Louisville Marathon

This was my first marathon, and overall I really enjoyed it! I drove in from Lexington in the morning and parking/travel was not chaotic outside it was dark when I arrived. Trying to navigate the parking lot and everything in the dark was a little tough, but had plenty of time.

Weather was ROUGH but I loved it. It was around 40-45 degrees, raining and cloudy all day. If you are a fair weather runner, just be prepared that November in Kentucky could be 70 degrees (literally two days before it was beautiful) or 40 and raining. I had not trained in a long sleeve shirt, so wore shorts and t shirt and got pretty cold from the rain actually. (this played into my challenging rating)

The course is very pretty, great sections along the river, beautiful country side, but just know you will be isolated. There are some spectator spots around the course, but it felt like just myself and some other runners out there. I like that challenge, but if you like the energy of a big race, just know this ain't it. The spectators that were there were great though.

The course itself was the perfect challenge that certainly broke me. Think of it as a U shape down and back. You'll start with some hills until a big down hill section, then hit a nice long stretch of flatness, then climb up and down hills to the half way point. Those really killed my legs. Coming back, you'll be in familiar territory but boy oh boy does the last hill suck. I read reviews before, but it doesn't compare hitting mile 22-23 and looking straight up a mile long hill.

Finishing was great, beer and derby pie is a great touch. I personally LOVE the 2025 medal. Looks super cool and very Louisville feeling. I also loved using Racejoy, the tracking app to help my friends and family track me along the course. They could give little cheers and stuff during the race I could hear in my headphones. Must have been boring to watch a dot for 4 hours but they did it lol.

Overall it feels like a great challenge, knowing the hills beat me this year, they won't next year!!

I am glad I brought my water pack, there are spots where you might want water/hydration but won't have an aid-station for 3 miles or so. I highly encourage take full advantage of the water provided. I would also prepare for weather to be all over the place. Windy, rainy, hot, cold - November in Kentucky can have it all.

Parking was super easy, like I said I drove in from Lexington the morning of and it was not a problem at all. It's a big park!

Likes: Gorgeous! If you like beautiful nature to get lost in your thoughts for a quiet marathon, this would be great. I loved the views! I live and train in hills, so the hills didn't bother me, except one steep downhill near the end (hard to navigate on tired legs!) And the course mostly goes down at the beginning and up going back. The racers were friendly- lots of waves and smiles and friendly encouragement. Facilities seemed to be appropriate and the half marathon starts an hour later, which was nice, because it alleviated congestion.

Dislikes: The ONLY reason I probably won't return is that the course is mostly concrete. It said paved, and I assumed asphalt, but only about 5 miles are asphalt. My legs hurt!! If you prefer cheering and crowds, you won't like its some spectator areas only had 1-2 people. But if crowds make you a little anxious, it's perfect!!

It'ss an out and back course mostly. There were water stations every couple of miles except in one spot between mile 6-10 (16-20) which I think was about 3.5 miles between - get a water bottle there. There is some shade in the middle but the beginning and end have very little shade- sunscreen!

It's a small race so you won't have any trouble. We had a dead battery and arrived very close to race time and it was not a big deal.

The course goes though The Parklands of Floyds Fork, a treasure of Louisville. Almost entirely on bike paths - mostly concrete, some asphalt. But it is not crowded, so there is no problem about congestion. The Parklands is beautiful: forested areas, some farmlands, a creek that you cross several times (on bridges). Lots of hills, one steep and long one at mile 23.

Be prepared for hills. Also, if you need crowds, this is not a race for you. But if you like to run in nature, and you don't need crowds, this is great.

This is a small race, so everything is simple. Parking is plentiful. I don't think there are nearby hotels, but getting to the site is easy.

I ran this race in 2020, when it had to be moved from the normal course to a park east of Louisville. There was plenty of parking, easily accessible facilities, and clear directions and signage. The course was an out and back, with a 10K and Half being run on the same course, along concrete paved trails. There was virtually no crowd support except in the last half mile, but the scenery was nice. There were several challenging hills, but since you go out then back, you get a chance to see what you're going to have to deal with during the second half of the race. The second half of the race is almost entirely uphill, though not noticeably difficult, but does have several very tough climbs.