Toyota Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert Series will take place following
the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon & ½ Marathon
on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at Ascend Amphitheater at 7:00 p.m.
TAMPA, Fla./NASHVILLE, Tenn – On Saturday, April 28, 2018 the annual St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll® Nashville Marathon & ½ Marathon will continue its strong tradition of bringing fun to the run with great music at the core. The premier running event in Tennessee will entertain the masses with five-time GRAMMY© nominee Hunter Hayes taking the stage as the Toyota Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert Series Headliner at Ascend Amphitheater. The post-race concert, which will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday night, will also feature country music newcomer Erin Kinsey as the opening act.
Hunter Hayes is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who roared onto the music scene with his multi-Platinum, self-titled debut album and chart-topping sophomore album, Storyline. With three No. 1 singles under his belt, Hayes has tallied over 40 award nominations and wins including the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Male Country Artist in 2015 and the CMA Awards’ coveted New Artist of The Year trophy in 2012.
Since the summer of 2014, Erin Kinsey and her band started making waves in Music City with appearances at CMA Fest in Nashville and the C2C Festival in London, as well as numerous acoustic performances at the legendary Blue Bird Café. Fans can expect big things from Erin Kinsey in 2018, as she is one of the up-and-coming country musicians not to be overlooked.
“St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & ½ Marathon, is a marquee event in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series©,” said Natalia Mendez, Race Director. “We are thrilled that Hunter Hayes will headline this year’s post-race concert at Ascend Amphitheater celebrating the many musical genres that Nashville is known for. We are sure that Hunter, and opener Erin Kinsey, will keep the party rocking for runners and spectators after the race.”
The Ascend Amphitheater will be open exclusively to registered runners with friends and family having an opportunity to purchase tickets. The grass park adjacent to Ascend Amphitheater will have speakers and a jumbo screen, serving as overflow and an opportunity for the community to be part of the weekend as it will be open to the public.
The musically themed road race is expected to attract more than 30,000 runners who will take on the 26.2 marathon, 13.1-mile half marathon or 5K courses, while 50 of Nashville’s best live bands perform on improved band stages along the route, interspersed with cheerleaders and themed water stations. Participants can move along to more music than ever with all new mile-markers that include speakers and race pacers who will be running with mobile speaker packs.
During the marathon, thousands of St. Jude Heroes will run for a reason, hoping to raise more than $2 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. More than $10 million has been raised over the event’s seven-year partnership with St. Jude.
“The St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & ½ Marathon uniquely unites the music industry, fitness enthusiasts and St. Jude Heroes who, together, are bringing children one step closer to victory in their fight against cancer,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., CEO of ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “The funds raised from this event and our St. Jude Heroes help ensure no family will ever receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food so that all they should worry about is helping their child live.”
The St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & ½ Marathon weekend will kick off on Thursday, April 26 with a free two-day Health & Fitness Expo at the Nashville Music City Center. All race participants will have the opportunity to visit the expo to pick up their race packets and browse over 100 exhibitors featuring free samples, the latest in running gear and sports apparel, as well as a series of interactive clinics.
Returning for the second year, a one-mile race will take place on Thursday night, giving runners a chance to warm up for the main event. Participants can earn a third, bonus medal for taking on two days of running over the weekend, completing the ‘Remix Challenge™’. Thursday’s one-mile race ends at Ascend Amphitheater.
The weekend events conclude on Sundayafternoon at 1:00 p.m. with KiDS ROCK™ Nashville presented by the YMCA of Middle Tennessee, where more than 3,500 junior racers from grades K-7 will complete the final mile of their modified marathon.
For more information on the event’s weekend activities, please visit www.RunRocknRoll.com/Nashville
For more information on Hunter Hayes, please visit www.hunterhayes.com. For further information about Erin Kinsey, please visit www.erinkinsey.com.