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

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:

• Westin Nashville
• Noelle
• Hilton Nashville Downtown
• Bobby Hotel
• Omni Nashville
• Fairlane Hotel
• JW Marriott
• Renaissance Hotel
• Sheraton Nashville
• Hilton Garden Inn
• Bode – designed specifically for groups
• The Capitol Hotel – *cheapest*

Best Vacation Rentals in Downtown / SoBro:

• Condo Overlooking Riverfront – 2 bedroom / 2 bath – Sleeps 4 – 100+ Five Star Reviews
• Downtown Nashville Loft – 3 bedroom / 2.5 bath – Sleeps 8 – 100+ Five Star Reviews
• Riverfront Condo – 1 bedroom / 1 bath – Sleeps 2-4 – 100+ Five Star Reviews
• The Heart of Nashville Loft – 2 bedroom / 1 bath – Sleep 6 – 100+ Five Star Reviews
• Spacious Upscale Apartment – 2 bedroom / 2.5 bath – Sleeps 6-8 – 90+ Five Star Reviews
• The Music Loft – 2 bedroom / 2 bath – Sleeps 4-6 – 65+ Five Star Reviews
• Honky Tonk Apartment – 3 bedroom / 2.5 bath – Sleeps 6-11 – 50+ Five Star Reviews
• Printers Alley Penthouse – 2 bedroom / 2.5 bath – Sleeps 6 – 40+ Five Star Reviews

Hotel Snacks, Athletic Shops & Getting Around

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.

• Pastaria | West Nashville / Sylvan Park area
• Moto | The Gulch
• Nicky’s Coal Fired | The Nations
• Demos’ Restaurant | Downtown Nashville
• Otaku Ramen | The Gulch
• Bella Napoli | Edgehill Village
• MAFIAoZA’s | 12 South
• Caffe Nonna | Sylvan Park
• Pomodoro East | East Nashville
• Nicoletto’s Italian Kitchen | East Nashville

Great Neighborhoods to Explore

Popular Neighborhoods:

• Downtown Nashville (especially, Broadway)
• The Gulch
• 12 South
• East Nashville
• Hillsboro Village
• Germantown

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

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 Café 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!

• Healthy Restaurants
• Gluten-Free Restaurants
• Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants
• Best Breakfast
• Best Brunch
• Best Lunch
• Best Dinner
• Best Casual Restaurants
• Best Mexican Restaurants
• Best Pizza Places
  
• Kid-Friendly Restaurants
• Delicious Burger Joints
• Best Rooftop Bars
• Best Patios
• Late-Night Food Spots
• Nashville Hot Chicken

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:

• Seeing Broadway at night (Top stops: Acme, Tootsies, Robert’s, Honky Tonk Central)
• Hearing live music (Listening Room Cafe, 3rd and Lindsley)
• Eating Southern style (Puckett’s, The Southern, Loveless Cafe, Pancake Pantry, Arnold’s, Hattie B’s, Rotier’s)
• Drinking a locally-brewed beer (local breweries)
• Telling us what you love about Nashville in the comments section below!