The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon is April 10-11, 2027: 5K Saturday at 7 p.m., marathon and half Sunday at 7:30 a.m. Fees, parking and where to watch.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Dates, times and rules come from the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon website; fees come from its registration page.

The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon weekend is Saturday, April 10, and Sunday, April 11, 2027. The Kids Run and 5K go off Saturday evening; the marathon, half marathon and 4-person relay start at 7:30 a.m. Sunday on the Clinch Avenue Bridge and finish at World’s Fair Park. Registration is open, and prices rise after Nov. 30, 2026.

Know before you go

  • Dates: Saturday, April 10, and Sunday, April 11, 2027
  • Start: Clinch Avenue Bridge, in front of the Knoxville Convention Center, 701 Henley St.
  • Finish: World’s Fair Park
  • Packet pickup: Saturday only, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., World’s Fair Exhibition Hall, 935 World’s Fair Park Drive. Bring a photo ID. No Sunday pickup.
  • Race office: 865-427-8460
  • Organizer: the Knoxville Track Club

The races and start times

From the race’s weekend schedule:

Day Time What
Saturday, April 10 8 a.m. RunKNOX shakeout run, World’s Fair Exhibition Hall
Saturday, April 10 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Health and Fitness Expo and mandatory packet pickup
Saturday, April 10 5:30 p.m. Covenant Health Kids Run (1 mile)
Saturday, April 10 7 p.m. Covenant Health 5K (3.1 miles)
Saturday, April 10 8:30 p.m. 5K awards
Sunday, April 11 7:27 a.m. Wheelchair and handcycle start
Sunday, April 11 7:30 a.m. Marathon, half marathon and 4-person relay start
Sunday, April 11 2:30 p.m. Marathon course closes
Sunday, April 11 3 p.m. Finish line festival at World’s Fair Park closes

The 4-person relay legs are 6.8, 6.1, 7 and 6.3 miles. Relay runners get themselves to and from the exchange points. The race also offers virtual options.

Registration fees

The sign-up page listed these prices on Oct. 17, 2026, fees included, good through 11:59 p.m. Nov. 30, 2026:

  • Marathon: $112.14 (ages 17 and up)
  • Half marathon: $96.42 (ages 12 and up)
  • 5K: $44.40
  • Covenant Health Kids Run: $27
  • Knox Hills Challenge (Saturday 5K and Sunday marathon): $164.54
  • Marble City Challenge (Saturday 5K and Sunday half): $148.82

Every finisher gets a medal, a shirt and a goody bag, and FinisherPix race photos are free to 2027 participants, the race says.

Parking and road closures

The race’s parking page says city-owned garages are free on Sunday, and the Market Garage is $3 on Saturday. The University of Tennessee’s 11th Street Parking Garage, at Clinch Avenue and 11th Street, is one block from the start and the finish. Downtown hotels are within walking distance of the start.

Roads on the course close for the race. Police and volunteers reopen the course behind a 16-minute-mile pace, and the marathon course closes at 2:30 p.m., the race says. The 2026 course maps are on the course maps page; the 2027 routes may change slightly.

Where to watch

The race’s spectator page suggests:

  • The start on the Clinch Avenue Bridge. Both long courses pass one block away, on World’s Fair Park Drive, at mile 12.5.
  • Western Plaza, 4400 block of Kingston Pike, just after “The Hill” at Noelton Drive.
  • Tyson Park, off Cumberland Avenue, on the Third Creek Greenway.
  • Caswell Park in Parkridge, near mile 16 of the marathon.
  • Island Home, around miles 21 to 23.
  • The finish at World’s Fair Park.

What to know

  • Walkers welcome. Anyone registered may walk; start near the back. There is no early start.
  • Headphones are allowed, and the race lines the course with more than 20 bands.
  • Hills: the race says the course has some hills, mostly in the first half of the marathon.
  • Boston qualifier: the full marathon course is certified, USATF TN23007MS.
  • Volunteers staff water stops, the expo and the course; sign up on the volunteer page.

The first Knoxville Marathon was held March 20, 2005, and finished on the 50-yard line of Neyland Stadium until 2018, the race’s history page says.

More outdoors: our walking and biking trails guide and things to do in Knoxville.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Knoxville Marathon 2027?

The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon weekend is April 10-11, 2027. The Kids Run and 5K are Saturday, April 10; the marathon, half marathon and 4-person relay start at 7:30 a.m. Sunday, April 11.

How much does it cost to run the Knoxville Marathon?

Through Nov. 30, 2026, the race’s sign-up page lists the marathon at $112.14, the half marathon at $96.42, the 5K at $44.40 and the Kids Run at $27, fees included. Prices rise after Nov. 30.

Where does the Knoxville Marathon start and finish?

Every race starts on the Clinch Avenue Bridge in front of the Knoxville Convention Center and finishes at World’s Fair Park.

Is the Knoxville Marathon a Boston qualifier?

Yes. The race says the full marathon course is certified as a Boston Marathon qualifier, USATF certification TN23007MS.

Where is the best place to watch the Knoxville Marathon?

The race suggests the start on the Clinch Avenue Bridge, Western Plaza on Kingston Pike, Tyson Park, Caswell Park near mile 16, Island Home around miles 21 to 23 and the finish at World’s Fair Park.