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The Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Marathon & 1/2 Marathon is an annual international road running
Lel, Adere Win Inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon
. Competitor Group. Retrieved on 2010-03-02. In 2010, the marathon was run as an open class or mass race while the half marathon formed the elite section of the event. The elite competition started strongly, with Martin Lel beating Samuel Wanjiru in the men's section while Berhane Adere and Kim Smith ran the fastest and third-fastest times ever on American soil, for first and second place respectively.Cruz, Dan (2010-03-01)
Adere clocks 1:07:52, Lel beats Wanjiru at New Orleans Half Marathon
.Kim Smith Runs Fastest Half Marathon On U.S. Soil
. Competitor Group. Retrieved on 2011-02-14.
The 2021 edition of the race was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The marathon starts on Poydras Street near Lafayette Square in the
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon Marathons in the United States Road Running Recurring sporting events established in 2010
The Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Marathon & 1/2 Marathon is an annual international road running marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
hosted by New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States, since 1965. It is part of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series organized by Advance Publications
Advance Publications, Inc., doing business as Advance, is an American media company owned by the descendants of S.I. Newhouse Sr., Donald Newhouse and S.I. Newhouse Jr. It owns a large number of subsidiary companies, including Condé Nast, an ...
' Ironman Group.
History
On , the New Orleans Road Runners Club held the inaugural race, named "The New Orleans Marathon", on the Mississippilevee
A levee (), dike (American English), dyke (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is a structure that is usually soil, earthen and that often runs parallel (geometry), parallel to ...
, from behind the zoo at Audubon Park to St. Rose and back. The race saw 19 starters and 12 finishers, and was held with no aid stations. Harry Belin, a Tulane University student, won the race in 2:47:30.
The marathon has been held annually since, except for 1968.
In the 1980s, a noted local participant was John Allen Dixon Jr.
John Allen Dixon Jr. (April 8, 1920 – February 22, 2003) was an associate justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court from January 4, 1971 to February 29, 1980, and chief justice from March 1, 1980 to April 8, 1990.
Early life, education, and career ...
, Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, who won the race in the over-60 category several times.
The event was taken over by Competitor Group for the 2010 edition and adopted the Rock 'n' Roll Series name after its takeover.Fitzgerald, Matt (2010-02-28)Lel, Adere Win Inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon
. Competitor Group. Retrieved on 2010-03-02. In 2010, the marathon was run as an open class or mass race while the half marathon formed the elite section of the event. The elite competition started strongly, with Martin Lel beating Samuel Wanjiru in the men's section while Berhane Adere and Kim Smith ran the fastest and third-fastest times ever on American soil, for first and second place respectively.Cruz, Dan (2010-03-01)
Adere clocks 1:07:52, Lel beats Wanjiru at New Orleans Half Marathon
.
IAAF
World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation (from 1912 to 2001) and International Association of Athletics Federations (from 2001 to 2019, both abbreviated as the IAAF) is the international governing body for ...
. Retrieved on 2010-03-02. A total of around 13,000 runners participated in the day's events.
In 2011, Kim Smith returned to set a 19-second personal best of 1:07:36, a new U.S. all-comer's record for the women's half marathon.. Competitor Group. Retrieved on 2011-02-14.
Course
The marathon starts on Poydras Street near Lafayette Square in the Central Business District
A central business district (CBD) is the commercial and business centre of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides with the "city ...
and ends in City Park near Tad Gormley Stadium.https://web.archive.org/web/20200929073649if_/https://www.runrocknroll.com/-/media/RnR/Images/Events/New-Orleans/Maps/RNR_20_NOLA_Course_Map_012020_al.pdf
The course makes significant use of St. Charles Avenue
St. Charles Avenue (french: avenue Saint-Charles) is a thoroughfare in New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. and the route of the St. Charles Streetcar Line. It is also famous for the dozens of mansions that adorn the tree-lined boulevard for much of the ...
, Decatur Street, Esplanade Avenue
Esplanade Avenue is a historic street in New Orleans, Louisiana. It runs northwest from the Mississippi River to Beauregard Circle at the entrance to City Park.
History
Esplanade Avenue was an important 18th-century portage route of trade betw ...
, Wisner Boulevard, and Lakeshore Drive along Lake Pontchartrain.
Winners
Key: Course record (in bold)Marathon
Half marathon
Notes
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon Marathons in the United States Road Running Recurring sporting events established in 2010