Kentucky Derby Festival mini & Marathon
Louisville, KY
- Marathon, Marathon Relay, Half Marathon, 5K
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon & Marathon is a long-standing tradition held every spring in Kentucky. It has become the largest annual day of road racing in the state. Participants will start at Louisville Slugger Field in downtown Louisville and run through numerous neighborhoods, experiencing all aspects of our wonderful … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Apr 23):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 83 | 81 | 71 | 50 | 86 |
| L (°F) | 54 | 49 | 48 | 39 | 63 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Not as great as I had hoped it would be
This race could have been so much better with just a little effort. The expo was easy to get to since it was held at the expo center. Lots of … MORE
This race could have been so much better with just a little effort. The expo was easy to get to since it was held at the expo center. Lots of parking there but the expo was pretty small. It only took a few minutes to get shirt , bib and gear drop bag. Since the expo is outside of downtown, transportation will be needed to get there.
Race morning I was able to find free street parking about 8/10th of a mile from the start. It was difficult to find and get to the gear drop since the sidewalks were packed with runners and spectators. Not sure how the corrals were determined since the 3:50 pacer was in corral B but my time I entered was a little faster than that but I was assigned to corral C. Humidity was 96% at race start which was difficult coming from the desert. (obviously the race can’t control that) There was a fair amount of crowd support in certain parts of the course. Running through Churchill Downs was underwhelming. It was much more fun going to “Dawn at the Downs” the morning before where you could actually watch the horses training. The worst part for me was when you basically go by the finish line and watch all the half marathoners finishing and the marathoners still have to do a very exposed and boring out and back. You would think they could have found four miles somewhere else to add on so that we could all come down the last stretch and finish with the 1/2 marathoners. Post race food was almost non existent. A bag of pretzels, chocolate milk and a granola bar.
There was no information on age group awards. It was difficult to find anyone who knew about them. Finally found out that they will be mailed out which I find annoying. Have the awards made up ahead of time and since the race is chip timed, have them ready for people to take home.
I guess I just had much higher expectations for this one. Flying Pig was amazing with all the pig themed stuff and you would think that Louisville could put on something similar with the Kentucky Derby theme. It ticked off the state of Kentucky for me but I doubt I would do it again.
Just So-so. Underwhelming.
It was ok. Packet pick up was smooth as we arrived the day before from out of state. The course was pretty flat, it should have been one of my … MORE
It was ok. Packet pick up was smooth as we arrived the day before from out of state. The course was pretty flat, it should have been one of my better races but unfortunately it was my worst.
We stayed at the official race hotel and it was impossible to find coffee in the morning. Nothing was open at the hotel and the lack of shops in town that offered anything at that hour was lacking. Please plan ahead for this!
Also there were not enough port o lets for the amount of runners. I lost 15 minutes waiting in line at mile 4.
Post race snacks were a bag of pretzels or a nutrigrain bar. 😑🤨 and the typical banana.
Overall, not one that I’ll remember or do again.
Solid race
Nice course through downtown Louisville and surrounding neighborhoods with a segment through Churchill Downs. Few small hills which were not bad at all. Great crowd support. Adequate hydration stations. The … MORE
Nice course through downtown Louisville and surrounding neighborhoods with a segment through Churchill Downs. Few small hills which were not bad at all. Great crowd support. Adequate hydration stations. The finish chute is a little crowded but overall well run.
Nice Race
Flat course with good course support. Cool going through Churchill Downs but was foggy so no hot air balloons. Good hotel close to the start. MORE
Flat course with good course support. Cool going through Churchill Downs but was foggy so no hot air balloons. Good hotel close to the start.
Off to the races
This was a fun race. It started with a bugle player, playing the tune that you hear at the horse races. The corrals were a good size with pace groups. … MORE
This was a fun race. It started with a bugle player, playing the tune that you hear at the horse races. The corrals were a good size with pace groups. It was mostly flat except for miles 12 -16. It was a pretty good climb, but you could make up good time on the down hills and that park was beautiful and shady. Running through Churchill Downs was the highlight. There were jockeys and horses out practicing for the upcoming Kentucky Derby next weekend. It was 58° 96% humidity at the start with overcast skies so it wasn’t too bad until about the last hour when the sun came out. It got up to 65° 78% humidity and felt like it. The water/ Powerade stations were abundant and well staffed with very cheerful volunteers. The crowd was great. The neighborhoods had beautiful homes of old Louisville. The expo wasn’t huge, but it had everything you would need. I had forgotten my water bottle and was able to snag one there. The medal was cool, the shirt was OK. The Galt House was the hotel with the race discount. It was perfect location on the river and a nice .7 miles from the start, which gave you a good warm-up and not too far walk back. There were plenty of places downtown to eat within walking distance and also other hotel options nearby. I would definitely recommend this race for a medium size experience. I got another BQ so it checked my boxes.
Solid Race
I liked this race since the timing was great for me! Plus I ran it for its 25th anniversary! The expo was in an expo center, so there were plenty … MORE
I liked this race since the timing was great for me! Plus I ran it for its 25th anniversary!
The expo was in an expo center, so there were plenty of free parking spaces! The only downside was that there were so many runners at once, so the lines for each corral to pick up the bib was crowded and disorganized. It would have been better if they had more space to do it, instead of in the back of the stadium.
The race itself was on the warm side, so I was sweating a lot by the time I was at mile 2. The only shaded portion of the marathon course was around Iroquois Park, but the major downside there was that it was extremely hilly! The fun part of the race was running through Churchill Downs (where the derby is held)!
The worst part of the race was along miles 22-26 because the marathoners run towards the finish of the race around 21 (half marathoners don’t have an additional out-and-back). Mentally it was tough to have a short out-and-back in the hot sun.
The family/friends meetup after the race was easy! I was happy to have my mom join me for the race! I could see myself running this again if the weather is better.
Patchy crowds. Hellacious hill.
Crowd support was great in some areas and non-existent in most. And then halfway through the marathon you run through a beautiful park but it's all hills. Running through Churchill … MORE
Crowd support was great in some areas and non-existent in most. And then halfway through the marathon you run through a beautiful park but it’s all hills. Running through Churchill Downs is an amazing experience, though!
Amazing Run through Churchill Downs
I participated in the Mini Marathon Challenge so completed the 5k & Mini Marathon (1/2). The expo was nice & well organized. I liked both of the t-shirts - especially … MORE
I participated in the Mini Marathon Challenge so completed the 5k & Mini Marathon (1/2). The expo was nice & well organized. I liked both of the t-shirts – especially the ones for the half. The 5k was really crowded for the space that was provided. And…it started pouring rain – not too enjoyable. The half marathon was so much fun! We stayed down the street so I was able to walk to the start. The course was fantastic- very flat & lots of beautiful neighborhoods to run through. The best part was running through Churchill Downs – we were able to run in through the tunnel & we ran inside the track & there were horses warming up on the outside track – it was like we were running with the horses- such an amazing experience! Would definitely recommend the half!!
Poor runner support / horrible timing
This race has been run well in the past, but this year many water stops were out of water. They had very few restroom options at the beginning and more … MORE
This race has been run well in the past, but this year many water stops were out of water. They had very few restroom options at the beginning and more than anyone needed at the end.
The progress tracking was horrible. It was supposed to allow anyone to track your progress in the race, but the web page rarely loaded and when it did, updates were very delayed.
Derby Run
Fun marathon overall! Easy bib pickup. High quality soft cotton shirt. Could improve on pre-race communication but good enough. Plan to stay downtown or leave enough time to account for … MORE
Fun marathon overall! Easy bib pickup. High quality soft cotton shirt. Could improve on pre-race communication but good enough. Plan to stay downtown or leave enough time to account for traffic. Great looped course running through downtown, old Louisville, Iroquois park with hills and green at the turnaround. Standard fare at the finish. Overall a good race!
Great Option for Kentucky
The race expo was decent. Lots of clothing, shoes, glasses, etc. Packet pickup was easy with almost no lines. The course was mostly flat which made for a very PRable … MORE
The race expo was decent. Lots of clothing, shoes, glasses, etc. Packet pickup was easy with almost no lines. The course was mostly flat which made for a very PRable course. The only hills were going through the tunnels of Churchill Downs. I was expecting a bit more scenery running through the horse track, but most of the views were blocked by fences and other large items, but it was cool nonetheless. Crowd support was very good at times. Thanks to the guys handing out Red Bulls on Mile 12. They had a few snacks and beverages at the post race area, but nothing out of the ordinary. The medals and shirts were nice. They give a bonus medal if you run the 5K the night before. Overall a great race.
Churchill Down Infield +Louisville views
Decently flat race course, with nice views of historical Louisville brownstones and a run past the Louisville Slugger Museum/Factory and the giant baseball bat outside, really cool entrance to Churchill … MORE
Decently flat race course, with nice views of historical Louisville brownstones and a run past the Louisville Slugger Museum/Factory and the giant baseball bat outside, really cool entrance to Churchill Downs, where they have you go through a tunnel to go under the track and get to the infield, loop around the infield (on a paved track; they don’t actually let you run on the horse track, unsurprisingly), and exit through a different tunnel, then eventually finish by the Ohio River.
It’s a great course and well-produced race, the two things I found to be fairly lame were the SPONSORED CONTENT THAT OVERTAKES YOUR MUSIC IF YOU USE THE RACEJOY APP (they haven’t had this for other races that used RaceJoy, and a massive fuck you to Norton Health for running an add like that to a captive audience of runners), as well as the overall results not being posted until the next day despite the use of the RaceJoy app and chips in the bibs (I could see how I did, but not relative to the rest of the field),
It was lovely
It was incredible to run through Churchill Downs! It was fast and flat! I would highly recommend this race! The race was safe and well organized! MORE
It was incredible to run through Churchill Downs! It was fast and flat! I would highly recommend this race!
The race was safe and well organized!
Horses...neigh!!
If you're a horse race lover, this is a cool race to run. I ran the half, which starts in downtown near Louisville Slugger Field. Check out the huge baseball … MORE
If you’re a horse race lover, this is a cool race to run. I ran the half, which starts in downtown near Louisville Slugger Field. Check out the huge baseball bat!
The course then runs out to Churchill Downs, going under the track to the infield, then back out under another tunnel. If you’re lucky, like we were this year, you can see horses with their trainers getting some practice on the track.
Great Race
I truly enjoyed this race. For Louisville, the half was very flat, and it showcased most parts of Louisville that could be on a flat route. We ran past Louisville … MORE
I truly enjoyed this race. For Louisville, the half was very flat, and it showcased most parts of Louisville that could be on a flat route. We ran past Louisville Slugger into Harlem through Churchill Downs came back through the University of Louisville then to the finish line by the water. Many cool murals on the route and good crowd support. I enjoyed that this race is part of their Kentucky Derby Festival, so we enjoyed the festival while we were visiting. The route split at one point but the full came back around the mile 11 mark on the half. I enjoyed being able to see the full front runners and encourage them… BUT I don’t know how much the full runners like it. I could see some half runners getting in their way.
The expo was great… I wish they had better merch items for the half. I opted to get a Louisville running company shirt instead and a sweatshirt from Churchill Downs. Race day was great and started on time. Weather was perfect. I have family close by so I am thinking I may repeat this state!
I will add- I enjoyed staying at the Cambria. It was perfect. The starting line was a street over and the finish line was a block over. I came with my family and my husband was easily able to navigate two small kids from the room. We walked everywhere and the derby festival is close by as well. Wild Eggs for breakfast was across the street. I put our name on the list then went up to take a shower before we left!
I still have yet to receive my email for the results. I was able to pull them off the website though. I wasn’t impressed with the pictures that were taken and very expensive from other halfs I have seen.
Flat Tour of Louisville &Churchill Downs
I chose this race based on several factors: running through the infield of Church hill downs seemed like it would be fun, the time of year (Racing in the southern … MORE
I chose this race based on several factors: running through the infield of Church hill downs seemed like it would be fun, the time of year (Racing in the southern humidity during a time of year other than winter/spring seemed foolish), and decent reviews on this site and I already ran the Hatfield Mccoy marathon which is partially in Kentucky but I counted that race towards West Virginia. Having now run the race myself I think I made a good choice choosing the Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon (Half Marathon) for state #23. If you are traveling from out of state like me Louisville would be the obvious airport to fly into but it was a bit expensive. Both Indianapolis and Cincinnati are 1.5-1.75 hours away and would be good options. I flew to Indianapolis then rented and car and drove down and stayed at a hotel in southern Indiana near the border. Other than some difficulty leaving the race to get back north across the river to my hotel in Indiana due to the marathon closing some bridges this worked well.
EXPO/PACKET PICK UP:
This was a mid-sized expo. The expo was held in a downtown convention center, Freedom Hall, which used to be home to the U of Louisville Basketball time years ago. There were numerous vendors and race advertisements. I didn’t spend much time there because I wanted to stay off my feet due to the race the next day. Bib pickup was easy, it was located in the back of the expo and simply providing your name and ID got me my bib #, gear check bag and race shirt. I did stop to take some pictures with the different signs around the expo.
PARKING/ACCESS: Parking at the start area was pretty difficult and a little stressful. They sent an email out where you could pre pay for parking at a couple local garages which worked fine. However funneling all of the cars to the correct garages meant moving at a near standstill and had me worried that I would miss the start. I picked the garage closest to the start line and If I did it again I would pick a garage farther away in a less congested area. They chared $15 for 7hrs of parking. Getting out of the garage also proved to be a challenge, some of the bridges to the north across the river to Indiana were closed due to the race or had tolls. Getting out took a long time and again had me wishing I had parked elsewhere. I’m sure with a little better planning by me as to where I would park to avoid road closures things would have gone smoother.
T-Shirts/SWAG: The medal for this race was average in quality, it is pretty thin and a unique color but not fancy. I prefer medals that represent the state or the region which this does to the extent that there is always a horse head as part of the race logo to represent the derby but the medal overall could have been from any race. (see picture). The race shirts were T-shirts, which I’m sure I will get more use out of in the long run but I prefer a tech shirt so that I can race in them on race day. (See Photos)
AID STATIONS: The aid stations were well stocked and mostly plentiful. I would say there was a pretty average # of them throughout the course but only some had water and Gatorade. They all had water. Sadly the aid station between miles 9 and 12 didn’t exist except for a booth offering orange slices. I also wish that they did something the help the volunteers distinguish between water and Gatorade, different color cups, teach volunteers to say things like water first electrolytes second. Neither of these things happened, I don’t blame the volunteers, they should all be commended for freely giving their time but the race organizers should make sure the booths all exist and they give some instruction/coaching about how to man them and give them the resources they need to make the aid station amenities clear. I didn’t see any aid stations that had GU or Gels. I didn’t hear anything about supplies running out at any time during the race. I was near the front so I was never really in a group, but the number of volunteers was more than enough at each station. I’m sure there were some real slow downs at aid station as volunteers were filling and handing out cups as fast as they could pour them at busier times. One additional critique it would be to have a few more garbage cans 100 yards after the stations so you could have time to finish your drink before trying to toss your cup.
Course Scenery/Elevation Difficulty: The course starts right outside the baseball stadium downtown in a park/parking lot under the backside delivery area. The course started by quickly making a few turns then weaving back and forth for a few blocks the first 4 miles before heading south to Churchill Downs. A little after mile 8 you reach the race track and run through a tunnel under the track, run around the infield for a little while before exiting through another tunnel under the track. The full and half marathon groups split shortly after you exit the track. You then run straight for the next 3-3.5 miles back towards the start before making a few turns near the finish ending up about a block from where you started. The majority of the course is pretty non descript mostly running through downtown, neighborhoods and business districts. Running through Churchill Downs is undeniably a cool and unique experience. The grounds are beautiful with cool architecture and since the race is held a week before the derby there were horses on the track running and practicing. The half marathon course is very flat which is conducive to running a PR. Large sections of the street/course need to be repaved though so I would caution people to keep their awareness so they don’t turn an ankle. The weather was cool and overcast the day I ran the race leading to ideal conditions, a hotter humid day would obviously add to the difficultly. The race starts at 7:00am which was fine this year but in a warmer year it would be a huge help in beating the heat/humidity. They have lots of cones protecting the course with lots of police helping to direct traffic so I never felt as though I was running near traffic. They also had garbage and dump trucks out around downtown to fully block/protect the course from cars entering it. Crowd support around the course was really plentiful, a little less so in the neighborhoods but I enjoyed lots of cheering and creative signs along the way.
Race Management: This Race was decently run, for a medium race (1,300+ finishers for the full, 6.2k+ for the half, plus some for the relay). I found their website to be the best source of info along with facebook, they also email you a few bits of advice including a race guide and a guide of things to do in the area. Other things to compliment this race on: They had age group awards. The start area had a bag check area by the start line that was open until the start. They did have pace setters but not for anything faster than 1:35, they seemed to be pretty regular after that. The finish had the usual finish line fare including having water, chocolate milk/protein shakes, and bananas but sadly no electrolytes. They also had a pulled pork sliders, cookies and granola bars. Some things they could do better: They don’t have free race Photos, the bathroom situation before the start was pretty difficult so I would advise using any you see while walking towards the start. The medal/swag game could be stepped up and basics like making sure the aid stations are all there and more organized would help.
Overall I would say this race is a fair way to check Kentucky off your 50 state list (I used the Hatfield McCoy marathon for West Virginia, if you have other plans for West Virginia then definitely do Hatfield Mccoy for Kentucky). If for no other reason than running through Churchill downs. I give this race a very low 4 shoes that borders close to 3. There are several unforced errors that they could clean up to really improve the race experience from the access/parking to “free” photos to ensuring that the aid stations are fully stocked and as efficient as they can be. Fixing some of those things could make this an easy 4+ shoe race. All that being said this is still a race that I enjoyed and would recommend.
Fantastic!
This was my first marathon and I really enjoyed it! Nice field size, well run race, great crowd support, and ample water and Powerade stations. It's a mostly flat course, … MORE
This was my first marathon and I really enjoyed it! Nice field size, well run race, great crowd support, and ample water and Powerade stations. It’s a mostly flat course, but there are about 3mi of pretty challenging hills around Iroquois Park (approximately mile 12). Definitely do some hill training and pace the first half so that you leave gas in the tank to tackle those, but otherwise the course is pretty easy. (Of note, this course has changed over the years quite a bit, so take older reviews containing course complaints with a grain of salt). Residents along the route were out cheering, playing music and offering snacks, and we got to run through Churchill Downs a week before the Kentucky Derby, which was really special. (We even saw some horses doing their morning workouts on the back stretch!) The expo was small but well done, the medal is really nice, and there were ample post race snacks and water, mylar blankets, and photo ops. My only real complaint was the race shirts were pretty low quality. (When you run a marathon you should expect some sort of tech shirt that you can actually run in, not a cotton tshirt.) I would definitely do this race again!
It has great potential
Overall, this was an okay race. It has so much potential to be great. Positives: 1. The course was well marked. I never felt confused as to which way I … MORE
Overall, this was an okay race. It has so much potential to be great.
Positives:
1. The course was well marked. I never felt confused as to which way I was supposed to go even at both splits at half and full runners.
2. Most volunteers were encouraging, friendly, and supportive. I’ve never seen more law enforcement officers that were as encouraging.
3. The scenery was nice – the park, the old houses, and Churchill Downs.
Improvements:
1. It would have been nice to receive an email the week of the race with instructions. Most races do this with instructions for packet pickup, etc.
2. At the expo, I was given a mini marathon bib instead of a full marathon and the wrong shirt size was written on the back of the bib. Thankfully, I noticed when I was handed the wrong shirt. I had to get back in line for the bibs and then go back to get the correct shirt. When the volunteer who gave me the correct bib started to write the shirt size on the back, she wrote L for ladies then W fir womens. I had to correct her that I requested a small. I overhead two other women saying they were also given either the wrong bib and/or wrong shirt. If the names are in a database, and they must be printed last minute anyway, assign each runner their bib number at that time and use one of the tear off tags at the bottom for the shirt size. That will eliminate the wrong bib and/or the wrong shirt being handed out.
3. There were some aid stations with only Powerade. How do you not have water at all stations?
4. At some stations, Powerade was being put into water cups. I understand running out of Powerade cups and having to improvise, but volunteers should be more vocal of what they are holding. At one station, I said “water”, voicing to the volunteer what I wanted. As he put it in my hand, he said “Powerade”. Since Powerade doesn’t sit well with me, I threw away a whole cup which could have been avoided if he would have voiced it a little sooner.
A good race with room for improvement
Overall: For a mid-sized US city, Louisville puts on a pretty solid race. I would recommend this to my friends who are interested in checking out an underrated part of … MORE
Overall:
For a mid-sized US city, Louisville puts on a pretty solid race. I would recommend this to my friends who are interested in checking out an underrated part of the country, or are trying to complete the 50 states challenge. It’s very possible to have a good performance here, but there are also things that would need to change in order for me to give a better rating.
The Good:
– The volunteers were all energetic and helpful. The water stop volunteers were energetic and did their best to keep us hydrated.
– The band at the school shortly before reaching Iroquois Park was awesome!
– Finish line volunteers did a good job making sure everyone was okay after the race. Medal and food volunteers did great.
– The course is mostly flat. Iroquois Park’s hills are no joke, but the rest of the course is easy enough that you’ll be fine as long as you don’t overdo it in the park.
– The course was fairly pretty, and running through Churchill Downs, the park, and the waterfront was enjoyable. Similar marathons in Cincinnati, Nashville, and Baltimore are not nearly as scenic.
– The directions and course marking were good. Roads were closed properly, and we had no trouble staying on course. Places where the half and full diverge were clearly marked and had people calling out what to do.
Areas for Improvement:
– There was a miscommunication at the start regarding when the gun would go off. The host and a guest from GE were both speaking but were not on the same page about how close to the start we were. Several people false started. People get jumpy when the big day comes, so please list the commands you’ll use (e.g. “We’ll say runner’s set, then you’ll hear the gun”) so folks know what to listen for.
– We need some cones or something to delineate between half and full marathoners once the two groups merge back together at Churchill Downs (around mile 18). Faster runners have to do a lot of weaving as the half marathoners are very spread out.
– There needs to be a timing pad/checkpoint on the final out and back on River Road. This would save a lot of headaches with marathoners opting to bail and finish the race early, skewing the results.
– Most water stops were fine, but several along 3rd St were under-staffed and couldn’t handle both half and full marathoners.
– I’ll contend that there were plenty of port-a-potties, but people had no idea where they all were. Putting sets of 10-15 potties scattered for blocks in each direction near the start probably isn’t optimal.
– When we went to one set of port-a-potties we found that all the toilet paper had been stolen from every stall, and a couple were filled with peoples’ belongings like they were living in them. It’s not a great look.
– I am not a fan of racejoy. I don’t want an app that requires me to carry my phone during the race. I just want my family and friends notified when I pass checkpoints and finish the race.
First Annual 5K
This was an out and back course that crosses into Indiana by bridge. There is a hill/ramp on each side of the bridge that were somewhat tough. It had just … MORE
This was an out and back course that crosses into Indiana by bridge. There is a hill/ramp on each side of the bridge that were somewhat tough. It had just rained so the ramps were a little scary. There was one water station at the halfway point. The distance on my watch was actually a little long (3.22 miles). Unfortunately we had a delayed start because there was lighting in the area. Luckily there was an overpass that we all could get under until it passed. The medal and shirt were nice.