As if the music scene isn’t reason enough to visit Music City, participating in a race that thinks it’s a concert can provide some added motivation. Between Nashville’s semi-flat terrain and its iconic Music Row, music-loving runners will have ample opportunity to plan a run and plan some fun. Let’s “run” through some recommendations.

Plan your run

Nashville has quite a few race weekends throughout the year. One of the more famous runs is the Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon, half marathon and 5K, which take place April 26-29. The race starts at 8th Ave. and Broadway and goes past a few famous spots including Music Row and Belmont University and finishes at Nissan Stadium, home to the Tennessee Titans. To keep participants entertained and energized throughout the course, the race has bands performing at every mile. Although Nashville is home to country music, runners should prepare to “dance” in the streets to a variety of genres, from alternative, classic and punk rock to blues, jazz and soul.  

Nashville holds another marathon and half marathon on November 10, and the course is just as beautiful as the Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville course. It starts and ends in the heart of downtown and runs past Music Row, the Tennessee State Capitol and Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park and takes runners across the Cumberland River by Nissan Stadium and along the riverfront.

If you’re not ready to commit to a full or half marathon, check out these other fun races through the city.

Plan your fun

Now that you have your race and race day in mind, it’s time to round out your travel itinerary with visits to the city’s other main attractions. We recommend rest, relaxation and carb-loading the night before a race. NashvilleLifestyles.com provides runners with a roundup of the places in town to fill up on pasta, pancakes and decadent foods. Save the honky-tonks down Lower Broadway for a post-run celebration. Whether you’re looking for good food, drinks or music, you’ll find it all at popular places like Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, Honky Tonk Central and Tin Roof.

If you want to venture away from the craziness of Broadway but still take in the music scene, the Bluebird Café should be on your list. Up-and-coming musicians perform at the club as well as those who have had many chart-topping hits. You never know who may pop in to jam and pay tribute to their roots.

During the day, check out the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which has special exhibits for the first half of this year featuring Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Shania Twain, or tour the Ryman Auditorium, the original home of the Grand Ole Opry.

If that doesn’t sound like enough to do in a weekend, just outside downtown is the Gaylord Opryland Resort, Grand Ole Opry and Opry Mills mall, which are all worth a visit.

See what we did there? The words “run” and “fun” are not mutually exclusive. Share your Music City expertise and recommendations with us and other Fast Park fans.