4,000 volunteers & 45 cheer stations: What to expect from Memphis' St. Jude's marathon
St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend is nearing, and the Bluff City is preparing to welcome some 20,000 runners who will weave through Downtown and Midtown streets, effectively turning these parts of Memphis into a block party with a side of athleticism.
The marathon is the largest single-day fundraising event for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; the organization anticipates raising $15 million from the marathon weekend, now in it's 22nd year.
The funds raised will, in part, help St. Jude continue a six-year strategic plan enhancing international services to roughly 400,000 kids with cancer around the world.
Here's what you need to know about the weekend and how you can participate, regardless if you're running or not.
4,000 volunteers and 45 cheer stations
The marathon is largely powered by a small army of volunteers — around 4,000 for the 2023 marathon. While pre-registration for day-of volunteers is closed, you can head to the Renasant Convention Center on Thursday or Friday, where a health and wellness expo will be held for two days.
Head to Room 101 on the first level of the convention center at 11 a.m. or 3 p.m. each day to sign up as a volunteer.
If you really excel in procrastination, you can also sign up the day of the race — but you'll need to report to the volunteer tent at Autozone Park at 6 a.m.
If you don't want to volunteer, you can always join in on cheering for the runners at 45 designated "cheer stations" along the routes.
Crowd participation has become it's own subculture; Memphians have made an art of cheering on runners with posters, costumes, noisemakers and general enthusiasm.
Where does the St. Jude Memphis Marathon start?
This year, the full and half marathon routes will bring runners to the Mississippi riverfront and through the newly renovated Tom Lee Park.
For those taking on the full or half marathons, the race will start on Beale Street in Downtown Memphis, next to the FedExForum at 8 a.m. The shorter 5k and 10k races will kick off earlier, at 7 a.m., on B.B. King Boulevard adjacent to AutoZone Park.
The first 10 miles of the race meander through Downtown streets and sights, including the yearly tradition of participants running through the St. Jude campus.
The bulk of the Downtown miles include runners on Main Street, Front Street, and 2nd Street, with turns on side streets on either end of the Downtown area. If you're not running or cheering on the runners, avoiding Downton entirely for the duration of the marathon is your best move.
In Midtown, the main route artery is North Parkway, with detours through the Evergreen and Vollintine-Evergreen neighborhoods leading up to Overton Park. The southern half of Midtown is largely unaffected by the route, as Poplar Avenue is the southern-most street that will see runners.
To see a map of the full route and a description of each mile, head to St. Jude's website.
Micaela Watts is a reporter for The Commercial Appeal covering issues tied to healthcare, hospitals, and resource access. She can be reached at micaela.watts@commercialappeal.com.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What to expect from St. Jude Marathon weekend in Memphis
