Visitors Guide to Nashville: St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Edition

March 19, 2022 | Advertising Disclosure | Our Partners may be mentioned in this article.

Are you coming in town for the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon and 1/2 the weekend of April 25-28, 2019? Not sure what to do while you’re visiting one of the most popular cities in the nation? We’ve got you covered! In this Visitors Guide to Nashville: St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Edition, we’ve laid out some helpful hints, places to stay, carb-loading hot spots, top restaurants, and a list of five things you can’t leave town without doing. If you haven’t registered yet, make sure to take advantage of the GURU discount below, too!

*Get $10 OFF your St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon & 1/2 registration with promo code GURU19*

Visitors Guide to Nashville:
St. Jude Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon Edition


Where to Stay in Nashville

Omni Hotel - Nashville Guru Photos -13

First things first, you need a great place to stay. Check out our Best Hotels Guide and Where to Stay Guide for hotel and vacation rental recommendations. Here are some Downtown and SoBro options to get you started.

Best Hotels in Downtown / SoBro:

Best Vacation Rentals in Downtown / SoBro:


Hotel Snacks, Athletic Shops & Getting Around

Turnip Truck East Nashville-2

Most people will probably arrive in Nashville on Thursday or Friday and want to stay healthy and low-key until after the race. If you want some healthy snacks and water for your hotel room, head to The Produce Place or Turnip Truck (there are two locations in The Gulch and East Nashville). Both places have organic options and are locally owned.

If you forgot anything for the big run, there are some local athletic shops including Nashville Running Company and Team Nashville.

Getting around Nashville is easiest using a car-sharing program like Lyft. New Lyft users can get a discount using promo code NASHVILLEGURU. Also check out the free bus, the array of scooters (like Bird), and JoyRide for easy ways to get around downtown. See more options here, too.


Carb-Loading Restaurants in Nashville

If you want to carb-fill with Italian cuisine before the big race, below are some carbalicious restaurants all within several miles of Downtown Nashville. We’ve included links to their neighborhood as well, which are worth exploring, too.


Great Neighborhoods to Explore

Nashville-Guru-Neighborhood-Map

Popular Neighborhoods:

All of the neighborhoods are fun to explore, but you have to make your way down to Broadway at some point, particularly at night. Broadway is located in Downtown Nashville, and the really fun stuff is located between 1st and 5th Avenues. You will be running on Broadway first thing on Saturday, but you should also try to see it when you aren’t racing down it. Broadway is known for the honky-tonks (bars with country music blaring). Broadway is also full of souvenir shops, photo ops with a big boot or Elvis statue, and the beautiful Riverfront Park at Broadway and 1st Avenue. It will be hopping on Saturday night with all the runners in town. Check it out on Friday while you’re chillin’ or grab a beer or two after the race on Saturday!


Best Places to Eat & Drink in Nashville

Pancake Pantry-2

Once you get the race over with, you will be starving! We recommend going to one of the well-known Nashville staples for a big meal. Loveless CafĂ© is worth the drive and Pancake Pantry is worth the wait. Below we’ve listed some of our guides to eating and drinking your way through Nashville. Be sure to check them out for more ideas!

After your taste buds are happy, just enjoy the city. With so many people in town for the Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon, you won’t have a hard time staying entertained. If you’re bar-hopping, check out Midtown. If you have a big group, hitch a ride on the Honky Tonk Party Express.


Recover + Relax

Photo Credit: Rhapsody Spa | Westin Nashville

After exercising and celebrating, you may just need to recover and relax. Check out these top spas in Nashville and take advantage of Rhapsody Spa’s marathon special from April 24-28, 2019—you can get 20% off their brand new Vital Body™ Wellness CDB Massage and 20% off all Vital Body™ retail products.


Don’t Leave Nashville Without:

Broadway - Downtown Nashville-7

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