Nashville Half Marathon & 5K: 2026 Dates, Prices, Course
The Nashville Half Marathon & 5K, officially the Run Nash event, takes place Saturday, October 24, 2026, at First Horizon Park downtown. The half marathon starts at 7:00 a.m. and the 5K at 7:15 a.m., both finishing inside the ballpark with a festival and live entertainment.
Key Takeaways
The 2026 Run Nash event is set for Saturday, October 24, 2026, starting and finishing at First Horizon Park in downtown Nashville.
Official entry prices are listed at $120 for the half marathon and $65 for the 5K, though third-party listings show different figures, so confirm the current rate on the official registration page.
The half marathon covers 13.1 miles with a 4-hour time limit and a mile 8.3 cutoff at 9:40 a.m.; the 5K covers 3.1 miles with a 1-hour limit.
Race-day packet pickup starts at 6:00 a.m., with a Friday, October 23, 2026 expo also held at First Horizon Park.
The course is a road race with some hills. It is not a Boston Qualifier, and it is a different event from Rock 'n' Roll Nashville, which finishes at Nissan Stadium.
Groups running the race often base themselves in vacation rentals near downtown, such as Underwood Manor, which sits close to the West End and downtown corridor the race route touches.
If you searched "nashville half marathon & 5k" hoping for a straight answer on dates, pricing, and what the course actually feels like underfoot, you're in the right spot. This guide breaks down the Run Nash event happening in 2026, clears up the pricing confusion floating around different listing sites, and gives you a realistic picture of the hills and cutoffs around First Horizon Park.
Group trips built around a race weekend have become a regular thing in Nashville. Running clubs, work teams, and friend groups turning a 5K into a weekend getaway all show up on race morning. Whether you're running 3.1 miles or all 13.1, this article covers the details that matter for planning, not just the marketing copy.
We'll also address a common point of confusion: there are two similarly named Nashville races on the calendar, and mixing them up can cost you a registration fee or a missed start time. By the end, you'll know which race is which, what to expect from the course, and where to stay if you're bringing a group.
When Is the Nashville Half Marathon & 5K in 2026?
The Nashville Half Marathon & 5K is scheduled for Saturday, October 24, 2026, hosted by Run Nash at First Horizon Park in downtown Nashville. The half marathon begins at 7:00 a.m. and the 5K follows at 7:15 a.m., both starting and finishing at the ballpark.
October is a strong month for distance running in Nashville. Average fall temperatures sit well below the summer heat, and the race falls after the CMA Fest crowds of early summer and before the holiday travel rush. This date puts the event on the same weekend cycle it has historically run, though you should always confirm against the official Run Nash calendar since dates can shift year to year.
The Friday, October 23, 2026 expo, also held at First Horizon Park, is where most runners pick up bibs and shirts ahead of the Saturday morning start. Race-day packet pickup is also available starting at 6:00 a.m. for anyone who can't make the Friday window.
Is There a 5K Race in Nashville?
Yes, the Nashville 5K runs alongside the half marathon as part of the same Run Nash event on October 24, 2026. It covers 3.1 miles, starts at 7:15 a.m. at First Horizon Park, and carries a 1-hour time limit for finishers.
The 5K shares the same downtown starting area as the half marathon but follows a shorter loop that still passes recognizable Nashville landmarks near the ballpark. For a group with mixed fitness levels, this format lets a first-timer and a seasoned half marathoner start the same morning without one of them being miserable at mile 10.
Entry pricing for the 5K is listed at $65 on the official Run Nash page. All participants receive a commemorative medal and a participant T-shirt. If your group includes walkers, the 5K's 1-hour cutoff gives plenty of room to finish without racing the clock.
How Much Does It Cost to Register for the Nashville Half Marathon & 5K?
Official Run Nash pricing lists the half marathon at $120 and the 5K at $65, though other event listing sites show different numbers. Nashville Guru, for example, advertises a $55-$95+ range, which likely reflects earlier registration tiers rather than the current rate.
This kind of pricing mismatch is common with races that use tiered registration, where early-bird pricing is cheaper and prices climb as the event date approaches. If you're seeing a lower number on a secondary site, treat it as historical or promotional pricing rather than what you'll pay today. Register directly through the official Run Nash page to lock in the current rate and avoid surprises at checkout.
According to the official event page, registration is non-refundable and non-deferrable. Transfers to a different distance or to another participant are available for a fee. If your group is registering together and someone's plans might change, factor that transfer fee into your budget before signing up multiple people at once.
Runners looking for a cause-driven entry can register through Team DetermiNation, which supports the American Cancer Society through a dedicated fundraising bib option.
Is the Nashville Half Marathon Hilly?
The Nashville Half Marathon is a road race with some hills, and it is not classified as a Boston Qualifier course. That combination of rolling terrain and no BQ status tells you this is a course built for the experience, not for chasing a personal record.
Nashville's downtown and Music Row-adjacent terrain isn't flat like a coastal course, but it isn't a mountain race either. Expect gradual grade changes rather than punishing climbs, the kind of terrain where pacing matters more than raw hill training. If you're coming from a flatter home market, put in a few hill repeats beforehand so the rolling sections around mile 6 to mile 9 don't catch you off guard.
Run Nash's own promotional materials mention the course running through Music Row and the Gulch, two of Nashville's more topographically varied neighborhoods compared to the flat blocks along the river. If you've trained exclusively on flat pavement, add some incline work in the final six weeks before race day.
Is a Half Marathon Easier Than a 5K?
No, a half marathon is not easier than a 5K in terms of physical demand. The half marathon covers 13.1 miles compared to the 5K's 3.1 miles, requiring roughly four times the distance and a longer time on your feet, typically two to four hours versus 20 to 40 minutes.
What confuses people is intensity versus duration. A 5K can be run at a much higher effort level per mile since the total distance is shorter, which makes it feel hard in a different way. A half marathon spreads effort across a longer window, so the challenge shifts from raw speed to endurance and pacing over 13.1 miles.
For the Nashville event specifically, the half marathon's 4-hour time limit with a mile 8.3 cutoff at 9:40 a.m. means slower runners and run-walkers need a realistic pace plan. The 5K's 1-hour limit is far more forgiving for someone who just wants to finish and get to the festival.
What Half Marathons Are Happening in Nashville?
Nashville hosts more than one major half marathon each year, and the two most visible are the Run Nash Nashville Half Marathon & 5K in October and the Rock 'n' Roll Nashville event in spring. These are separate races with different courses, dates, and finish lines, and confusing them is one of the most common mistakes runners make when registering.
Rock 'n' Roll Nashville is scheduled for April 25-26, 2026, and includes a broader lineup of distances: full marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K, a 1-mile fun run, KiDS ROCK, and a Doggie Dash. Its course finishes at Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans, a different finish venue from the Run Nash event's First Horizon Park ballpark finish.
The table below lays out the key differences so you can register for the right one.
Detail | Run Nash (Nashville Half Marathon & 5K) | Rock 'n' Roll Nashville |
2026 Date | October 24, 2026 | April 25-26, 2026 |
Distances Offered | Half marathon, 5K | Marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K, 1 mile, KiDS ROCK, Doggie Dash |
Start/Finish Venue | First Horizon Park | Nissan Stadium |
Half Marathon Price | $120 (official) | Varies, check official Rock 'n' Roll Nashville course overview |
Boston Qualifier | No | Check current event classification |
If you're registering for a group, double-check the event name against the date before you book flights or a rental. A weekend built around the wrong race is an expensive mistake to fix after the fact.
What Does the Course Actually Look Like, Neighborhood by Neighborhood?
The Run Nash course route touches downtown Nashville, Music Row, and the Gulch before finishing on the field inside First Horizon Park. This is the piece most race previews skip: what you're actually running past, not just marketing phrases like "iconic landmarks."
Downtown Nashville, near the start, means wide streets and taller buildings, the kind of urban canyon that can trap early morning shadow and keep temperatures cooler for the first few miles. Music Row is a mix of low-slung recording studios and residential blocks, quieter with less crowd noise than downtown. The Gulch has become one of Nashville's more vertical neighborhoods in the last decade, with converted rail yards now lined by condo towers and restaurants, so more spectators are likely to be out along that stretch if the timing lines up with brunch crowds.
Expect some road closures on race morning, standard for any city-street event of this size. Field size for this event typically falls in the low thousands, which keeps the course from feeling as congested as a marathon-major event but still busy enough near the start line that positioning yourself by pace group matters. Because the official materials don't publish a detailed turn-by-turn map with elevation notes, plan on checking the final course map closer to race week rather than assuming last year's route is identical.
What Should You Know About Parking, Transit, and Getting to First Horizon Park?
First Horizon Park sits at 19 Junior Gilliam Way in downtown Nashville, and the official event page lists the distance to the start/finish line as 0.6 miles from the general venue area, so some walking is built into race morning logistics. If you're driving in, plan for downtown parking garage rates and arrive well before the 6:00 a.m. packet pickup window if picking up race morning.
Downtown Nashville parking garages typically run in the range of $10 to $25 for a full day on event weekends, though exact rates depend on the specific garage and whether it's a special-event rate. Rideshare drop-off near a ballpark venue on a Saturday morning with road closures can also mean a longer walk from your drop point than a normal weekday, so build in extra time.
If your group is staying in a vacation rental rather than a downtown hotel, factor in the drive or rideshare time separately from the race-morning walking distance. A property that's a quick Uber ride from downtown, rather than a 30-minute drive, makes the 6:00 a.m. packet pickup and 7:00 a.m. gun time far less stressful. This is also where planning things to do in Nashville around the race weekend pays off, since a well-located home base lets you handle race morning and still have energy for the finish-line festival afterward.
What Happens at the Finish Line and Festival?
The Run Nash finish-line festival runs from 7:00 a.m. to noon, with the official finish line open from 7:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. inside First Horizon Park, home of the Nashville Sounds. Every finisher crosses onto the ballpark field itself rather than a standard street-level finish chute.
The half marathon route includes on-course pacing teams and hydration stations along the way, which matters for anyone attempting their first 13.1-mile distance. Post-race, expect live music and refreshments at the festival, plus the standard finisher medal and T-shirt every registered participant receives.
Finishing inside a professional ballpark gives the event a different feel than a typical street finish. It's a real perk of this course design. If your group is running together but at different paces, the field finish area gives you room to regroup and take photos before heading out for the rest of the day.
How Should You Train for the Time Limits and Cutoffs?
The half marathon's 4-hour time limit requires an average pace of roughly 18 minutes 20 seconds per mile or faster to finish within the window, and the mile 8.3 cutoff at 9:40 a.m. adds a checkpoint you need to hit on pace. The 5K's 1-hour limit is comfortable for nearly any walker or run-walker.
If you're a run-walk participant targeting the 4-hour half marathon limit, back-calculate your pace from the mile 8.3 cutoff first. Starting at 7:00 a.m., you have until 9:40 a.m. to reach that point, which works out to roughly 19 minutes per mile average through the first 8.3 miles. If your training pace is slower than that on tired legs, consider the 5K instead, or put in more speed work over the summer before race day.
Given the course's rolling terrain through Music Row and the Gulch, build at least two hill-focused training runs per week into your final six weeks of preparation if you're coming from a flatter home course. Hydration station spacing along the route wasn't published in detail in the official materials, so carrying a small handheld water bottle is a reasonable hedge for anyone running toward the back of the field.
Practical Guidance: What to Prioritize Before Race Day
Getting the logistics right matters as much as training for a race weekend, especially with a group. Here's what to lock down first, in order of priority.
Register on the official Run Nash page, not a third-party aggregator, to guarantee accurate 2026 pricing and avoid confusion from outdated listings like the lower range shown on Nashville Guru.
Confirm your distance based on realistic pace, not aspiration. The mile 8.3 cutoff at 9:40 a.m. is a hard line for half marathon finishers.
Book lodging close to downtown so the 6:00 a.m. packet pickup and 7:00 a.m. start don't require a long predawn drive.
Attend the Friday expo at First Horizon Park if your schedule allows, since race-morning-only pickup adds time pressure before the gun.
Pack for October weather, layering for a cool start that warms up by mid-morning finish times.
Plan your post-race day around the festival's noon end time, since most groups want a shower and a real meal before heading out to explore Broadway or the Gulch.
Common mistakes worth avoiding: registering for Rock 'n' Roll Nashville when you meant the October Run Nash event (or vice versa), underestimating the rolling terrain because "Nashville" doesn't sound like a hilly city, and booking a hotel or rental too far from downtown, which turns race-morning transportation into its own stressor.
Where Should a Running Group Stay for Race Weekend?
Groups traveling for the Nashville Half Marathon & 5K generally do better in a house-style rental than splitting across multiple hotel rooms, since a shared space makes pre-race carb-loading dinners and post-race recovery easier to coordinate. Underwood Manor sits just 5 minutes from downtown Nashville and 7 minutes to Broadway, close enough that race-morning logistics stay simple without needing to leave two hours early.
The property sleeps up to 10 across 3 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, with a fully stocked kitchen for a group pasta dinner the night before the race and a 7-person hot tub that's useful for sore legs after 13.1 miles. The speakeasy-style game room, with its 8-foot slate pool table, darts, and whiskey barrel bar, gives a running group something to do the night before without needing to hit the bars downtown and risk a rough start line.
For larger running clubs or a combined group where some are racing and others are just along for the trip, the 24-guest dual duplex known as Ultimate Bach Pad offers two hot tubs and three game rooms across 8 bedrooms, useful when your group outgrows a standard 3-bedroom house. Both properties put you within a short rideshare of the 0.6-mile walk to the First Horizon Park start/finish area described on the official event page.
If your group wants a separate get-ready or recovery space, The Herman Haven gives every one of its 3 bedrooms its own en-suite bathroom, useful when eight or ten runners are all trying to shower and change before the finish-line festival ends at noon. It's less than 2 miles from downtown Broadway, putting it within a short drive of the race course and the neighborhoods the route passes through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a 5K race in Nashville?
Yes. The Nashville 5K runs as part of the Run Nash event on October 24, 2026, starting at 7:15 a.m. at First Horizon Park. It covers 3.1 miles with a 1-hour time limit, and every finisher receives a medal and T-shirt.
Is a half marathon easier than a 5K?
No. A half marathon covers 13.1 miles versus the 5K's 3.1 miles, requiring far more endurance and time on your feet, typically two to four hours compared to 20 to 40 minutes. The 5K can feel harder per mile at a faster effort, but overall physical demand is much higher for the half marathon.
Is the Nashville half marathon hilly?
The course is a road race with some hills, and it is not a Boston Qualifier course. Expect rolling terrain through neighborhoods like Music Row and the Gulch rather than a flat, fast layout.
What half marathons are happening in Nashville?
Nashville hosts the Run Nash Nashville Half Marathon & 5K in October and the separate Rock 'n' Roll Nashville event in April, which includes marathon, half marathon, 10K, and other distances. The two events have different courses, dates, and finish venues, so confirm which one you're registering for.
How much does the Nashville Half Marathon & 5K cost to enter?
The official Run Nash page lists $120 for the half marathon and $65 for the 5K. Some third-party listing sites show lower figures, likely reflecting earlier registration tiers, so register directly on the official page for the current accurate price.
What amenities come with luxury vacation rentals in Nashville for a race weekend?
High-end Nashville rentals built for groups typically include a private hot tub, a fully stocked kitchen for pre-race meals, and entertainment spaces like a game room. Underwood Manor, for example, includes a 7-person hot tub, a speakeasy game room with a pool table and darts, and a backyard fire pit, all useful for a group managing race-day logistics together.
Are luxury rentals worth it for large running groups in Nashville?
For groups of 8 or more, a rental house is generally more practical than multiple hotel rooms because it centralizes pre-race meals and shared transportation planning in one place. Properties like the 24-guest Ultimate Bach Pad or the 12-guest Fern Unit A give larger clubs enough space without splitting the group across separate buildings.
How far is First Horizon Park from downtown Nashville lodging?
First Horizon Park sits in downtown Nashville itself, with the official event page noting a 0.6-mile distance to the start/finish area within the general venue footprint. Rentals located 5 to 10 minutes from downtown, such as Underwood Manor, keep race-morning travel short ahead of the 7:00 a.m. start.
Final Word on Running Nashville's Half Marathon & 5K in 2026
The Nashville Half Marathon & 5K returns October 24, 2026, at First Horizon Park, with the half marathon at 7:00 a.m. and the 5K at 7:15 a.m. Official pricing sits at $120 and $65 respectively, the course rolls through downtown, Music Row, and the Gulch with manageable hills, and every finisher crosses onto the ballpark field for a festival running through noon.
Whether you're chasing a finish-line medal or dragging a reluctant friend group along for the weekend, the logistics matter as much as training. Register early on the official page, know your cutoff pace if you're attempting the half marathon, and book lodging close enough to downtown that a 6:00 a.m. packet pickup doesn't wreck your morning. Locking in both your registration and your lodging early makes the whole trip smoother.
If your crew is running the Nashville Half Marathon & 5K and wants a home base close enough to skip a stressful race-morning commute, Underwood Manor puts you just 5 minutes from downtown and 7 from Broadway. The 7-person hot tub is a good call after 13.1 miles on rolling terrain. Check availability here.
Written by Chase Gillmore, Owner at Underwood Manor
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