Urban Bourbon Half Marathon

The Urban Bourbon Half Marathon is an experiential fall destination race through downtown Louisville, Kentucky, built around the city's status as the birthplace of the bourbon industry -- the race markets itself as celebrating roughly 200 years of Louisville and Kentucky distilling history. The 13.1-mile course starts near the Kentucky Science Center and Muhammad Ali Center on Main Street, turns through downtown via Chestnut Street and Lexington Road, crosses a bridge into eastern Louisville along the edge of Cave Hill National Cemetery, then heads into Cherokee Park for nearly two miles on the park's Scenic Loop, with fall foliage typically at or near peak color in mid-October. A companion Urban Bourbon 5K starts about 30 minutes after the half. Because the post-race festival includes bourbon and beer sampling, the event -- presented by Jim Beam -- restricts the half marathon and 5K to participants who are 21 or older on race day. Walkers are welcome provided they can hold an 18:00-minute-per-mile pace, since the course closes at 12 p.m. and support may not be available past that point; the race runs rain or shine with no rain date. All finishers receive a long-sleeve shirt and a bourbon-themed finisher medal, and every registrant (half marathon or 5K) is invited to the post-race Urban Bourbon Bash at Fourth Street Live, featuring live music, bourbon samples, beer, pizza, and soup. The 2026 half marathon field is capped at 2,600 runners, with the 5K capped at 600. This is a separate event from Louisville's spring Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon.