St. Jude Memphis Marathon
Memphis, United States · December · Independent
Why people love it
- Kids and patients cheer on the St. Jude campus, the emotional high point.
- Riverfront at Tom Lee Park and a downhill finish at AutoZone Park.
- Aid about every 1.6 to 2.4 km (1 to 1.5 mi), with volunteers and spirit stops.
- Downtown hotels are walkable to the expo, start and finish.
- Finish party at the ballpark with donuts and chocolate milk.
Watch out for
- Rolling hills total 214 m (703 ft); reviewers disagree on how hard they are.
- Early December highs ranged from 4 to 22 °C (39 to 72 °F) in recent years.
- Corral and staggered starts delayed back-of-pack runners; one waited over an hour in 2026.
- Marathon support thins in the final 8 km (5 mi) and the finish area is crowded.
- Fundraising culture, and paid parking at the expo and on race day.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Tough
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.1
RaceRaves 4.4 out of 5 from 58 ratings, Marathon Maniacs about 9 of 10, FindMyMarathon 4.2. Recent marathon reviews dip to 2 or 3. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run4.2
RaceRaves production 4.6 out of 5 and 'best organization' from several Marathon Maniacs. A 2026 back-of-pack runner started over an hour late. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.9
Big crowds, a 6.5 hour cutoff, lenient enforcement and water every 1.6 km (1 mi). Rolling hills of 214 m (703 ft) temper it. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialAverage2.6
Only 4.3% to 6.1% of finishers qualified for Boston from 2021 to 2025. Reviewers say run it for St. Jude, not a fast time. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryPleasant3.4
RaceRaves scenery 3.7 out of 5. Riverfront at Tom Lee Park, Beale Street and the hospital campus; little to see in the last 8 km (5 mi). · Medium confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points3.0
Congested until about 6 km (mile 4) per a 2017 runner, with many turns and a confusing double loop around the park in 2021. · Medium confidence
- Road surfaceMixed3.3
City streets; one reviewer reports a crowned road on the North Parkway out-and-back that hurts joints. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed3.8
Downtown street race with city closures, but a 2021 runner mentions confusing loops and a staggered start; not confirmed km by km. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessRolling3.0
Gain of 214 m (703 ft) sits in the middle of the rolling band. Reviewers range from hills are minimal to make no mistake, hilly. · Medium confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
A loop with 214 m (703 ft) up and 215 m (706 ft) down, finishing on a downhill along Union Avenue. Boston qualifier. · High confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSome waiting3.4
Energetic corral countdowns in good years. Against that: a 2021 rolling start, a 2026 corral delay of over an hour, a 2018 storm delay. · Medium confidence
- Pacers and timingSome pace groups3.2
A 3:10 pace group held pace in 2016, but a 2021 pacer struggled to gather a group and a 2026 reviewer saw none. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportStrong4.4
Consistent top praise for spectators, kids cheering on the hospital campus, spirit stations and music. A few say the marathon gets thinner late. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsGood4.0
Water every 1.6 to 2.4 km (1 to 1.5 mi), staffed stations and spirit stops. Complaints: Nuun only in 2016 and 2018, thin late support. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindMostly calm3.5
Typical start wind 14 km (8.7 mi)/h (9 mph) from NNE; 2024 reviewer reported cold and windy. · Low confidence
- Air temperatureWarm or cool3.2
Average start 9 °C (48 °F), but 2025 began near 2 °C (35 °F) and 2021 hit 22 °C (72 °F). Highs vary widely. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable2.8
Race-date highs from 2021 to 2025 were 4, 9, 16, 18 and 22 °C (39, 47, 61, 64, 72 °F), plus a 2018 storm delay. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy3.8
Downtown start and finish, spirit stations and a compact campus section give good viewing; routes are loop-like. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level5.0
Elevation 66 to 93 m (219 to 306 ft) above sea level. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood4.2
Large city, with downtown hotels walkable to expo, start and finish. Book early for race weekend. · Medium confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.9
A 2012 reviewer cited downtown hotels around 60 USD, which is dated; Memphis remains cheaper than coastal races. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable4.4
Downtown hotels are walkable to expo, start and finish per 2017 reviewers; the Peabody Hotel sits near start and finish. · Medium confidence
- Travel easeEasy4.0
Memphis airport about 16 km (10 mi) from downtown; Interstate access from Nashville and the Mid-South. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.5
The expo was easy for some and a hassle for others. Paid parking at the expo and on race day; late Friday pickup helps. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGreat4.5
Beale Street, barbecue and the St. Jude weekend. Reviewers recommend staying downtown or midtown for restaurants. · Medium confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inEasy3.8
Open entry for 1,973 marathon finishers in 2025; the weekend is large (about 22,000) but full spots are available through fundraising and standard registration. · Medium confidence
- Value for moneyGood value3.5
Medal, donuts and chocolate milk at the finish are praised. Shirt fit and a poor award plaque drew criticism; some cost goes to charity. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Memphis, Shelby County, United States
- Typical month
- December
- Latest or next date
- 5 December 2026
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 1,973 athletes
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- loop
- Climbing
- 214 m (700 ft)
- Descent
- 215 m (705 ft)
- Start time
- 08:00
- Cutoff
- 6.5 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Paved city streets
- How to get in
- mixed
- Air temperature
- 3–12 °C (37–54 °F)
- Humidity
- Average 78% at the start
- Altitude
- 93 m (305 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Memphis International (MEM), 16 km (10 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Downtown Memphis, Midtown
- Booking
- Downtown hotels (Peabody) are walkable to expo, start and finish. Book early; Beale Street noise reported.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRaves (58 ratings, 27 marathon)Raced 2026 · aggregator · mixed-positive
4.4 of 5 from 58 ratings. Runners agree on the mission, crowd energy and volunteers. Recent marathon reviews are less happy: thin late support, no pacers, a start delayed by over an hour for back-of-pack, and a quiet mile 20. The campus section is short, and the North Parkway road is crowned.
“Strong mission, but full marathoners got little late support”
- Marathon Maniacs member reviews (19)Raced 2025 · aggregator · Positive
Nineteen reviews from 2016 to 2025, mostly 8 to 10 of 10. Themes are the charity, volunteers and crowd, hydration every mile, and a 'flat and fast' feel for some. Complaints: corral and rolling start confusion, a confusing double loop through the park and zoo in 2021, finish-area logistics, and an unclear time limit.
“Flat and fast course”
- FindMyMarathon race reviewsRaced 2023 · aggregator · mixed-positive
Ten reviews, average about 4.2 of 5. Reviews split on hills: 'minimal' to 'make no mistake, hilly'. Crowd and campus section are praised; Nuun-only electrolyte drew complaints in 2016 and 2018; unseasonably hot in 2018 with a storm delay.
“It's hilly, make no mistake about it”
- Bianca Phillips, 2017 race recap (Goodreads blog)Raced 2017 · blog · very positive
A slow back-of-pack runner's third marathon, 5:46. Crowds were supportive with spirit stations: drum, drag-themed, whiskey sample, beer, vegan pancakes and salted potatoes. Wave starts put her corral at about 8:20 a.m. High 18 °C (64 °F), chilly early; no hill comments.
- FindMyMarathon race factsRaced 2025 · article · neutral
Marathon finishers 1,973 in 2025, BQ rate 4.9%, gain 703 ft (214 m), rolling profile. Used for facts and a neutral read on how fast the course really is.
Show 2 more
- St. Jude news release, 2023 course changesRaced 2023 · article · neutral
Organiser release describing the refreshed route: riverfront, Tom Lee Park, Hernando de Soto bridge views, campus, and a downhill finish on Union Avenue to AutoZone Park. Organiser source, so used only for course facts.
- Action News 5 and Daily Memphian race coverageRaced 2025 · article · neutral
Local coverage: 22,000 plus runners in 2025, about 16 million USD fundraising goal, 15 million USD raised in 2023. A myrace.ai recap lists the 2025 marathon start at about 2 °C (35 °F) and 93% humidity with 313 m (1,028 ft) of gain.
Raced St. Jude Memphis Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
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