2026 Half Marathon Training
15 Week Training Program
Saturdays beginning January 10
The St. Jude Rock’n’Roll Nashville Marathon and Half Marathon has become not only a tradition but also a Nashville institution. Every April, East Nasty turns out in force to train and run this race together. In fact, training for the half marathon was how East Nasty began over 20 years ago! The training program is FREE and open to anyone.
Join this 15-week training program, and show up on Saturdays to train with pacers and other aspiring racers. Once you register, run locations and the weekly training specifics will come to you by email, Facebook, Instagram, and through your coaches.
Use the button below to register for the Half Marathon training series.
And don’t forget to register for THE RACE!
More Details
The Program
Beginning in mid-January and continuing through race day on April 25th, our training program consists of:
LONG RUNS on Saturday mornings led by volunteer pace group leaders in different locations throughout the city. Half training will start every Saturday at 8am.
WEEKLY WORKOUTS to follow. Saturday runs are great, but to really prepare for a race, mid-week training is essential. We'll provide some basics for you to modify to suit your own needs.
TUESDAY NIGHT SUGGESTED SPEED WORKOUTS to help you improve your race time.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT RUNS with East Nasty.
COACHES AND PACE LEADERS who can give lots of support and advice.
WEEKLY NEWSLETTER updates, with training notes, special events, and maybe some giveaways and a brunch or two!
the Cost
As with all East Nasty programs, training with us is absolutely free!
Training Requirements
The only requirement is that you are able to run five miles without stopping on the first day of training for half marathon training.
CONTACT info
Polly Alexander, Aaron McKinney, Sarah Harmon, and Addison Waege will be coordinating the training program and are available to answer questions.
Announcements
The first week we meet at 8:00 am in the parking lot under the train trestle in Shelby Bottoms Park (please do not park at the Nature center!). Be ready to meet your pace group and run 45 minutes. Check email, social media and the East Nasty running calendar for details. There’s still time to register!
Locations will change each week and can be subject to last-minute adjustments. Check your email each week for details.
Follow @eastnasty4life on Instagram and join our dedicated training Facebook group for additional information and last-minute announcements.
2026 Training Plan
The training plan includes a schedule and description of the Saturday runs, suggested weekday workouts, and training guidelines. Weekly emails will be sent to registered participants, so check there for changes each week. Nashville is a busy city, so occasionally a start location needs to be adjusted.
While we only have pacers for the half marathon training this year, we’ve included our full marathon training plan for anyone who might be interested.
Sponsorship
If you would like to become a business sponsor for this training series, please contact us!