and fitness expo is a fun, high-energy event featuring exhibitors of running and fitness apparel and shoes, as well as other supplies, products and services in fitness, sports and nutrition. There will be exhibitors of various interests for participants, families and spectators.

The expo is 9 a.m.-8 p.m. April 1 at World’s Fair Exhibition Hall (935 World’s Fair Park Drive). Admission is free to the public.

Running to the beat

They’ll be running and dancing in the street. From the start line to the finish line, and everywhere in between will be music. The Party Boys DJ Show will be at several points on the course to help keep runners motivated and energized, including the start and finish lines. Twenty live musical acts will be along the course, coordinated by Dante Music Entertainment.

Best spots to watch the race

A full course map can be found on knoxvillemarathon.com, but here are some of the recommended spots to cheer on the runners:

  • Start line on the Clinch Avenue Bridge

  • Western Plaza, located at the 4400 block of Kingston Pike

  • Tyson Park, located just off of Cumberland Avenue

  • Caswell Park, located in the Parkridge neighborhood

  • Island Home neighborhood

  • Finish line at World’s Fair Park

Runners will compete in the 2023 Knoxville Marathon the weekend of April 1-2.
Runners will compete in the 2023 Knoxville Marathon the weekend of April 1-2.

Where to park

There are several places to park near marathon routes, according to the marathon website, and city garage parking is free on the weekends. Places to park include:

  • 11th Street Garage

  • Market Street Garage

  • Locust Street Garages

  • Blackstock lot on 17th Street

  • Several lots owned by the University of Tennessee

Roads closed due to Knoxville Marathon

Clinch Avenue between Henley Street and World’s Fair Park Drive and World’s Fair Park Drive between Clinch and Grand avenues will be closed most of April 1-2 because they serve as the start and finish for all marathon events. Closures along Kingston Pike will be limited to one lane, according to a city news release.

The full and half marathons will occur in these areas, possibly causing closures and slowdowns:

  • Philip Fulmer Way to Neyland Drive

  • Kingston Pike through the Sequoyah Hills neighborhood.

  • Third Creek Greenway

  • Tyson Park

  • Fort Sanders neighborhood via Forest Avenue to World’s Fair Park (where the half marathon ends)

  • Old City (where the full marathon continues)

  • Fourth & Gill neighborhood

  • East Fifth and Washington Ave.

  • Magnolia Avenue at North Bertrand

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue to East Summit Hill

  • East Hill Avenue and James White Parkway

  • South Knoxville via Island Home and Sevier avenues

  • Gay Street through Market Square.

“Knoxville Police Department officers working security for the event will block intersections on the marathon route and allow vehicles to cross with caution during breaks between runners,” the city announced in a statement.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Twitter @dturner1208. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What to know about the 2023 Knoxville Marathon