Rocket City Marathon

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Rocket City Marathon
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About
Whether the goal is a PR, qualifying for Boston, completing that first marathon, or striving for a personal goal, RCM is the way to achieve it.Marathon - The Rocket City Marathon has been a fixture for over 40 years in North Alabama. Enjoy a flat, Boston Marathon qualifying course.Half Marathon - We are proud to announce the addition of a Half Marathon! Kids Marathon - K-8th graders may become "marathoners" by logging 25.2 miles leading up to a final mile on race day that crosses the real finish line.
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Kid's Marathon, Marathon, Relay, and 1 more
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Calendar
Sat, Dec 14, 2019
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LocationPin
Huntsville, United States
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Star
4.9
(3 Reviews)
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Where and when
Location
Von Braun Center, 700 Monroe St SW, Huntsville, AL 35801, USA
Start times
Saturday, Dec 14, 2019
Kid's Marathon: TBCMarathon: 7:00 AMRelay: 7:00 AMHalf Marathon: 7:45 AM
Event summary
Here are the distances available for Rocket City Marathon
Marathon
Distance
26.2mi
$65 - $115
Half Marathon
Distance
13.1mi
$65
Kid's Marathon
Distance
26.2mi
$15
Relay
Distance
26.17mi
$100
Route information
Marathon
GENTLY ROLLING & FAST: Starting from the Von Braun Center and Big Spring Park, the course embarks on a tour of downtown Huntsville that includes large antebellum homes and the historic courthouse square before heading northeast to make a 10 mile loop through scenic residential streets and the historic districts of Old Town, Dallas Mill Village and Five Points. After sweeping past the VBC for the halfway point, the course heads out again making a loop through the southwest part of town that includes running beneath rockets and the space shuttle at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center and meandering through the Huntsville Botanical Gardens. The course finishes inside the VBC Arena to a celebration with live music, food, and fun. There is a total elevation gain of about 700 feet.
Half Marathon
Half the Marathon - run the back half of the marathon course. At 9am registered participants will merge onto the marathon course to run out to the Space and Rocket Center and Botanical Gardens with the marathoners before returning to the same exciting finish line inside the VBC!
Kids Marathon
The Rocket City Kids Marathon is a 10 -12 week running program that encourages kids to complete a full marathon (26.2 miles) by running approximately 2 miles per week. The final mile is completed in grand fashion as each child finishes their marathon distance in front of cheering fans, friends, and family at the Official Finish Line of the Rocket City Marathon. The goal of the Rocket City Kids Marathon, is to inspire and encourage children to be active on a regular basis through running and physical activity.
You must train for the last mile by running a total of 25.2 miles in 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile, 3/4 mile or mile increments between September and the end of December 8 to qualify for race day participation. The run log (available below) must be turned in at packet pickup in order to receive your bib. K-8th Grade children only.
Relay
Up to a five person relay team will run the full Rocket City Marathon. This event has a strict 6 hour time limit. A relay runner will be asked to leave the course if the runner is behind the cutoff pace (13:44 min/mile). Runners slower than 3:15 at the half way point will not be allowed to continue. If a relay runner is removed from the course, the team will not be allowed to continue. No relay runner will be allowed to pass the Marathon leader. Any team who gets close to the leader will be held at the exchange point. This is a safety issue related to traffic management. The first runner in the relay team may also run the full marathon if also registered as an individual. That runner will start the race wearing both the individual bib and the relay bib.
Organizer route images
What's included
A chance to qualify for the Boston Marathon!
Finisher's tshirt
LocationOnMap
How to get there
Von Braun Center, 700 Monroe St SW, Huntsville, AL 35801, USA
Get full directionsExternalLink
HOST HOTEL:
The Embassy Suites by Hilton is the host hotel for the Rocket City Marathon. Not only is this one of the nicest hotels in Huntsville, it offers unparalleled convenience - an enclosed walkway connects the hotel directly to the VBC Arena. Runners and family will be able to walk from the finish line inside the arena to the comfort of their room without having to go outside.
PARKING:
There are number of excellent parking facilities all within convenient walking distance of the Von Braun Complex. There are two (2) parking lots and five (5) parking garages all within easy walking distance of the Von Braun Center. Each will be listed below along with pertinent details including cost. We do encourage all runners (half-marathoners and kid’s marathoners included) to arrive at the VBC well before the start of the marathon.
VBC Parking - $10
The Von Braun Center has an underground parking garage that offers convenient access directly into the VBC complex. The entrance is directly across from Pollard off of Clinton Ave. Drive past Lot V and down the ramp.
Garage M - $5
The entrance to Garage M on race morning will be located on Church Street, but runners will be able to walk out of the garage onto Monroe and enter the VBC complex.
Lot V - $5
The entrance to Lot V is off of Clinton Ave directly across from Pollard. Runners will be able to use the North Hall entrance to gain access to the VBC complex.
Lot K - Free
Lot K is a large, gravel parking area with an entrance off of Clinton. It’s a short walk to the North Hall to gain access to the VBC complex.
Garage B - Free
Garage B is a multi-level parking facility conveniently located on the corner of Church and Williams; however, the entrance is on Fountain Circle.
Garage A - Free
Garage A is multi-level parking facility located on Fountain Circle with the entrance on Gates.
Garage O - Free
Garage O is a multi-level parking facility located on Clinton Ave one block off the square in downtown Huntsville. While this may be a slightly farther walk than the other garages or lots, it is also incredibly convenient for downtown activities following the races.
Event day logistics
Friday 13 Dec:
11am – 7pm … RCM Expo, FREE and Open to Public (Huntsville Museum of Art, Great Hall)
11am – 9pm … RCM Packet Pick-up
11am – 8pm … Kids Marathon Packet Pick-up
3:30pm – 4:30pm … Historic Huntsville Group Runs, 3 miles, FREE
6pm … RCM Race Dinner with guest speaker
Sat 14 Dec: RACE DAY - No race day registration
6am - 6:45am … Bag Drop
7am … Marathon Start
7:45am … Kids Marathon Start
8:45am … Half the Marathon Staging
9am … Half the Marathon Start
9am – 10am … Post Race Party with TBD
10:30am – 2pm … Post Race Party with TBD (Von Braun Center)
1:15pm … Awards & Celebration
Post race massage provided by Massage Envy
* all times are Central Standard
Race packets may be picked up at the Huntsville Museum of Art on Friday, December 13, from 11am to 9pm. Packets will contain race instructions, bib with timing chip, and this year’s RCM shirt. NOTE: Running with another runner’s number is strictly prohibited and will result in disqualification. Do not exchange, sell, or give away race numbers. In addition, the race number must remain visible from the front during the race.
Crowds
Spectator Info
Cheer in person, join or form a spirit team, or follow from your smart phone.
Spectators can easily view the start of the race, watch the runners pass at the halfway mark, and settle in to comfortable seats inside the VBC to watch the remainder of the event on the big screen. For those watching or running, having the finish line inside an arena full of cheerleaders where everyone has a good view makes for one of the most exciting finishes around. For the more adventurous who wish to drive around, a detailed map highlighting the course and optimal viewing sites will be provided.
Reviews
4.9
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