You start outside Louisville Slugger Field at 7:00 am with the giant bat looming over Main Street and thousands of miniMarathoners around you, so the first miles feel like a big-city race. The course rolls south through the brick mansions of Old Louisville and into the Olmsted parks, where the climbs are real but shaded, and then comes the moment everyone talks about: you run through the tunnel under the grandstand at Churchill Downs and out onto the dirt of the infield, with the twin spires above you and the smell of the track in the air, one week before the Derby. After the mini splits off the marathon gets quiet, with long, quiet stretches through the south side of the city. Expect humidity and a stiff finish; plan the second half honestly.
Starts at Louisville Slugger Field downtown, passes through Old Louisville and the Olmsted parks, runs a lap through the infield of Churchill Downs, and returns to a downtown finish; mostly out-and-back with rolling park sections. Course map ↗
Registration is open on RunSignUp. Current fees: $100 marathon, $90 miniMarathon, $45 5K, $325 marathon relay; KDF Race Challenge (5K plus mini or marathon) $130-$140. Register ↗
- 2027 is the 54th annual miniMarathon and the 26th annual Marathon. ↗
- Both races run through the infield of Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby. ↗
- 1,502 marathoners finished in 2026, the highest total of the past six years. ↗
- The marathon has a 6-hour limit and the miniMarathon a 4-hour limit. ↗
Checked 2026-10-13. Always confirm on the official site before booking travel.