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Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic race photo

Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

USOctober 202742.195km · 21.1km
Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0
Race date Oct expected
October 2027
City · Distance
Paducah · 42.195km · 21.1km
Entry fee
$95From the 2025 edition
2027Date October 2027 · expected · Soon
2026Date Oct 17, 2026 · Entry ~ Oct 17, 2026 · Entry fee $90 · Start 07:00
Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 19, 2026
Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic race photo
Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0
About the raceHow to enterCourseRace PrepTravel
Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

About Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic — what makes it special

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

It is one of the fastest and best running course in Kentucky.

The events are full marathon and half marathon, a four-person marathon relay.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic runner reviews and race reports

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

No runner reports yet. We'll add them here as they come in.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

We haven't found a video for this race yet. We'll add one when we do.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to enter Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic — registration routes

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

From the 2025 edition

Marathon

Entry cost $95

until Jun 14, 2026 · subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Half

Entry cost $80

until Jun 14, 2026 · subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Relay

Entry cost $65

4 Person Relay · until Jun 14, 2026 · subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Registration platform RunSignup

Official race websiteEntry options
From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic course map and elevation

Your 42.195km

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

From the 2025 edition
Runners start · local timeFrom 07:00
Time limit6h
EventStartTime limit
Marathon42.195km07:006h
Half21.0975km07:006h
10K10km07:006h
4 Person Relay42.195km07:00—
START

Historic Downtown, Paducah, KY

Start · Google Maps
FINISH

Historic Downtown, Paducah, KY

Show more

The full marathon runs 4 laps of the course, and the half marathon runs 2.

The programme includes the Marathon, Half Marathon and a 4-person Relay.

Start line is at 215 Jefferson St., PADUCAH, KY, and the start time is 7am local time.

Course is a loop course that returns to the starting point.

Field size
1,200 people

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

From the most recent edition

Event T-shirt 2026

Finisher medal 2026

Timing chip 2026

This may change for the next edition.

Where and when to collect your Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic race bib

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2025 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

Scheduled for Friday (October 16th), location to be announced later

Stations & transport near the venue

  • Getting to the startCourse starts/finishes in Historic Downtown and loops through Downtown, the Lowertown Arts District, and…
  • Getting to the finishHistoric Downtown Paducah (same general area as start; multi-loop course)
  • Transit cardNo dedicated transit card system for Paducah, Kentucky; this is a small-city venue best reached by car,…

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Historic Downtown Paducah, KY (exact start-line street address not published in sources checked)

Course starts/finishes in Historic Downtown and loops through Downtown, the Lowertown Arts District, and Midtown Paducah. City is noted as accessible via Barkley Regional Airport and I-24, but no specific public transit connection to the start line is mentioned.

Stated plainly on official site (americanbluegrassclassic.com) — this is an inaugural (first-ever) running of the event in 2026. No parking, shuttle, or road-closure specifics published

Map

Getting to the finish

Historic Downtown Paducah (same general area as start; multi-loop course)

Course designed as a flat, multi-loop layout through downtown intended to optimize spectator viewing along the route.

Map

Transit card

No dedicated transit card system for Paducah, Kentucky; this is a small-city venue best reached by car, with standard cash or card accepted for any parking or incidental fees.

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026
READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

This inaugural 2026 race uses a flat loop course through downtown Paducah, the Lowertown Arts District and Midtown.

The full marathon covers four laps, the half marathon two laps, and the 4-person relay one lap.

Each lap is approximately 6.5 miles, with only about 12 m (40 feet) of elevation change, making it gently rolling.

The race starts at 7:00 a.m. and the course closes at 1:00 p.m., giving a 6-hour time limit.

Total participation is capped at 1,200 runners.

Bib and packet pickup is scheduled for Friday, October 16, the day before the race.

Times are local to Paducah. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Paducah car rental (EconomyBookings)

Compare rates from various rental car companies, self-drive (price confirmed at time of reservation) · Make reservation after checking price

View on EconomyBookings

Paducah Airport Transfers (GetTransfer)

Verified article matching, preliminary quote comparison reservation (price confirmed at time of reservation) · Reservation after price confirmation

View on GetTransfer

Paducah car rental (Qeeq)

Compare budget-friendly rental cars with a free-cancellation option (check the price when booking) · Check price and book

View on Qeeq

Hotels near the Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic start line in Paducah

Hotels that make race morning easy

View all →

Distances are straight-line from the start.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

Swipe sideways to see more hotels.

Trip.comClosest to the start lineView on Trip.com

Time for you, before and after the finish

View all →

Rest a little, wander a little.
Pick what suits you and whoever you're with.

Paducah car rental (EconomyBookings)

Compare rates from various rental car companies, self-drive (price confirmed at time of reservation) · Make reservation after checking price

View on EconomyBookings

Paducah Airport Transfers (GetTransfer)

Verified article matching, preliminary quote comparison reservation (price confirmed at time of reservation) · Reservation after price confirmation

View on GetTransfer

Paducah car rental (Qeeq)

Compare budget-friendly rental cars with a free-cancellation option (check the price when booking) · Check price and book

View on Qeeq
Eating well is part of the tripA meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.View on mapSeeing Paducah with the medal onThe city you ran — this time, a little slower.View on map

Hotel distances are straight-line from the start. Experiences, food and sights are travel products in Paducah.

Total cost and budget for Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

ChecklistLocal eSIM · Trip.comFlight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelpPace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

Runner stories and questions about Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Paducah runners' room

Frequently asked questions about Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic

FAQ
When was Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic 2026 held?

It was held on Sat, October 17, 2026. The next race is October 2027.

When does Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic 2027 take place?

Not officially announced yet.

It's expected in October 2027;

the 2026 race was held on Sat, October 17, 2026.

How much is the Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic 2027 entry fee?

Not announced yet. The 2026 race entry fee was about $90.

What is the time limit for Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic 2027?

6h. (From the 2025 edition)

What distances does Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic 2027 offer?

Marathon · Half. (From the 2025 edition)

What time does Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic 2027 start?

The race starts at 07:00. (From the 2025 edition)

Where does Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic 2027 start?

Historic Downtown, Paducah, KY. (From the 2025 edition)

What is the Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic 2027 course like?

The programme includes the Marathon, Half Marathon and a 4-person Relay.

Start line is at 215 Jefferson St., PADUCAH, KY, and the start time is 7am local time.

Where does Baptist Health: The American Bluegrass Classic 2027 finish?

Historic Downtown, Paducah, KY. (From the 2025 edition)

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