25 Years Running: General registration now open for milestone year of St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend

June 8, 2026

Iconic event expected to sell out, rally more than 23,000 participants to Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn., (June 8, 2026) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Registration is now open for the 25^th St. Jude Memphis Marathon® Weekend presented by Juice Plus+, the largest single-day fundraising event for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®.

Scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5, this flagship event is known for an iconic route through historic Beale Street, a heartwarming path through the St. Jude campus where St. Jude families cheer on runners and through Memphis neighborhoods full of cheer stations and thousands of spectators. Organizers anticipate this year’s event will attract more than 23,000 runners from across the U.S. and abroad who are hopeful to raise more than $16 million benefiting the lifesaving mission of St. Jude: Finding cures. Saving children®.

“While we’ve come a long way since 2002, our reason for showing up has not changed: To keep St. Jude moving forward together, to inspire hope and realize progress,” said Ike Anand, President and CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising and awareness organization for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “When you support events like this, you help turn that momentum into cures, giving children the chance to live their best life and enjoy every moment.”

Fundraising from events like St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend help enable St. Jude to treat more families in the United States while accelerating programs to help more of the 400,000 children worldwide who develop cancer each year.

Highlights

• 2002: First St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend takes off with 2,846 runners
• 2007: Participation tops 10,000; event is named one of Runner’s World’s best combo races.
• 2009: Kids’ 1‑Mile Run added; racecourse runs through the St. Jude campus for first time.
• 2021: Participants cross $100 million lifetime fundraising mark
• 2023: Local estimated economic impact from marathon weekend reaches $43 million; participants represent all 50 states and 75 countries, including 1,350 patient families.

Get involved

• Register for a race. Choose from four race options (marathon, half marathon, 10K, or 5K) or the St. Jude Kids’ Fun Run for children 12 and under.  Explore the routes, age requirements, and race information.  Race options also include such as assisted categories  duo teams, guided runners and wheelchair participants.
• Raise funds. Fundraising is not required but offers participants a special opportunity to extend their impact beyond the race: Finding cures. Saving children.®  All participants receive a fundraising page.
• Donate. Donations help ensure families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing, or food – so they can focus on helping their child live. Search for a participant’s name to donate.

Bill Seely, President and CEO of Varsity Spirit, is returning as the 2026 Corporate Chair for St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend. Seely’s leadership will be critical to expanding the corporate and sponsor presence in support of the event.

“St. Jude Memphis Marathon Weekend is more than a race — it’s an opportunity for corporate teams to make a direct impact and support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” said Seely, “We welcome companies to rally employees around a shared purpose, give back in a tangible way and amplify their community impact through this incredible global mission to help kids from the U.S. and around the world.”

Invite family, friends, and colleagues to join and register for St. Jude Memphis Marathon® Weekend at StJude.org/marathon

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 largely considered incurable. Since then, St. Jude has helped push the overall survival rate from 20% to more than 80% in the United States, 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 X, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok, and subscribing to its YouTube channel.

Media Contact:

Brian Didlake
Phone: 901-869-4399
Email: Brian.Didlake@alsac.stjude.org