SPECIAL RACE PROMOTION STARTS SEPT. 7
September 5, 2023, Louisville, KY. – Ready, set, register! Registration for Kentucky’s largest day of road racing opens this week – Thursday, Sept. 7 at 9 a.m. The GE Appliances Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon is set for Saturday, April 27, 2024. The annual event attracts an average of 10-12,000 runners to Louisville every spring. Runners can register at DerbyFestivalMarathon.com.
“The GE Appliances miniMarathon and Marathon have become Kentucky’s other big race with thousands of runners from all 50 states and several countries,” said Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival President & CEO. “This year’s event will be even more special as participants will run through historic Churchill Downs just a week before the horses run Derby 150.”
Participants can lock in the best rate during an exclusive, limited-time promotion beginning at 9 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 7 with $51 for the miniMarathon and $61 for the Marathon. But don’t wait to register, the special pricing will increase by $1 after every 150 registrants. The promotion runs through midnight on Saturday, Sept. 9 or until the opening registration price point is reached at $65 for the miniMarathon and $75 for the Marathon.
After the special promo ends, registration will be $65 for the miniMarathon and $75 for the Marathon. For the 2024 event, in addition to the miniMarathon (half marathon) and the full Marathon, the Derby Festival is also offering a Marathon Relay ($325) for teams of 3 to 5 runners, as well as the virtual miniMarathon & Marathon ($50) for those who prefer to run at their own pace.
The race has become a tradition for many employees at GE Appliances, who returns as the Title Sponsor of the event for the third straight year.
“Every year GE Appliances has hundreds of employees who run in the races, as well as countless volunteers at the race check-in, water stops and finish line,” said Kevin Nolan, president and CEO of GE Appliances, a Haier company. “This race is part of our healthy workplace culture and a celebrated tradition, not just for our business, but the entire community. We look forward to welcoming a record number of runners to showcase what makes our hometown special.”
The in-person races will start simultaneously at 7 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, on Main Street, near Slugger Field, and then finish on Adams Street, just outside of the Lynn Family Stadium, the Official Finish Line for both the mini and Marathon.
The courses for both distances are still being finalized and will be released soon. Participants of both the miniMarathon and Marathon will get to experience the sights of downtown Louisville, the historic Old Louisville neighborhood, Churchill Downs (home of the Kentucky Derby), and parts of the scenic Olmsted Park System, among other attractions as they run.
The two-day Race Expo is set to return race week on April 25 and 26 at Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center. The free Norton Sports Health Training Program also returns for the 2024 race to assist all levels of runners in getting ready for the spring races.
2024 marks the 51st annual miniMarathon and the 23rd run of the Marathon. More information is available at DerbyFestivalMarathon.com, along with FAQs to help answer questions about the 2024 event.
GE Appliances is the Title Sponsor of the miniMarathon and Marathon. Official Race Medical Provider & Training Partner: Norton Sports Health. Contributing Sponsors are Churchill Downs, Kentucky Department of Tourism, Louisville Water Company and Powerade. Official Finish Line Sponsor: Louisville City FC/Racing Louisville FC. Official Bourbon Retail Partner: Evergreen Liquors. Official Refuel Partner: Prairie Farms. Official Hotel: The Galt House.
