Kentucky Derby 2015: Festival Marathon Schedule, Course Map and Road Closures
One of the most jam-packed sports weekends in recent memory is nearly upon us, with the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight, the 2015 Kentucky Derby and the latter stages of the 2015 NFL draft all set to take place on May 2. It might all be enough to topple Las Vegas.
Considering the NFL never seems to fall out of the news cycle and Mayweather and Pacquiao have become a constant source of water-cooler discussion thanks the more than half-decade buildup and anticipation for their superfight, the Kentucky Derby might seem like an afterthought, at least outside of horse racing circles.
However, The Run for the Roses has a preamble of sorts—outside of the qualification races like the Arkansas Derby—to gin up excitement for the event in the Kentucky Derby Festival. The long-standing festival has all sorts of attractions including a marathon and so called "miniMarathon," both of which are set to take place on Saturday, April 25 in Louisville.
This marathon is for two-legged, not four-legged, racers only and will shut down several roads in Louisville on both Friday and Saturday. Here's a table of the road closures, per LouisvilleKy.gov.
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| 9 a.m. (Apr. 24) to 4 p.m. (Apr 25) | River Road from Preston Street to Witherspoon Street |
| 4 a.m.-4 p.m. | |
| Main Street from Jackson Street to Brook Street | |
| Preston Street from Main Street to River Road | |
| Witherspoon Street from Floyd Street to Clay Street | |
| 7 a.m.-4 p.m. | |
| Main Street from Jackson Street to 20th Street | |
| 20th Street from Main Street to Market Street | |
| Market Street from 20th Street to 15th Street | |
| Muhammad Ali Boulevard from 15th Street to 18th Street | |
| 18th Street from Muhammad Ali Boulevard to Broadway | |
| Broadway from Dixie Highway to 2nd Street | |
| 4th Street from Broadway to Oakdale | |
| Park Avenue from 4th Street to 6th Street | |
| 6th Street from Park Avenue to Magnolia | |
| Central Avenue fro Taylor Boulevard to 2nd Street | |
| 3rd Street from Central Avenue to Southern Parkway | |
| 3rd Street from Central Avenue to Main Street | |
| 3rd Street from Broadway to Main Street | |
| Iroquois Park | |
| 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. | |
| Southern Parkway from 3rd Street to New Cut Road | |
| Taylor Boulevard from Huntoon to Kenwood | |
| 8 a.m.-4 p.m. | |
| Breckinridge Street from 3rd Street to Barret Avenue | |
| Barret Avenue to Winter Avenue | |
| Winter Avenue to Baxter Avenue | |
| Baxter Avenue to Broadway | |
| Broadway to 3rd Street |
According to DerbyFestivalMarathon.com, the wheelchair division starts at 7:25 a.m. ET, while all other runners in both marathons start at 7:30 a.m. ET. There is a six-hour time limit for the marathon.
A complete course map can be found at DerbyFestivalMarathon.com. Both races are essentially a loop through the city. The full marathon starts on the corner of Brook and Main Street, winds its way through several other roads before a long stretch due south takes it out to Churchill Downs, through Iroquois Park and back up north to the intersection of Preston and Witherspoon streets, very near the starting point.
The mini-marathon—actually a half-marathon at 13.1 miles—has the same start and end points as the marathon but simply turns back north after heading through Churchill Downs rather than going all the way out to Iroquois Park.
Weather.com has a 90 percent chance of rain in Louisville on Saturday, with possible thunderstorms in the area. The gloomy forecast might prove intimidating for some, but one can likely expect a congenial atmosphere with runners of all skill levels.
“You're around all people who are experts in running or people who are just beginning so you can share your stories with people and get tips, it's a great time and place to do that,” Jennifer Morgan, of the Kentucky Derby Festival, said, per WLKY's Ann Bowdan.
The Kentucky Derby Festival has a long list of events, all of which gear up the city for the eventual Fastest Two Minutes in Sports.
As of April 22, American Pharoah—yes, that's how it's spelled—is the favorite to win the Kentucky Derby at robust 2-1 odds, per Odds Shark. The thoroughbred's scintillating win at the 2015 Arkansas Derby on April 11 must've had oddsmakers sit up and take notice. American Pharoah will certainly be a sight to see on the Churchill Downs track on May 2, but first, the people of Louisville have their own races to run.
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