Register for 2013 Marathon

The 2013 Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon is adding a new two-person relay to the popular road race.  The 2013 event will be held Sunday, April 7 and registration is now open at www.knoxvillemarathon.com.

The two-person relay covers the same route at the same time as the marathon. Two people team up and each runs approximately a 13.1-mile leg of the marathon. The team enjoys all of the benefits and thrill of the full 26.2- mile event, but with a shorter run.

“The two-person marathon relay gives friends, family members or co-workers the opportunity to take on the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon together,” said Jason Altman, executive director of the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon. “We will have award divisions for father/son, mother/daughter and other categories to make it more fun and encourage friendly competitions.”

For previous half marathon participants, the two-person relay is an opportunity for them to run the second half of the marathon course.

“We have some great neighborhoods on the second half of the course, and we are excited to offer more participants the chance to experience new scenery,” he said.

The Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon has grown to become the largest competitive road race in East Tennessee. With the addition of the two-person relay, the event is actually six different running events held over two days. In 2013, the 26.2-mile marathon, 13.1-mile half marathon, two-person and four-person marathon relays, and 5K run will be held Sunday, April 7, and the one-mile Covenant Kids Run will be on Saturday, April 6.

The marathon is offering a number of incentives for early registration, including an early bird registration discount on the full marathon, half marathon, and relay. Participants can save $10 on the full, half, or two-person relay, or $5 on the four-person relay by registering online before Nov. 30. The prices will increase on Dec. 1, 2012.

The Knoxville Track Club will send a complimentary gift to the first 100 individuals who register for the full marathon. 

As in previous years, all races will have an exciting finish on the 50-yard line inside Neyland Stadium. For many, it is the thrill of seeing themselves on the JumboTron as they cross the finish line that inspires them to run the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon.

But participants may soon realize that the best reward is what they gain by the entire experience, according to Tony Spezia, president and CEO of Covenant Health.

“We can point with pride to many people who have been motivated by the marathon to start exercising and to improve their health,” Spezia said. “The event raises public awareness of the importance of physical fitness and supports our organization’s mission to improve the health and quality of life in our community.”

Proceeds from the marathon benefit the Knoxville Track Club’s youth athletic program as well as Covenant’s Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center Innovative Recreation Cooperative (IRC), which encourages people with disabilities to pursue leisure and sports activities including handcycling, which is one of the races in the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon. 

The Knoxville Track Club and Covenant Health will offer training programs for runners and walkers of all levels.  Information about the training programs will be available at www.knoxvillemarathon.com and www.covenanthealth.com/marathon.  Registration is available online at www.knoxvillemarathon.com.