Two years after my initial plan to run the Nashville Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon, I finally did it! I planned on running the race in 2020, but it was canceled due to Covid. Instead, I ran a virtual half marathon (read about that one HERE). After having my baby last year, I was ready to tackle the 13.1-mile distance in 2022! Read on for my full Nashville Rock’N’Roll Half Marathon 2022 race recap!
Nashville Rock’n’Roll Expo
On Thursday (the first day of the expo) I checked the website to confirm the location, and I’m glad I did! I thought it would be at Nissan stadium like it was in the fall when I ran the 6.15-mile race…. it was not. It was in downtown Nashville at the Music City Center. This venue felt much more like a traditional expo than the stadium did, so that was great! There were plenty of race-specific items (including shirts for the 6.15-mile race that I didn’t see when I ran it). I ended up with a shirt, tank, and mug! The rest of the expo had vendors, giveaways, and lots of booths to check out. I wish I had taken some more time to look around, it was a very fun expo! I grabbed my shuttle wristband and headed out.
Rock’n’Roll Shuttle Service
If you read my Nashville Rock’n’Roll 6.15-mile race re-cap you know I’ve tried the shuttle service before (and wasn’t super impressed with it). Last time there were plenty of buses picking folks up, so I assumed it would be the same this time around. Apparently, they were going a bit leaner and had only one bus for each time slot that left PROMPTLY at the time you requested. I had a 530 am slot, I got there at 535 am as the bus drove away. Luckily there was a 6 am bus! After some talking to the drivers and dispatch, they let us 530 am stragglers ride the 6 am bus. THANK GOODNESS. Luckily this was the only hiccup with the shuttles this time around.
Be warned if they have the windows in the back open it can get really really cold while you are driving on the highway! I told myself to enjoy it while I can since it was going to be a HOT race!
Get Ready to Rock Pre-Race!
We got downtown with plenty of time to spare. The 6.15-mile and 5k were just about to take off from their own start line. It’s really nice that they have the two start times/lines so you can really support the 5k/6.15-mile runners! I dropped my bag off and ate some bagel and banana. The race was supposed to get into the high 70s or low 80s that day, so making sure I had plenty of fuel was imperative. After running Boston in 2017 and the WDW Marathon in 2020 I was very aware of how heat can affect a race. I had packed extra gels just in case and I was very glad I did! I took one of my gels about 20 mins before the race started.
This race is HUGE! It felt fun to be in a large race again. I believe there were 17,000 people running that weekend. About 9,000 of them were running the half marathon! I was in corral 10 and I could see a sea of people behind me. The marathon and half marathon have their own start line together, so we were all pumped and ready to go! The start was delayed 10 mins (honestly not bad compared to some races *runDisney*) and after a moving version of the national anthem, the lead pack was off! The race released a line of runners every 5 seconds. This sounds weird, but it was actually very fun! Once you got to the front of the line you had your own personalized release with a volunteer literally raising their arms to let you go. We took off downtown!
Miles 1-4
The very start to the Nashville Rock’n’Roll is one of my favorite race starts I’ve ever experienced. You run down the main drag in downtown Nashville with all the signs in the street lit up. I’ve never seen that area in such a unique way, it was fantastic! I was feeling good and strong during those first miles. There were plenty of hills during this race, and the first one came pretty quickly. I was mentally prepared for hills, so they didn’t bother me too badly. They were mostly not super long, so once you climbed a bit, it would be over. Or maybe I am just remembering this as not too bad since the HEAT was my real challenge that day!
Miles 4-9
At about mile 4 I realized I was getting a side cramp. Side cramps I have noticed hit me when I don’t have enough nutrition/electrolytes. So, I started getting serious about water intake, nutrition, and electrolytes. The volunteers would re-fill my water bottle at each stop, which was wonderful. I took my first gel miles earlier than I had planned. Though I opened the gel and kind of took small hits off it for about a mile. I’m not sure if this was the best plan, but I wanted it to last longer while I kept drinking water. When it’s hot you have to be careful not to drink too much water, you have to balance it with electrolytes. I think I did this very well!
The crowd support was amazing, the whole town felt like they came out to cheer! Running through some of the neighborhoods was super fun, I loved seeing folks camped out on their lawns celebrating! We ran by gorgeous parks making me wish I could enjoy them at that moment (the thoughts you have while running and sweating for miles, lol).
My side cramp got really bad at about mile 8 and I thought I might be walking the rest of the race. At around that time I decided to use the restroom (which I’ve never done in a race before). I stopped, did my thing super quickly, then rejoined the race.
Miles 9-13.1
My bathroom stop was right before the 9-mile mark. I grabbed some water, stood in front of a hose someone was spraying runners with, then ran over an overpass that felt like a wind tunnel. I felt renewed! My side cramp went away and I felt like I could complete the rest of the race still running and smiling, hurray! There were so many special areas around this part of the race, it kept me motivated and encouraged. We also ran through another gorgeous park that was so quiet and lovely, I really enjoyed that moment of serenity.
The one “what the heck” moment was around mile 11 when there was a 13-mile sign. I realized later that the sign must have been for the marathon runners since the half and full split at one point. I was certainly confused for a moment as I looked at the runners around me and made sure I hadn’t made a wrong turn!
There was one last out and back before heading to the stadium to finish. It was both fun and tough seeing everyone on the other side running the last leg of the race. Everyone was encouraging each other, which was a nice way to end a HARD race. I crossed the finish line and thanked my lucky stars for being able to complete the race and not pass out!
Nashville Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon Finish!
After the finish chute, there were photo ops and plenty of food for runners. I grabbed as much as I could carry and took a moment to sit and eat. The gear check bags and port-a-potties were all nearby, which was great for a tired and slightly delirious runner. I changed into some dry clothes and headed for the shuttles (which were fairly far away from the finish line). Luckily a driver was out trying to track down runners looking for the shuttles, so he escorted me. It was an easy ride back to my car, and definitely nice after such a hard race.
Swag
The medal has some glitter in it, so I love it 
The shirt is nice, though I wish there was a different shirt for the half vs. the full. Swag-wise that was about it. The food was plentiful at the end, there was even some cheese dip for the chips (I passed on that). Good stuff, but nothing extra special.
Would I Run the Nashville Rock’n’Roll Half Marathon Again?
What an experience! I was prepared to run hills, but I was not prepared for such a warm race. The course was lovely, the crowd support was amazing, and I definitely enjoyed myself as much as I could. I did not feel like there were enough electrolytes on the course considering how hot it was. I saw several runners fall during the race, which isn’t something I typically see. There was plenty of water and even “hose off” moments that were lifesavers.
Rock’n’Roll races are well-oiled machines, everything from the expo to the finish felt well organized. It still amazes me how they coordinate all four races on the same day with two start lines. As I mentioned in my 6.15-mile race re-cap it feels like the half and full marathon are the star here. Now that I’ve run the half, I can say that with certainty. They felt more special and the course was better than the shorter distances. The start was amazing running down the main drag, I couldn’t stop smiling. As far as the music goes… I only felt like it was ok. It was a fun addition, but for a “Rock’n’Roll” race it didn’t seem like it was over the top as I was expecting.
Would I run this race again? Probably, but it would need to be cooler. I wish it was during the fall like they had it in 2021, that would be perfect! I can’t see myself running it anytime soon, but possibly down the road. I’m looking for a cooler, flatter race for my next half. Though I am 100% glad I ran it! =) Finally, I feel like I can run long distances after having a baby. This was my slowest half by far, but I feel so proud to have completed it! It cemented that I CAN do hard things (like running in the heat and hills), and I plan on running a marathon next year to prove that even further (check out how my marathon went HERE)! My running journey is never-ending and always changing
Side Note: If you are worried about sleep before a race, don’t stress too much about it. I slept a total of 3 hours before this half and I don’t feel like it changed my race at all. The adrenaline and magic of race day are real!
Don’t forget to read about my Nashville Rock’n’Roll 6.15-Mile Race Re-Cap! Also, check out a list of all the races I’ve run and my upcoming ones here!
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Glad you were able to experience this one!