2026 St. Jude Memphis Marathon - Dec 5 Countdown

Q: When is the 2026 St. Jude Memphis Marathon and what time does it start?

The 2026 St. Jude Memphis Marathon is on Saturday, December 5, 2026, with the full marathon starting at 8:00 a.m. CT on B.B. King Boulevard near Beale Street in downtown Memphis. The 10K and 5K start earlier at 7:00 a.m. 2026 marks the event's 25th anniversary.

Q: Is the full 26.2-mile marathon still offered, and is fundraising required?

Yes — the full 26.2-mile (42.195 km) marathon is offered alongside the half marathon, 10K and 5K. Fundraising is not required for general registrants; you can simply register and run. Many participants instead join the St. Jude Heroes program and commit to a fundraising level for added perks, which is why the weekend is the largest single-day fundraiser for St. Jude.

Q: What makes the St. Jude Memphis Marathon course special?

The signature moment is the run straight through the campus of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital around mile 5, where patients, their families and staff line the streets to cheer. The wider route showcases Memphis — Beale Street, downtown, Overton Park and Overton Square, historic neighborhoods and a riverfront stretch — before finishing beside AutoZone Park.

Q: How hilly is the course and what is the elevation gain?

The course is gently rolling, not flat, with roughly +214 m (703 ft) of total climb spread across steady rises rather than sharp hills. The high point sits near 295 ft and there are no extended climbs, but the constant undulation means even pacing matters more than on a pancake-flat course.

Q: Is the St. Jude Memphis Marathon a Boston qualifier?

Yes. The course is USATF-certified and recognized as a Boston qualifier. It is a realistic but honest qualifier — roughly 4.9% of 2025 finishers ran a Boston-qualifying time. You can check your target with our Boston qualifying calculator.

Q: What is the time limit for the marathon?

The marathon has a 6.5-hour course time limit. That works out to roughly a 14:53 per mile (about 9:14 per km) average pace to finish in time — comfortably within reach for walk-run finishers. Participants must be 16 or older. Plan your splits with our pace calculator.

Q: How much does it cost and when does registration open?

General registration (no fundraising minimum) is now open. Full-marathon pricing rises on a set ladder: $105 at the June 3 opening, then $115 (Jun 6), $135 (Jul 1), $155 (Sep 1) and $175 (Oct 15), so the earlier you enter the less you pay. The weekend regularly sells out; registration closes the Tuesday before Thanksgiving or when a distance fills. You can also enter as a fundraising St. Jude Hero for guaranteed early entry. Sign up on the official St. Jude Memphis Marathon race page.

Q: What is the December weather like in Memphis on race day?

Expect a cool, often crisp morning — averages near a 37°F low and low-50s°F high (about 2–12°C), with a chilly, sometimes damp start that warms once the sun is up. A throwaway long-sleeve and gloves you can discard are smart, and check the forecast since December can swing from frosty to mild.

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Race Information

Race	2026 St. Jude Memphis Marathon - Dec 5
City	Memphis
Date	2026-12-05 at 08:00
Field Size	~1,973 runners
Time Limit	6 hours 30 min
Cutoff pace	9:15/km
Timezone	America/Chicago
Official Site	St. Jude Children's Research Hospital / ALSAC
Registration	Register · 135 USD

Race Day Weather

Average Temperature	6.6°C / 44°F
Humidity	80%
Wind	20.1 km/h
Rain Chance	32%
Typical Conditions	Cool, often crisp early-December Memphis morning — typically a chilly start that warms once the sun is up

What to Prepare: Early December in Memphis usually means a cold start around 46°F / 7°C with average highs near the low 50s°F / 12°C. Mornings can be damp, so plan for a throwaway top and gloves you can shed, and check the forecast — December here swings from frosty to mild.

Based on historical averages for race week. Use our Weather Score Calculator and What to Wear Guide for personalized advice.

Wind Impact on Race Day

Wind at 20.1 km/h can affect your marathon pace by 5-15 seconds per kilometer. Headwinds slow you down exponentially — a 20 km/h wind costs more than twice a 10 km/h wind.

Calculate your wind-adjusted pace →

Race-Week Climate

Based on 20 years of race-week weather (2005-2024), MERRA-2 reanalysis

	Cooler	Typical	Warmer
Temperature	-0.2°C	5.8°C	14.7°C
Dew point	-5.5°C	1.8°C	13.1°C

Wet-day chance: 32% Runnability: 66/100

Data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), NASA Langley Research Center

Course Profile

Course Type	City loop (start and finish two blocks apart downtown)
Elevation Gain	214m
Terrain	Road (downtown, Midtown and neighborhood pavement, gently rolling)
Profile	A scenic, USATF-certified Boston-qualifying tour of Memphis that is best described as gently rolling rather than flat — about +214 m (703 ft) of total gain spread across steady rises, with the high point near 295 ft and no extended climbs. The race starts on B.B. King Boulevard by the historic Beale Street entertainment district, then winds through downtown before its emotional signature: around mile 5 the route runs straight through the campus of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where patients, families and staff line the course to cheer. From there it heads into Midtown past Overton Park and Overton Square and through historic neighborhoods before working back toward the riverfront and a downhill finish on Union Avenue, right beside the finish festival at AutoZone Park. The rolling terrain keeps it honest — it is BQ-eligible and a realistic qualifier (about 4.9% of 2025 finishers ran a Boston-qualifying time), but it rewards even pacing over chasing a flat-course PR.
Boston Qualifier	Yes — Check your BQ time

Prepare for 2026 St. Jude Memphis Marathon - Dec 5

Use our free training tools to get race-ready:

Running Pace Calculator — Min/km, Finish Time & Pace Chart

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Free Pace Band Generator — Printable Race Day Wristband

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Marathon Wake-Up Time Calculator — Race Morning Timeline

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What to Wear Running by Temperature — Clothing Guide

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Dew Point Running Calculator — Pace Adjustment Chart

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Elevation Gain/Loss Impact Calculator

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Frequently Asked Questions

When is the 2026 St. Jude Memphis Marathon and what time does it start?

The 2026 St. Jude Memphis Marathon is on Saturday, December 5, 2026, with the full marathon starting at 8:00 a.m. CT on B.B. King Boulevard near Beale Street in downtown Memphis. The 10K and 5K start earlier at 7:00 a.m. 2026 marks the event's 25th anniversary.

Is the full 26.2-mile marathon still offered, and is fundraising required?

Yes — the full 26.2-mile (42.195 km) marathon is offered alongside the half marathon, 10K and 5K. Fundraising is not required for general registrants; you can simply register and run. Many participants instead join the St. Jude Heroes program and commit to a fundraising level for added perks, which is why the weekend is the largest single-day fundraiser for St. Jude.

What makes the St. Jude Memphis Marathon course special?

The signature moment is the run straight through the campus of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital around mile 5, where patients, their families and staff line the streets to cheer. The wider route showcases Memphis — Beale Street, downtown, Overton Park and Overton Square, historic neighborhoods and a riverfront stretch — before finishing beside AutoZone Park.

How hilly is the course and what is the elevation gain?

The course is gently rolling, not flat, with roughly +214 m (703 ft) of total climb spread across steady rises rather than sharp hills. The high point sits near 295 ft and there are no extended climbs, but the constant undulation means even pacing matters more than on a pancake-flat course.

Is the St. Jude Memphis Marathon a Boston qualifier?

Yes. The course is USATF-certified and recognized as a Boston qualifier. It is a realistic but honest qualifier — roughly 4.9% of 2025 finishers ran a Boston-qualifying time. You can check your target with our Boston qualifying calculator.

What is the time limit for the marathon?

The marathon has a 6.5-hour course time limit. That works out to roughly a 14:53 per mile (about 9:14 per km) average pace to finish in time — comfortably within reach for walk-run finishers. Participants must be 16 or older. Plan your splits with our pace calculator.

How much does it cost and when does registration open?

General registration (no fundraising minimum) is now open. Full-marathon pricing rises on a set ladder: $105 at the June 3 opening, then $115 (Jun 6), $135 (Jul 1), $155 (Sep 1) and $175 (Oct 15), so the earlier you enter the less you pay. The weekend regularly sells out; registration closes the Tuesday before Thanksgiving or when a distance fills. You can also enter as a fundraising St. Jude Hero for guaranteed early entry. Sign up on the official St. Jude Memphis Marathon race page.

What is the December weather like in Memphis on race day?

Expect a cool, often crisp morning — averages near a 37°F low and low-50s°F high (about 2–12°C), with a chilly, sometimes damp start that warms once the sun is up. A throwaway long-sleeve and gloves you can discard are smart, and check the forecast since December can swing from frosty to mild.