BHM26.2 Race Series & After Party

Presented by Medical Properties Trust, the BHM26.2 race series will take place Sunday, April 14, 2019 and will benefit Magic Moments and Children’s of Alabama. Comprised of a Full Marathon, Half Marathon, Marathon Relay and Fun Run, each race will start and finish at scenic Railroad Park. BHM26.2 is the only fully charitable marathon in Alabama and provides a fresh, new course to runners. As a 2019 Boston Marathon qualifier race, the course takes participants past iconic Birmingham landmarks with no repeats or loops – making BHM26.2 the only non-looping Birmingham marathon.

The BHM26.2 Full Marathon showcases Birmingham’s growth and diverse cityscape and takes runners past landmarks for which the Magic City, as well as Homewood and Mountain Brook, are known. After kicking off at Railroad Park, runners will see views of Regions Field, Children’s of Alabama, Vulcan Park and Museum, Lakeshore Trail, The Birmingham Zoo, Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, Jones Valley Trail, The Rotary Trail, the Magic City sign and more – all before winding back into Railroad Park to the finish line. Cars from Porsche of Birmingham will lead the race.

The Half Marathon course will take place in downtown Birmingham, Homewood and Mountain Brook. Runners looking for less mileage are in luck, as BHM26.2 features a Marathon Relay option. With a minimum of five runners, marathon relay teams will run the full course divided into five legs with distances of 3.1, 5, 5, 5 and 8.1 miles. The BHM26.2 Fun Run is a one-mile tour of downtown Birmingham’s Railroad Park and is open to all ages; children under the age of 10 must be accompanied by a registered adult. Registration for all races will end April 13, 2019 at 11:59pm CDT.

Local radio station 107.3FM’s Birmingham Mountain Radio (BMR) will bring the party to the finish line the day of the race. Runners will be cheered on and greeted with lively music specially curated by BMR’s own Will Lochamy.

Runners and their friends and family will celebrate crossing the finish line at the official BHM26.2 Party of the Year After Party sponsored by Stifel from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Attendees will be entertained with live music from Party of the Year from the producers of The Black Jacket Symphony and local band August Night. Guests will also enjoy the Kids’ Zone by Fun Source, BBQ pork meal provided by Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q, refreshments from Coca Cola Bottling Co., Tito’s Handmade Vodka and a FitVine Wine Tasting.

Runners receive one complimentary After Party ticket with race registration as well as a complimentary drink from Tito’s Handmade Vodka for those over the age of 21. Additional After Party tickets may be purchased at the discounted rate of $18 per ticket if purchased at the time of race registration. After Party tickets are $25 each until Saturday, April 13, 2019 and $30 at the door. Children 8 and under do not need a ticket to attend the After Party.

During the After Party, representatives from Medical Properties Trust will surprise a child and his/her family with the reveal of a Magic Moment. The reveal will take place prior to the awards ceremony and presentation, which is set for 11:30 a.m. and will be hosted by Lochamy. A $10,000 price purse will be divided among the top finishers in their race category. Each of the top three Full Marathon male and female finishers will receive the following: 1st Place - $2,000; 2nd Place - $1,000; and 3rd Place - $500. For the Half Marathon, each of the top three male and female finishers will receive the following: 1st Place - $900, 2nd Place - $400; and 3rd Place - $200. Cash prizes will be awarded by gun time finishes. All other awards will leverage chip times for winners.

Last year’s inaugural event saw more than 2,000 participants and raised more than $250,000 for local children who benefit from the care, services and experiences provided by Magic Moments and Children’s of Alabama. All proceeds from this year’s event will again benefit Magic Moments – the only wish-granting organization devoted exclusively to children in Alabama with chronic, life-threatening illnesses – and Children’s of Alabama, which provides care for children in every county in Alabama.

To register for the race, view the course map or find out ways to volunteer, please visit www.bhm262.com.