Date, Time, & Place:
Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 8:00 am
The Half Marathon & 10K run concurrently and start and finish at Rush Strong School (3081 W Old Andrew Johnson Hwy, Strawberry Plains, Tennessee 37871). Directions: From Knoxville, take I-40 East and take Exit 394 (11E/25W/70). Turn left off the exit ramp and head east for 6 miles. Bear Left on Hwy 11E. Go 3.25 miles and turn left on Old Andrew Johnson Hwy. (Eastview Memorial Gardens will be on your right). Go 0.8 miles to the school. The address is 3081 West Old Andrew Johnson Highway, Strawberry Plains, TN 37871. Parking is available at the school and the First Baptist Church located across the street. Please follow the parking attendants.
Course Description and Highlights:
USATF certified (Half: TN15005MS - Click for .gpx)(10k: TN15006MS). A scenic and rolling course through the beautiful countryside of Jefferson County in East Tennessee. It meanders through the Holston River Valley with views of Clinch and House Mountain. Unlike the Half Marathon, the 10K course is a mostly flat, out and back course with only a few climbs. The course is open to traffic and therefore headphones are strongly discouraged .
The Half Marathon is not a walker friendly course. Course will close after 3 hours and 30 minutes. No exceptions. No runners under the age of 15 allowed in the half marathon.
Registration & Entry Fee (No Refunds & No Transfers):
Early Registration ends at 11:59pm on Monday, September 30, 2025. -- (Half - $55, 10k - $40)
Regular Registration begins at 12:00am on Tuesday, October 1, 2025 and ends 11:59pm on Tuesday, December 31, 2025 -- (Half - $60, 10k - $45)
Late Registration begins at 12:00am on Wednesday, January 1, 2026 and ends 11:59pm Friday, February 14, 2026 -- (Half - $65, 10k - $55)
Day-Of Registration begins at 12am on Saturday, February 15, 2026 and ends at 7:45am on February 15 2026 -- (Half - $70, 10k - $60)
Discounts on Registration:
No Shirt Discount: Deduct $5 (Available anytime)
KTC Member Discount: Save $5 (Available anytime)
Team Discount: Save $5 (Available until Friday, February 13, 2026 at 11:59pm) per registrant if you are running with a group or team of 4 or more.
Other Coupons & Vouchers: (Available until Friday, February 13, 2026 at 11:59pm)
BEST OPTION - REFERRALS! New for 2026 - If you get 3 others to sign up, we'll give you $15 back! If you get 6 others to sign up, we'll give you $25 back!
Packet /Bib Pickup:
Race Morning: Packet/Bib pickup will be available from 6:30 - 7:45 a.m. race morning in the gymnasium at Rush Strong School.
Optional Early Pickup: Thursday, February 12 - 4:45pm to 7:00 pm - Dicks House of Sport - Knoxville
Race Shirts:
Availability: Please note KTC's T-shirt Policy: Participants registering before 11:59pm on February 1, 2026 will receive their selected shirt at the optional packet pick-up or at the race morning packet pickup. Anyone registering AFTER February 1, 2026 will receive shirts as supplies last. The T-shirt order will be placed on February 2, 2026 and when inventory runs out in the RunSignUp system, there will be no more shirts. No re-orders.
Half Marathon Shirt Style: tbd
10K Shirt Style: Same As Half Marathon
Post Race Refreshments: There will be country style breakfast.
Awards and Results:
Awards:
Overalls & Specialty Awards: Awards for both the Half Marathon and the 10K will be presented to the following:
- Top 3 overall Male and Female
- Top Male and Female Masters (over the age of 40; not limited to 40-49)
- Top Male and Female Grand Masters (over the age of 50; not limited to 50-59)
- Top Male and Female Senior Grand Masters (over the age of 60; not limited to 60-69)
- Top 3 Clydesdale (Male 200 Lbs+) and Athena (Female 150 Lbs+).
*Overall and other specialty award recipients are ineligible for age group awards.
Age Group Award: Awards for both the Half Marathon and 10K are 3 deep in 5 year increments (no runners under 15 in the half marathon). Awards must be picked up during the awards ceremony - awards will not be mailed.
All Finishers: Half Marathon and 10K Finishers will receive a commemorative finisher's medal.
Team Competition:
Both Half Marathon and 10k are on the Grand Prix Team Competition schedule. Please visit www.ktc.org for details. Teams must register before 11:59pm on Friday, February 13, 2026.
Grand Prix Points:
2026 Grand Prix points awarded. Remember, to be eligible for Grand Prix awards, participants must be a member of KTC and must volunteer for at least 3 events.
Results:
Results can be viewed using the Results tab located above. Complete results will be available on the KTC Website at www.ktc.org.
Other Information:
Race Etiquette: The course closes in 3 hours, 30 minutes. Due to insurance regulations, roller blades, strollers, bicycles, and dogs are not allowed on the course. The use of headphones and other personal music devices is strongly discouraged at this event. To enjoy all that the event has to offer and for the safety of all participants, KTC encourages a headphone-free environment during our events. Runner safety has always been, and will continue to be, a top priority for our events. Please be mindful of the other participants and respect the race personnel to ensure a safe and enjoyable race for everyone.
Refund Policy: No refunds are provided for this event.
Information: For information on this and other KTC events, please contact Jessica Mead, the KTC Event Manager, at jessica@ktc.org.
KTC Safety Policy:
The Knoxville Track Club Board of Directors has approved an Event Safety Policy, viewable here: Weather Policy. Please familiarize yourself with it.
