The Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon and miniMarathon presented by Walmart and Humana has grown from a small local road race into the largest day of road racing in Kentucky history. Runners from all 50 states and several foreign countries annually complete the scenic 13.1- and 26.2-mile courses that start and finish in downtown Louisville. The miniMarathon attracts more than 12,000 entrants each year and is ranked among the nation’s top 100 races by USA Track and Field. The Marathon, which debuted in 2002, draws nearly 3,000 entrants.
Both races share the same start and finish lines, with runners from both races staying on the same course until Marathon runners split off at the 11-mile marker. Large and enthusiastic crowds line the sidewalks along the route, and volunteers handle duties ranging from race registration to handing out bottled water and orange slices. The course is scenic, yet challenging, including a hilly stretch through Iroquois Park and passing through historic Churchill Downs race course.
Not many people would have thought that an event with barely enough organization to get off the blocks in 1974 would become a cornerstone of the annual Kentucky Derby Festival celebration. The late Gil Clark, a longtime director of the miniMarathon, remembers working at his Metro Parks job when his boss, Carl Bradley, gathered a group to chart a course for a new road race that would be part of that year’s Kentucky Derby Festival activities.
Phil Fowler, a member of the then prominent track club, Louisville Striders, suggested an alternative to sending local runners out of state to run such notable races as the Boston Marathon or the Chicago Marathon. He believed that a high quality race like those had serious potential right here in Louisville. He took his vision of a half-marathon held during the Kentucky Derby Festival to then-mayor Harvey Sloane. Sloane, an active runner at the time, threw his support behind the event. The team was completed with an enthusiastic Kentucky Derby Festival chairman, William E. Summers, III. The Metro Parks Department was recruited to handle logistics.
Organizers had no idea what to expect with that first race. Only two runners were guaranteed, Phil Fowler and Mayor Harvey Sloane. One hundred and fifty runners’ numbers were ordered. That fell far short; the committee was overwhelmed and unprepared for the 301 runners who showed to participate in that maiden race. “We were scrambling for scrap pieces of cardboard and scribbling numbers with a grease pencil just to get runners entered,” said Clark.
The event proved to be very popular. Spectators came in droves and participation swelled to nearly 3,500 by 1979. In 1980, the race was moved to the last Saturday in April, the weekend before the Kentucky Derby. It has remained there ever since. In 2003, the miniMarathon celebrated its 30th year and silver anniversary with a record 7,306 entrants. That record has been broken every year since, topping out at 12,820 entrants in 2011.
The mini has seen a lot of changes over the years. Stop watches and clip boards have been replaced by sophisticated timing devices and computers that record each runner’s time accurately in hundredths of seconds. Runners now register for the race via the website, www.derbyfestivalmarathon.com and their thirsts are now quenched with filled, compostable cups of Louisville Water Company’s Pure Tap Water, instead of the antiquated “dip and drink from a tub method.”
In 2011, the course for both the mini and Marathon underwent a major change. Responding to a survey of about 4,000 runners who indicated that they would prefer a “loop” course – starting and finishing in the same general area – the route was altered to start and finish within a three-block area in downtown Louisville. The change was well-received by runners, although a handful were disappointed that the mini no longer included a South End start near Iroquois Park. Virtually every participant, however, was pleased with the elimination of two challenging hills on the new course. With the race reaching its 15,000 race cap earlier than ever in 2011, the 2017 races will again be capped at 18,0000 runners.
And yet, there is plenty about the race that has not changed in three decades: the spirit, the heart of the runners. For as large and sophisticated as the event has become, it is still very much a community event. From the lead runners to the back of the pack, you can see the sense of accomplishment on their faces. You know that the personal victory, sense of community and fun during Louisville’s most festive time of the year are the things that drive so many thousands of runners to participate.
The resounding feedback from runners is organization, support and volunteers. That’s why they come back year after year. JoAnne Dewer from Indianapolis summed it up: “I’ve run great races all over the country and right in my own back yard. Never have I seen an event that was so well organized. Incredible volunteers … they’re everywhere! And there’s no better crowd than a Louisville crowd,” Dewer exclaimed. “I’ll continue to travel around to other races, but the mini is one I’ll always come back to.”
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Loved it. Another must do.
Cool race. Cool town. One of my favorite finisher medals. Well run event. Had fun visiting the Louisville Slugger Bat factory/museum and Churchill Downs horse track. The half marathon gets … MORE
Cool race. Cool town. One of my favorite finisher medals. Well run event. Had fun visiting the Louisville Slugger Bat factory/museum and Churchill Downs horse track. The half marathon gets to run through the infield of Churchill Downs. Pretty good course and overall fun weekend.
Nice Medal and Shirt. Good spectators.
Very crowded start with marathon and half marathon runners together. A lot of walkers up front. In my mind it was poor (if any) method to assigning corrals. I was … MORE
Very crowded start with marathon and half marathon runners together. A lot of walkers up front. In my mind it was poor (if any) method to assigning corrals. I was in B and people in A were walking before the first water station. This was not one or two but dozens. The expo was good. Nice quality medal and shirt. Running through Church Hill downs was cool. There is a few miles in a park that are scenic and a short stretch of down town, but mostly nothing really to look at.
A soggy race but a good one
I ran this race paired with the Flying Pig Marathon the next day. I had heard mixed reviews about it. Many people said the half course is much better, that … MORE
I ran this race paired with the Flying Pig Marathon the next day. I had heard mixed reviews about it. Many people said the half course is much better, that the full is boring or ugly. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the entire race. My thoughts:
First, there was a ton of road construction in the Louisville area, so that was a pain but not the race’s fault. I stayed across the river, in Indiana. It was walking distance to the start/finish, but the weather didn’t really permit that this weekend! If you are able to stay downtown near the race course, that would make things easier.
The expo was good – much larger than I anticipated. I’m not big on expos, but it wasn’t too crowded so walking around wasn’t bad. The shirt was great – a nice color blue and fit well. I was also delighted to receive an orange marathon hat, which was a nice surprise! There is also a nice poster.
The start was well organized, and went off without a hitch. The cool part is the official bugle player for the Derby plays at the start of the race – unique!! You run through downtown for a bit and share the course with the half runners for maybe ten miles or so before they go in a different direction. I’m not going to say the course is stunning or as beautiful as some other races, but it was good. It’s a city race, but you actually go through Iroquois Park for several miles in the middle. That is the hilly part, but it was quite lovely. It was pouring rain for much of the race (after about five miles, it rained steadily, and heavily at times). The park was beautiful and peaceful and one of my favorite parts. I’ll agree with other reviewers that it is much quieter and more spread out after the half runners peel off, but I look forward to that space.
One of the best parts of the race is going through the tunnel under Churchill Downs and up into the infield. That was awesome, and something most people will never do or see. If it hadn’t been raining I would have taken more than one (wet) photo, but it was pretty incredible. There were horses and riders out on the track which was pretty neat and definitely a highlight.
There weren’t many spectators out on the course because of the weather, but them’s the breaks. The volunteers were great and there were plenty of stocked aid stations along the course (roughly every two miles).
The finish area would be great on a dry day, but with all the rain it was pretty muddy and full of puddles. Of course when you’re already drenched, it doesn’t really matter. They had space blankets and of course the awesome medal. Lots of goodies at the finish too.
Overall I really liked the event. I found it to be very well organized with great communication. The weather could be a factor but even with the rain, I enjoyed the course and the event as a whole. Good swag and unique elements that you can only find in Louisville.
A lap around Churchill Downs
The expo was fun with a variety of gear to buy. I got my husband a bike shirt for $20 and myself a Headsweats visor. My friends got free KT … MORE
The expo was fun with a variety of gear to buy. I got my husband a bike shirt for $20 and myself a Headsweats visor. My friends got free KT tape and we all had a group selfie. The start of the race included a bugle player just like at the horse track. Part of the course ran past really cool architecture and there were even some folks from a retirement home handing out orange slices. Around mile 7 we entered the icon Kentucky Derby track. The post race area had a live band, beer area and some food trucks. It was cold and rainy that day so we didn’t stay long afterwards.
Storm Stampede
Not a bad race. Pretty flat course. Good race support on the course. Great communications, because there was a bad storm in the area prior to the race, which delayed … MORE
Not a bad race. Pretty flat course. Good race support on the course. Great communications, because there was a bad storm in the area prior to the race, which delayed the race 1.5 hours. They kept us informed on race start and a good race overall. I was a little slower than normal because of prior races the weekend before. Nice to run in Churchill Downs.
Bucket List Race To Consider
What made this run so unique was that you had the privilege of running around Louisville and through Churchill Downs. While you weren't allowed to run on the actual horse … MORE
What made this run so unique was that you had the privilege of running around Louisville and through Churchill Downs. While you weren’t allowed to run on the actual horse track, you ran on the paved parts and we’re still inside the stadium … What a Rush! How many times can you say you’ve done that??? The rest of the run was Great. Overall it was flat minus the midway point around there was a significant peak for a mile and another uptick around mile 22 so the Elevation chart was pretty fair and accurate. The support was Awesome and the event was just well organized.
A great race for any KY lover!
This was my first half marathon, and it was the perfect choice. A super flat course with very few turns. It rained for most of the race, but was still … MORE
This was my first half marathon, and it was the perfect choice. A super flat course with very few turns. It rained for most of the race, but was still very enjoyable and not cold at all. Runs right through Churchill Downs, and a lot of the KY Derby horses were out doing their workouts, which was very cool. Plenty of bathrooms and water stations. Only complaint was that the shirts ran really small.
A flat, fast race with real horsepower
This is one of the flattest, fastest half marathons out there that isn't a point-to-point, downhill run. It has remarkably few turns, has almost zero hills or elevation change, and … MORE
This is one of the flattest, fastest half marathons out there that isn’t a point-to-point, downhill run. It has remarkably few turns, has almost zero hills or elevation change, and takes place in late April, allowing for cool temperatures. It starts in the city and heads to the famed Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, before running back in almost a perfectly straight line on city streets. Additionally, the t-shirts and medals are very well designed and worth displaying. So if you’re within a 3-hour driving distance of Louisville (5 hours if, like me, you’re from Chicago), put in some speedwork and let that equine, Derby magic be the carrot for your next PR. I have heard that the marathon distance has a very hilly second half though.
Add to the "Must Run" Category
One of my favorite races of the year. Everything was perfect from the downtown Louisville staging area with a host hotel within walking distance to the expo and race start. … MORE
One of my favorite races of the year. Everything was perfect from the downtown Louisville staging area with a host hotel within walking distance to the expo and race start. Plus a thriving downtown with lots of activities for the whole family. Then a GREAT race that showcased Louisville and all it’s attractions. A couple difficult sections but so worth it. My favorite part? The flowering trees and beautiful neighborhoods!