Urban Bourbon Half Marathon

The banks of the Ohio River as well as this famous Kentucky city’s downtown streets and parks are the setting for the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon, which features a finish line on Main Street in front of the Evan Willliams Bourbon Experience!If you like bourbon, this is your race — there’s Evan Williams at the finish line, where you can tour the distillery on Whiskey Row and enjoy bourbon tastings in the post-race lounge. There is an abundance of opportunities to take part in even more bourbon-inspired activities before or after you’ve completed the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon. Whether it’s taking advantage of Louisville’s Urban Bourbon Trail or exploring the distilleries located just a short distance from Louisville, you have plenty of options from which to choose.Enjoy a scenic run in beautiful Louisville!

The half marathon starts at the corner of Main and 2nd Streets, next to the KFC Yum Center where the University of Louisville’s basketball teams play.From there, the course first heads south and east along Muhammad Ali Boulevard. After turns on Chestnut Street and Lexington Road, the course then crosses over a bridge and into the eastern part of the city, where the next stretch of the course takes runners along the edges of Cave Hill National Cemetery.Runners next head east along Lexington Road into Louisville’s Cherokee Park, where runners will make their way along nearly two miles of the park’s Scenic Loop, which has separate lanes for cars and walkers, runners and bikers. The route will take runners past the Cherokee Golf Course near the park’s western edge as well as past Hogan’s Fountain, which lies right in the heart of the park along the Scenic Loop.The last few miles of the race bring runners back into downtown, past the Louisville Slugger Museum, the Kentucky Science Center and the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, all the way to the finish line on Main Street in front of the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience, where you can enjoy and sip to your heart’s content.

One of the first parks designed by Frederick Law Olmstead — whose masterworks include the designs for both Prospect Park and Central Park in New York City — Cherokee Park features large open green spaces and rolling meadows that runners will make their way through as they turn off the Scenic Loop near the park’s southern edge and head onto Cherokee Park Road, which takes them out of the park near its northeastern corner.

There is plenty of parking near the course.

Gear Check will be available at the start and finish.

There are 7 water stations strategically placed on the course. Porta-potties will be available near aid stations.

The post-race Urban Bourbon Bash will be held on the Belvedere from 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Race participants can enjoy a sampling of bourbons from various distillers along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, Bearno’s Pizza, Falls City Beer and plenty of prize and photo opportunities. The popular local band the Louisville Crashers will perform at the post-race party.

You must be at least 21 on race day to register.

All finishers receive a medal.

3 hours 30 minutes

At the finish line, walkers and runners will enjoy the traditional fruit, bagels, Powerade and chocolate milk.