It’s marathon time in Tennessee.
The 2024 Covenant Health Knoxville Half Marathon is scheduled for 7:30 am this Sunday but first the Kids Run gets underway on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and the Covenant 5k starting at 7:00 p.m.
There will be road closures in place in and around downtown Knoxville to accommodate runners.
Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon announces road closures along race routes
Streets and lanes will be blocked within the center city and surrounding areas for the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon race events on April 6-7. All roads are expected to be open by 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 7.
Chalk Walk, live events and more will be happening simultaneously in Downtown Knoxville, and organizers are expecting high volume. Participants are urged to arrive at least 30 minutes before their race starts. Preferred routes include:
- Traveling along 11th Street and parking in the 11th Street Garage.
- Traveling south on 17th Street, turning left onto Grand Avenue, turning left into the Blackstock Parking Lot before The Foundry.
- Exit Interstate 40 to downtown and park in Market Square or Locust Street garages.
Downtown Knoxville live parking availability and a map of lots and garages can be accessed at https://www.downtownknoxville.org/explore/parking/?t%5b%5d=37. Knoxville Police Department will provide more traffic and parking information on social media.
The Clinch Avenue Viaduct is the start for all races and will be closed to traffic starting at 1 p.m. Saturday until 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Parking will be prohibited on Clinch Avenue between 11th and 16th streets, and vehicles parked on the street will be towed Saturday evening.
On Saturday, the Covenant Kids Run starts at 5:30 p.m., necessitating closures of 11th Street and World’s Fair Park Drive in front of the former Candy Factory building and Knoxville Museum of Art, and periodic closures of Clinch and White avenues between 11th and 13th streets and a small portion of 13th Street between Clinch and White avenues during the run.
The 5K starts at 7 p.m. on Saturday with closures throughout the Fort Sanders neighborhood until about 8:30 p.m.
On Sunday morning, the marathon will require staggered road closures from 7:20 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. throughout downtown Knoxville and the following neighborhoods: Fort Sanders, Sequoyah Hills, Fourth & Gill, Parkridge, Island Home and Old Sevier.
Motorists who need to reach Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center and East Tennessee Children’s Hospital on Sunday morning should take Alcoa Highway to the Cumberland Avenue/Kingston Pike exit and enter the Fort Sanders area via 20th Street.
The details for specific road closures are as follows:
- World’s Fair Park Drive: Closed from start of race until half-marathon passes from 11th Street, then closure is moved to south of parking lot beside the Knoxville Museum of Art; closed on north end by Fort Kid.
- Clinch Avenue Viaduct from Henley to 11th streets: Closed throughout marathon weekend events.
- Clinch Avenue: Closed at the start of marathon, 5K and Covenant Kids Run from 11th to 16th streets and at end of marathon between Union Avenue to World’s Park Drive.
- White Avenue: Closed for 5K from James Agee to 22nd streets.
- Lake Loudoun Boulevard: Southbound lanes from Todd Helton Drive to Neyland Drive closed for marathon.
- Neyland Drive: Eastbound and westbound lanes closed for marathon from Walnut Street to Kingston Pike until turnaround is complete.
- Kingston Pike: Eastbound lanes closed between Neyland Drive and Cherokee Boulevard; traffic will be two-way in westbound lanes.
- Cherokee Boulevard: Southbound lanes closed.
- Blows Ferry Road: Westbound lanes closed.
- Alta Vista Way: Northbound lane closed.
- Noelton Drive: Right lane closed from Alta Vista Way to Kingston Pike.
- Kingston Pike: Right lane closed westbound from Noelton Drive to Forest Park Boulevard.
- Forest Park Boulevard: Northbound right lane closed from Kingston Pike to Newcom Avenue.
- Newcom Avenue: Closed from Forest Park Boulevard to Lebanon Street.
- Lebanon Street: Closed from Newcom Avenue to Third Creek Greenway.
- Tyson Park: Closed at Kingston Pike entrance and road closed sign inside Tyson Park at Highway 129 overpass.
- Cumberland Avenue: Right westbound curb lane closed from Tyson Park to 22nd street.
- 22nd Street: Closed for 5K from White to Clinch avenues. Closed for marathon from Forest to Cumberland avenues.
- 23rd Street: Closed for 5K from Clinch to Grand avenues.
- Forest Avenue: Closed for 5K from 13th to 21st streets. Closed for marathon from 17th to 22nd streets; continued closure from 17th Street east to 13th Street.
- Highland Avenue: Eastbound lanes closed from 11th to 13th streets.
- 11th Street: Closed from Highland to Western avenues.
- Grand Avenue: Closed for 5K from 19th to 23rd streets. Closed for marathon between both intersections with World’s Fair Park Drive.
- 21st Street: Closed for 5K from Grand to Forest avenues.
- Gay Street: Northbound right lane closed from Jackson Avenue to Summit Hill Drive.
- Magnolia Avenue: Closed between Gay and North Central streets.
- Central Street: Closed between Magnolia Avenue and Broadway.
- 3rd Avenue: Closed between North Central and Eleanor streets.
- Deery Street: Closed between 4th and Lovenia avenues.
- Lovenia Ave: Closed between Deery and Luttrell streets.
- Luttrell Street: Closed between Lovenia and Wells avenues.
- Wells Avenue: Closed between Luttrell and Eleanor streets.
- Eleanor Street: Closed between Wells and 3rd avenues.
- Fourth Avenue: Closed between Deery to Central streets.
- 5th Avenue: Closed between Hall of Fame Drive and Winona Street.
- Hall of Fame Drive: Closed between the two intersections with 5th Avenue.
- Winona Street: Northbound lane closed between 5th and Washington avenues.
- Washington Avenue: Closed between Winona and North Bertrand streets.
- North Bertrand Street: Closed from Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue to McCalla Avenue.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue: Westbound lanes closed from North Bertrand Street to Summit Hill Drive.
- Summit Hill Drive: Westbound lanes closed from Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue to Patton Street.
- Cumberland Avenue: Closed between Central and State streets.
- State Street: Closed between Cumberland and Hill avenues.
- Hill Avenue: Closed between State Street and the James White Connector.
- James White Parkway: Closed between State Street Connector to Sevier Avenue ramp.
- Sevier Avenue: Right lane closed from James White Parkway to Island Home Avenue; cones 6-8 feet from westbound curb for runner lane from Island Home Avenue to Council Place.
- Island Home Avenue: Closed from Sevier Avenue to Maplewood Drive; westbound traffic to use Hillwood Drive.
- Council Place: Closed between Sevier Avenue to Gay Street.
- Wall Avenue: Closed between Gay Street and Market Square.
- Union Avenue: Closed between Market Square and Locust Street.
- Locust Street: Closed between Union and Clinch avenues.
