Onsite Registration Available at Health & Fitness Expo on Thursday, April 20
The St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Nashville will take place April 22-23, and it combines live music and entertainment with scenic routes that highlight Nashville’s historic and natural beauty. The St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Nashville offers distances for everyone including 1-Mile, 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, and Marathon, plus a Doggie Dash and KiDS ROCK event.
Nashville has long been a favorite stop on the best-in-class running series tour, welcoming global visitors amidst a strong hometown contingent who know how to show a good time. Participants will experience everything that Music City has to offer, including a legendary running tour of Nashville’s most famous locations such as Broadway, Music Row, The Gulch, 12 South, Nissan Stadium, and much more.
Registration for the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Nashville is open online until Sunday, April 16 by visiting, www.runrocknroll.com/nashville-register. Registration is also available onsite at the Health & Fitness Expo beginning Thursday, April 20.
Nashville Couple Runs for ‘Something Bigger’ With St. Jude
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital extraordinaire Susy Meade was 39 years old when she started running. “My mother loved to run,” recalls the now 52-year-old Office Administrator who lives in Nashville, Tenn. “I remember being 11 years old and her asking me to come with her. About a block in I’d say, ‘forget it, I’m going home!’”
There’s no stopping Meade now, as she and her husband Ed target numerous races, including Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Nashville this year. Over the course of many races (50 half marathons and four full marathons for her), Meade and her husband have raised more than $50,000 for St. Jude through their racing efforts.
So how did Meade find this purpose, which she then shared with her husband? Back in 2014, Meade met a St. Jude ambassador at Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series Las Vegas. Meade realized she wanted to run for something bigger, but was scared to “commit, ask for money, and the rejection.” She came home from Vegas and turned on a movie—only to realize the child in the movie was a patient at St. Jude Hospital. “I started crying. That was it,” she recalls.
It wasn’t an easy road, however. In February 2015, Meade broke her hip due to stress fracture complications and had emergency surgery. She did the Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville half marathon with a cane that April.
“Obviously it was my worst half ever, but it was an awesome experience,” she says. “Being at the back of the bus, so to speak, gave me the ability to look around at all kinds of people. The hand cyclists, and the visually impaired runners with their guides. It taught me to look around at the people I was running with. Whoever calls it a solo sport isn’t a runner. The camaraderie, the belief in the person next to you. The only person you’re competing against is the one in your head.”
“There is no backup plan. I am running for kids with cancer. They don’t get to have a backup plan. Their whole life changes at the drop of a hat. There’s just no excuse. It’s running for something bigger than you could imagine or feel.”
– Susy Meade
To read more of Susy’s story, visit www.runrocknroll.com/news_article/show/1256220
About St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children. It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. When St. Jude opened in 1962, childhood cancer was considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20 percent to more than 80 percent, and it won’t stop until no child dies from cancer.
St. Jude shares the breakthroughs it makes to help doctors and researchers at local hospitals and cancer centers around the world improve the quality of treatment and care for even more children. Because of generous donors, families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food, so they can focus on helping their child live. Visit St. Jude Inspire to discover powerful St. Jude stories of hope, strength, love and kindness. Support the St. Jude mission by donating at stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel.
About the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series is the world’s largest running series taking part in destination locations around the world every year. Established in 1998, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series simple idea of making running fun has transformed both the U.S. and global running landscape by infusing the course with live bands, cheer teams, and entertaining water stations, creating a block-party atmosphere for participants and spectators alike. Focused on running, music and community, race weekend kicks off with a free Health & Fitness Expo showcasing the latest in running gear, sports apparel, health and nutritional information and much more. Events culminate with an Encore Entertainment experience featuring eclectic musical artists from a variety of genres.
With a goal of helping participants find the Beat in Their Feet™, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series has also featured some of the biggest names in music, with past performances including the likes of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, O.A.R., Aloe Blacc, Pitbull, Flo Rida, The Band Perry, Fitz and the Tantrums, the Goo Goo Dolls, Bret Michaels, Kesha, The Revivalists, Hunter Hayes, Capital Cities, and Matt Nathanson. Further information about the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series can be found online at www.RunRocknRoll.com and follow @RunRocknRoll on all social platforms.
Photo of Susy and Ed Meade courtesy of St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series
