Spectators at the Marathon

The Country Music Marathon is quite a spectacle to watch. Thousands of friends, family members, and fans of road racing turn out along the course to watch and cheer. It is very exciting and lots and lots of fun. But with the crowds, getting around can be a bit of a challenge. I think that the two best places to watch the race are: at the beginning of the race, along Belmont Avenue, where you can see the runners go out and back (and you can get some great coffee at Bongo Java while you wait) and, toward the end of the race, just above downtown alongside the Farmer's Market (8th Avenue north), where you can also watch the runners go out and back. Afterwards, you can walk over the downtown bridges to the Titans stadium and watch the finish. For parking, the best bet is to park on the west side of the river downtown so that you can avoid the stadium traffic snarls. Again, just walk across one or another of the three bridges.