It’s that time of year again. Time for Knoxvillians to lace up their sneakers and hit the streets in the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon.
Officials gathered in UT’s Neyland Stadium March 20, to announce the races set for Saturday and Sunday, March 24-25, in downtown Knoxville. Racers of all ability levels will cross the finish line in the landmark stadium itself.
“Being with Covenant Health, this makes perfect sense because we strive to be the best in health care,” said local fitness icon Missy Kane of the partnership between Covenant and the marathon.
The race is East Tennessee’s largest, with 8,938 participants last year and a goal of more than 9,000 participants this year. Races include the marathon, half-marathon, 5K run, relays and a one-mile Kids Run.
Covenant Health CEO Jim VanderSteeg announces the upcoming marathon with Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and race director Jason Altman.
Covenant CEO Jim VanderSteeg said sponsoring the race promotes Covenant’s mission of improving quality of life and health care, not just for patients, but for the whole community.
“The kids race is the race I get really excited about,” he said. “It teaches our children how to live a healthy lifestyle and that exercise can be fun.”
Mayor Madeline Rogero called the marathon, “one of our favorite weekends here.”
“It’s not just big, it’s also beloved,” she said. “One third of the participants come from outside East Tennessee. Let’s stake our claim to who we are as a city. We want to share the good news and brand ourselves. Knoxville is a city on the move.”
For more information about the weekend’s events, including the free-to-the-public Health & Fitness Expo and road closures, visit www.knoxvillemarathon.com.