Jackson/Madison County and the Exchange Club Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse are proud to announce that the Andrew Jackson Half Marathon has been named a 2019 RRCA Tennessee State Half Marathon Championship Event by the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA).

Since 1958, the RRCA has awarded championship events through a competitive bidding process at the National, Regional, and State level to RRCA member clubs and events. The RRCA Championship Event Series is the largest grassroots organized running series in the US. “Many factors, including participant reviews, are considered when selecting RRCA Championships,” says Sherilyn Johnson, RRCA Tennessee State Representative.

In light of the new designation, there will be a few modifications to the races this year. The course will be the same challenging course as last year, however, start lines and start times will be separate. The marathon will start at 7 am, while the half marathon will start at 7:15 am. Marathon participants will run a double loop course (which also serves as a Boston Marathon qualifier), and half marathon participants will run a single loop. The challenging course runs through the renovated downtown area, beside the University of Memphis Lambuth Campus Arboretum, along tree-lined residential neighborhoods, and around West Tennessee’s largest medical center.

“We were honored to have been awarded the State Championship in 2018 for the Marathon and are thrilled to have received the award for the 2019 Half Marathon. To be named as a Tennessee State Championship event from RRCA puts the RunAJM Jackson race in ranks with top-rated races in the state. Not only does it help promote the sport of distance running, but it also helps showcase Jackson as the home of Tennessee’s oldest marathon. It will give runners a unique opportunity to be a state champion recognized by RRCA,” says Danny Crossett, RunAJM Jackson Race Director.

Each runner will receive a custom designed finisher medal as they cross the finish line. At the Awards Ceremony, RRCA State Championship medals will be presented to top overall, master, grandmaster, and senior grandmaster male and female winners. Following, Andrew Jackson Half Marathon awards will be presented at 10:15 am and the Marathon awards will be presented at noon.

The RunAJM Andrew Jackson Marathon has been supporting the Center for many years and has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in proceeds. “We (the Exchange Club Carl Perkins Center) are honored to be a recipient of the proceeds from this wonderful event,” says Pam Nash, Executive Director of the Exchange Club Carl Perkins Center. “Our Center serves all counties in West Tennessee outside of Shelby. The proceeds from this event will be used to help provide support to families in preventing and dealing with child abuse.”

Race details and registration is open at Andrewjacksonmarathon.com.

For more information:

Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), www.rrca.org

Danny Crossett, Andrew Jackson Marathon Race Director, [email protected]

The Exchange Club Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, Carlperkinscenter.org