Derby Festival miniMarathon UPDATE

As the Kentucky Derby Festival works to move events to later in the year, the NEW date for the miniMarathon has been set for Saturday, August 22.

Now, while the half marathon moves to August, the Marathon and Marathon Relay will NOT be rescheduled for 2020, but these runners will have other options for participation, including virtually.

Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO said in a statement:

“This is an unprecedented time for all of us. We know our runners are disappointed that the event is not able to be held in April and we share in that disappointment. Public health and safety needs to be everyone’s priority right now, and we continue to support that effort. We know we’ll get through this together. We appreciate the patience from our runners, as well as the support our races have received from the community for decades. We hope that will continue even as the 2020 Humana miniMarathon moves to August.”

Runners already registered for the mini, Marathon or Relay, do have several options and will receive an email with details on next steps they can take, including: 

• Run the 2020 miniMarathon at the newly rescheduled date of August 22, 2020 (miniMarathon participants who want to “stay in the race” don’t need to do anything and will be moved automatically to the new August date. Marathon and Relay participants can transfer to the mini through their runner profile. Deadline to move to the mini is April 25.)
• Run the 2020 miniMarathon, Marathon and Relay Virtually (This option allows runners to participate but run on their own time and still receive a medal, shirt and other perks. Participants can choose the virtual option through their runner profile and need to do so by April 25.)
• Defer registration to 2021 or 2022 (Runners who wish to defer their registration to another year, have until April 25 to decide, and can do so through their existing runner profile or email [email protected] to request the deferral.)
• Make 2020 registration fee a donation (The Derby Festival’s miniMarathon has been part of the local community for more than 40 years. As a not-for-profit the Festival is able produce the races each year through entry fees. With the 2020 event initially scheduled for April, a majority of funds from registration have already been put toward operational expenses and runner experiences.)

Due to the expected heat and humidity in August, Race Organizers are already planning some adjustments to the event. The start time for the race will move up to 6:30 a.m. The starting line will be in the same location on Main Street near Slugger Field, make the traditional run through Churchill Downs infield, and the finish will be on Adams Street, just outside the new Lynn Family Stadium.

We hope to see you out there in August!