Ours has become an age of flat and fast marathons on city streets and in urban jungles, with more focus on times, course certification, gadgets, charities and putting on a big show than on running. Many modern marathons have become spectacles rather than athletic events. But it was not always …
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Ours has become an age of flat and fast marathons on city streets and in urban jungles, with more focus on times, course certification, gadgets, charities and putting on a big show than on running. Many modern marathons have become spectacles rather than athletic events. But it was not always this way. Marathons used to be about running for the sake of running. They were about pushing oneself beyond the physiologic limits of the human body. While running.
The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon is meant to be an antidote. Featured in Marathon & Beyond and in Runners’ World magazines, it is a marathon that is about running. Running hard. Running over big and memorable and painful rolling hills through dense woods. Running with other like-minded athletes. The Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon is about the joy and pain of running a unique, and uniquely challenging–some would say beastly–26.2 mile course in the beautiful and historic Percy Warner Park, nestled among the Middle Tennessee Harpeth Hills.
We will time and measure the distance, but the course will not be certified and it will not be a Boston qualifying event. If you get to the end and you (or your gadget) believe the route to be long, we won’t charge you extra; if you believe it to be short, just keep running. There will be no bands, cheerleaders, wave starts or crowds. We promise no marathon Personal Records, but we guarantee every runner a PR – a Permanent Remembrance of a well-earned marathon finish. We promise to give you approximately 26.2 tough and memorable miles, with a total of over 3600 feet each of elevation gain and loss, or over 7200 feet of overall elevation change.
Sure, there are other road marathons out there claiming to be America’s toughest. But they are no Monkey. Come and join in Nashville.
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Beautiful, small, amazing personality
This is a fantastic race. There is a lottery for about one week in August. If you get in, you get an email from the race director saying "we regret … MORE
This is a fantastic race. There is a lottery for about one week in August. If you get in, you get an email from the race director saying “we regret to inform you that you’ve been accepted.” Every few weeks leading up to the race you get “motivational” emails from the race director which are always beautifully written and very funny. The race is VERY hilly and the director puts up helpful signs throughout the course which say things like “300ft of gain down… 3300ft more” after the first big ill or “idiot” after mile 22. Had me cackling. All the tongue and cheek humor aside, he clearly cares a lot about the race and supporting the preservation of the forest the race takes place in. Everyone gets a personalized finisher shirt WITH YOUR NAME ON IT, a wooden race medal (swag got 4/5 for me because personally I don’t love wooden medals), and free beer at the finish line. Highly recommend.
Challenging and quirky
This race is not for the faint of heart: the course is challenging (basically non-stop up and down hills for approximately 26.2 miles), the spectators are sparse, and the threat … MORE
This race is not for the faint of heart: the course is challenging (basically non-stop up and down hills for approximately 26.2 miles), the spectators are sparse, and the threat of a legendary flying monkey attack looms over you the whole run. That said, if you’re looking for something different from your average big city marathon, this is a great alternative. Great swag at the end – personalized long sleeve tech shirt, a t-shirt, stickers, magnets, and amazing posters with each year’s custom theme printed by Hatch Show Prints. Oh, and free Yazoo beer and potluck at the end. Train hard for hills!
No Monkeying Around
Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon is held in the Percy Warner Park, about 9 miles from downtown Nashville. With over 3600 feet of elevation gain, this is not a PR … MORE
Harpeth Hills Flying Monkey Marathon is held in the Percy Warner Park, about 9 miles from downtown Nashville. With over 3600 feet of elevation gain, this is not a PR course. There were no spectators to cheer you on the course. Aid stations were sparse on the tree-shaded course and strategically placed to nake runners do not go off course. They were well stocked, including one that served Bourbon and Whiskey! The finisher’s medal is made of wood and may look cheap to those who are used to metal. But, the long sleeve race shirt and hand-knit monkeys more than made it up.
Check out my YouTube video (second marathon) below.
Hard but oh so good!
I adore this race and would run it every year if I could. Participant slots are by a lottery system, but you're given plenty of time to train if you … MORE
I adore this race and would run it every year if I could. Participant slots are by a lottery system, but you’re given plenty of time to train if you get in. You’ve got to commit to a good hill training plan to complete this race well. The scenery is absolutely beautiful in November in Percy Warner Park and the fall colors are amazing. I love the small community that runs this race and the race shirts are the best! I love that you get the # of monkeys slayed on the sleeve of your shirt that corresponds to the # of years you’ve completed the race. If you’re lucky enough to get a lottery spot, don’t skip it! Train, train, train and run those hills! Slay that monkey!
Love the Monkey Inaugural Half!
The beloved Flying Monkey full marathon added a half marathon in 2019 and I ran the inaugural event. The race course is difficult running through the super scenic Percy Warner … MORE
The beloved Flying Monkey full marathon added a half marathon in 2019 and I ran the inaugural event. The race course is difficult running through the super scenic Percy Warner park hills. The hills are 100% worth the views. Running through Percy Warner in November when the leaves are golden is one of my favorite things. It’s an amazing experience to savor. Well run event, great people, awesome volunteers.
Make Sure You Do This Race!
This was my third time running the Monkey and my 13th marathon. The Monkey is easily my favorite. 7,200 feet of elevation change on a paved leafy park path overlooking … MORE
This was my third time running the Monkey and my 13th marathon. The Monkey is easily my favorite. 7,200 feet of elevation change on a paved leafy park path overlooking Nashville. The weather is always interesting, mostly cold. The race director does not take things too seriously; one year there were tornado warnings predicted so he sent us an email that said “suck it up, you signed up for an adventure”. Pot luck and beer at the finish line with hand made wooden medals. I am a back of the pack runner and this race is special. A one hour optional advance start that had me leading the entire race for about 10 seconds and made me look like I was mid pack at the finish. When the race leaders passed me (about mile 10) they both turned and complemented. The whole day was like a fun run with your friends.
Unique, challenging, and addictive race
One of my favorite marathons for many reasons. Each year has a different theme revolving around monkeys, which provides for unique race posters (printed by the famous Hatch Show Prints … MORE
One of my favorite marathons for many reasons. Each year has a different theme revolving around monkeys, which provides for unique race posters (printed by the famous Hatch Show Prints in Nashville), finisher medals, and humorous emails from the race director. The course is, to say the least, very challenging, for a road course. For a small race, the aid stations are plentiful and the volunteers are usually fellow runners and great. I recommend trying to do this race at least once.