Race Day and start time for the Humana miniMarathon and Marathon will be: Saturday, April 24, at 7:00 AM. 

Race Day and start time for the 5K presented by First Urology will be: Friday, April 23, at 7:00 PM. 

• The  races will start simultaneously at 7 a.m. on Saturday, April 24, 2027, on Main Street, near Slugger Field. The Finish Line is at Preston and Witherspoon streets, just outside of the Waterfront.
• All race participants 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 courses for both distances will be in Kentucky, and the Marathon Course will go through Louisville’s South End with participants running along Southern Parkway and racing through Iroquois Park.

The Start Line is located on Main Street, near Louisville Slugger Field 

The Finish line will be located at the corner of Preston and Witherspoon. Near Louisville Slugger Field and Waterfront Park 

Yes, this year we will be offering the option for runners to defer their entry to the 2026 mini or Marathon for a small fee. All deferral requests must be submitted by April 12, 2027.

• miniMarathon: $30
• Marathon: $35
• Marathon Relay: $75

  *Deferrals will be honored for one year

Yes, there is a 4-hour course limit for the miniMarathon, and a 6-hour limit for the Marathon. 

THIS MEANS: All participants must maintain a 13:45  minute per mile pace for the Marathon or a 15:00 minute per mile in the Half Marathon (miniMarathon).  

*BECAUSE OF THE STRICT ADHERANCE TO THE MARATHON TIME LIMIT, WE WILL NOT BE ALLOWING WALKERS TO REGISTER FOR THE MARATHON THIS YEAR. 

Yes all participants will receive a race shirt for the distance they register for at the Publix Race Expo and Packet Pick up, and a finisher's medal at the finish line 

The minimum age to participate in the miniMarathon is 12 years old, and 14 years old to participate in the Marathon. *Runners who are under the age of 18 will have to have a liability waiver signed by their legal guardian at packet pick-up. 

Walkers may participate in the miniMarathon only, but must be able to keep a 15:00 minute per mile pace. Walkers will not be permitted to register for the full marathon. All marathon participants must keep a 13:45 minute pace to complete the course within the 6hr time limit. 

Yes! We use the Corral System to maintain safety and pacing for our runners, which is why it is so important to stick to your assigned corral. There will be plenty of signage on Race Day to let you know where your assigned corral is. 

*Start Corrals are a system used to regulate the flow of runners out of the starting line. Runners are assigned to lettered start areas, based on previous race times or on predicted times. Faster runners will be towards the front, while more leisurely paces will be towards the end, making it safer and more smooth for all runners or walkers to move at their pace. 

The race starts at 7:00 AM (Don’t forget, we’re on Eastern Time for all you out-of-towners!), but we recommend getting to your place at your starting line corral no later than 6:45 AM

In a way, yes. Corral Systems are based on previous finishing times or estimated finishing time – which can be filled in at the time of registration. 

Preferred corrals at the front can be requested with following times. Submit proof of finishing time during registration.

miniMarathon Qualifying Time: Women – 1:52:00, Men – 1:35:00 

Marathon Qualifying Time: Women 3:45, Men 2:28 

We ask that you make finish times as accurate as possible, to make sure that the course is safe & enjoyable for everyone. (You can go back and update your time when it gets closer to race day.) 

Street parking is available near the Start and Finish Line areas. There are also multiple surface lots in the vicinity as well.

Yes. Runners will be able to compete for awards in all three in-person race categories: miniMarathon, Marathon and Wheelchair Division. The top three finishers from each Age Group will receive a special award.

Find more information about Awards here: https://derbyfestivalmarathon.com/race-information/awards/  

The course will be USATF certified with the intention to be a Boston Marathon Qualifying Race. 

No registration for all Races ends 5pm on Friday the 23

Yes, the course is a loop course, with the Start Line Being at Louisville Slugger Field and the Finish Line being near the Waterfront at Preston and Witherspoon streets (about 2 blocks apart).

Yes. There is a 4-hour course limit for the miniMarathon, 6-hour course limit for the Marathon.

THIS MEANS: All participants must maintain a 15:00 minute mile in the half Marathon (miniMarathon), 13:45 minute per mile pace in the Marathon.

The roads will re-open behind runners maintaining a 15-minute-per-mile pace. A trail car will re-open the roads. The trail car starts after the runners in the last corral cross the Start Line.

But Don’t Panic…participants will be allowed to complete the course by moving to the sidewalk and following pedestrian rules for safety.

*PLEASE BE ADVISED: Course services will not be available beyond this pace time, and course deviations may happen if a runner is not keeping the projected race time.

We will have water stops and Powerade locations on the route 17 for the Marathon (several locations will be passed twice) and 7 for the miniMarathon. Thanks to our friends at the Louisville Water Company and Powerade

• Roller Skates (including in-line skate)
• Bicycles (including hand crank bicycles)
• Baby Strollers
• Running Strollers
• Animals
• There will be NO bags allowed on this year’s course. You will have the opportunity to leave all belongings at gear check located at Louisville Slugger Field. Camel Backs & Water Bags will be allowed.

If it is an emergency, please contact 9-1-1.

We will have medics surveying the course, as well as medical stops along the route, however we highly recommend if your need is urgent to contact emergency services.

It will be held at Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center 937 Phillips Lane 

Thursday, April 22
4:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Friday, April 23
11:00 AM – 8:00 PM

There is a parking lot at Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center. Please enter through Gate 1 (937 Phillips Lane).

Make sure to bring a copy of the Registration QR code provided at the bottom of any emails from RunSignUp. You can print this, or just pull it up on your phone.

Yes, a friend or family member can pick up your bib if they have the QR code that is attached to all emails you have received from the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon.

You will be able to have another friend, family member or runner pick up your packet and shirt for you as long as they have the QR code that is included in all emails you have received from the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon.

Go to the Runners’ Services table at the Race Expo & Packet Pick-Up, and they will be able to help you!

Go to the Runners’ Services table at the Race Expo & Packet Pick-Up, and they will be able to help you!

Yes, you can make changes to your tee shirt size at any time before the race. Options can be found by going to your “Profile” page, clicking on “My Registered Races”, and then selecting “Edit/View Registration”. Please login to RunSignUp with the user account you used to register. For more details about updating your T-Shirt size:  https://help.runsignup.com/support/solutions/articles/17000062913-update-t-shirt-giveaway 

Absolutely! Runners that have already registered can go into their profile and add-on the following items: Event pins and Medal Engraving. For more details about adding-on to the existing registrations:

https://help.runsignup.com/support/solutions/articles/17000062916-add-on-management

Go to your “Profile” page, click on “My Registered Races”, and then select “Edit/View Registration”. Please login to RunSignUp with the user account you used to register. For more detailed instructions, go to: https://help.runsignup.com/support/solutions/articles/17000062918-resend-the-confirmation-email

We offer RegShield for event registration insurance. Event registration insurance protects participants for 100% of their registration and processing fees for races that they are unable to attend for covered reasons, but must be purchased at the time you complete your registration.

If you chose to purchase the insurance, you should have received an email with the policy from RegShield, and information on how to request your refund.

Click on the link below to claim an event insurance: https://help.runsignup.com/support/solutions/articles/17000073422-claiming-event-insurance

Runners can transfer race categories to another runner, or even into another race distance (within miniMarathon or Marathon) along with the $20.00 transfer fee. Transferring options can be found by going to your “Profile” page, clicking on “My Registered Races”, and then selecting “Edit/View Registration”. Please login to RunSignUp with the user account you used to register. The deadline is 4/13/2026.

The second step to transfer to another runner can be found in these steps: https://runsignup.com/How-To/Transfer-To-Another-Runner

Since the start & finish lines are located in the center of downtown Louisville, we recommend staying somewhere in that vicinity.

We partner with The Galt House Hotel, the Official Race Headquarters, to make the race experience smooth for our out-of-town guests.

Lucky for you, you’re arriving in Louisville during the Kentucky Derby Festival – two weeks of parties and events celebrating that Louisville tradition we all know and love. You can find a schedule of those events here.

We also recommend that you check out Louisville Tourism’s website for more information on local attractions, restaurants and other unique experiences. (Or you can give them a call at 1-800-626-5646).

The Expo & Packet Pick-Up is located at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Freedom Hall, which is located near Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.

You will be able to have another friend, family member or runner pick up your packet and shirt for you with a copy of your valid I.D. and bib number.

Runners who complete both the Kentucky Derby Festival 5k and miniMarathon or Marathon will receive a 3rd medal to commemorate this accomplishment 

Challenge Medals can be picked up after completing the Humana miniMarathon or Marathon in the Runners Chute look for the Challenge Medal sign

Friday April 23 7pm 

The 5K course will start and finish at Harbor Lawn in Waterfront Park and take runners across the Big Four Bridge.

This year’s course will close at 8:30 PM.

We’ll have the Race Expo and Packet Pick-Up inside Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center on April 22 and 23. We’ll be sending more information about this in early Spring to the email you registered with. (We will also have more information here and on our social media channels).