St. Jude Rock N’ Roll Announces Hunters Hayes as Headliner

St. Jude Rock N' Roll
creditSt. Jude Rock N' Roll

On Saturday, April 28, 2018, the annual St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll® Nashville Marathon & ½ Marathon will continue its strong tradition of bringing fun to the run with great music at the core. The premier running event in Tennessee will entertain the masses with five-time GRAMMY© nominee Hunter Hayes taking the stage as the Toyota Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert Series Headliner at Ascend Amphitheater. The post-race concert, which will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night, will also feature country music newcomer Erin Kinsey as the opening act.

“St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & ½ Marathon, is a marquee event in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series©,” said Natalia Mendez, Race Director. “We are thrilled that Hunter Hayes will headline this year’s post-race concert at Ascend Amphitheater celebrating the many musical genres that Nashville is known for. We are sure that Hunter, and opener Erin Kinsey, will keep the party rocking for runners and spectators after the race.”
The Ascend Amphitheater will be open exclusively to registered runners with friends and family having an opportunity to purchase tickets. The grass park adjacent to Ascend Amphitheater will have speakers and a jumbo screen, serving as overflow and an opportunity for the community to be part of the weekend as it will be open to the public.

The musically themed road race is expected to attract more than 30,000 runners who will take on the 26.2 marathon, 13.1-mile half marathon or 5K courses, while 50 of Nashville’s best live bands perform on improved band stages along the route, interspersed with cheerleaders and themed water stations. Participants can move along to more music than ever with all new mile-markers that include speakers and race pacers who will be running with mobile speaker packs.

During the marathon, thousands of St. Jude Heroes will run for a reason, hoping to raise more than $2 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. More than $10 million has been raised over the event’s seven-year partnership with St. Jude. “The St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & ½ Marathon uniquely unites the music industry, fitness enthusiasts and St. Jude Heroes who, together, are bringing children one step closer to victory in their fight against cancer,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., CEO of ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “The funds raised from this event and our St. Jude Heroes help ensure no family will ever receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food so that all they should worry about is helping their child live.”

The St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & ½ Marathon weekend will kick off on Thursday, April 26 with a free two-day Health & Fitness Expo at the Nashville Music City Center. All race participants will have the opportunity to visit the expo to pick up their race packets and browse over 100 exhibitors featuring free samples, the latest in running gear and sports apparel, as well as a series of interactive clinics.

Returning for the second year, a one-mile race will take place on Thursday night, giving runners a chance to warm up for the main event. Participants can earn a third, bonus medal for taking on two days of running over the weekend, completing the ‘Remix Challenge™’. Thursday’s one-mile race ends at Ascend Amphitheater.
The weekend events conclude on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. with KiDS ROCK™ Nashville presented by the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, where more than 3,500 junior racers from grades K-7 will complete the final mile of their modified marathon.

For more information on the event’s weekend activities, please visit www.RunRocknRoll.com/Nashville. For more information on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series®, please visit runrocknroll.com.

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