10. It is part of the Southern Charm series from the Rock n Roll Marathon Series. In order to receive the extra medal, you must complete three out of four Rock n Roll Southern USA events (New Orleans, Raleigh, Nashville, and/or Savannah) in 2015.
9. Live music on Broadway. Regardless of the time of day you can find live music playing in one of the bars on Broadway. Be sure to check out Legends corner and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge are a steps away from the Ryman Auditorium.
8. A Healthy habit: Forget those Netflix marathons on the couch. Running/walking a marathon or half marathon will put you in a great mood, keep you healthy, and help you earn those calories after the run.
7. The Music on the course: The Country Music Marathon is the original half marathon and full marathon dedicated to country music since its inaugural running in 2000.
6. Celebrity sightings: The Country Music Marathon has had its fair share of celebrities including New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, Sheryl Crow, members of the country music band Diamond Rio, Weather Channel meteorologist Stephanie Abrams and GAC host Suzanne Alexander.
5. The post-race food and drink. Nashville will not disappoint you when it comes to letting your inner-foodie come out. You can find Nashville’s authentic flavors in many areas of town such as Downtown, East Nashville, and Germantown, The Gulch, Midtown and 12South. Each neighborhood has its own personality but somehow is still down-home Nashville. Some favorites include Pancake Pantry, Mike’s Ice Cream, Hattie B’s, Holland House and the iconic Loveless Café.
4. The support: The South is known for its southern hospitality and the people of Nashville deliver some of the best crowd support anywhere in the world, making sure you get to the finish.
3. The city of Nashville provides a beautiful backdrop for this race. The course runs through downtown Nashville, along the riverfront and the surrounding neighborhoods providing runners with amazing views and some challenging hills.
2. Run for something greater than yourself. Become a St. Jude Hero. These amazing runners and walkers do more with their race by raising funds for the patients and families of St. Jude. They help St. Jude make sure that no family ever receives a bill for treatment, travel, housing and food—because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. (http://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/Heroes/Heroes?pg=entry&fr_id=23820 )
1. The headliner Martina McBride. She has received numerous major music awards, including most wins (tied with Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert) for the Country Music Association Award (CMA) for Female Vocalist of the Year, with her fourth win in 2004. She holds the record in that category for most consecutive nominations. She has been nominated for 14 Grammy Awards with hits like Independence Day, I love you, Concrete Angel and I’m gonna love you through it. This concert will rock!