2025 Half Marathon and Marathon Training - Pacers Wanted

14-Week Training Program, Saturday Mornings, January through April

Every spring, East Nasty turns out in force to train and race together. In fact, training for the St. Jude Rock’n’Roll Nashville Marathon and Half Marathon was how East Nasty began! The training program is always FREE and open to anyone.

This 14-week training program begins every year in January and continues through April. It’s perfectly timed for the iconic Rock’n’Roll Nashville race in April. The training series includes long, paced Saturday morning from various locations throughout the city, weekday speed training sessions, and tons of support from dedicated pacers and peers. Participant registration begins in December for the 2025 series.

We need pacers!

We’re signing up dedicated individuals for one of the most rewarding experiences you may have as a runner. This program does not work without the help of amazing volunteer pacers. Can you help?

Haven't been a pacer before and want to know what you're in for? Here's the rundown:

  • We ask that you make the majority of all Saturday morning runs, but do not expect you to attend speed sessions or Wednesday night runs.

  • We pair you up in groups of two or three pacers. This will provide a pacer and a sweeper for each group and also provides additional coverage in case you need to miss a run.

  • We ask that you are comfortable running at an assigned pace (or a bit faster), and are confident in your ability keep the group at that pace. Remember that training runs are generally around 60 seconds slower than race pace. Ideally, as a pacer, you will have completed a few races at the goal finish time or faster.

  • We ask you to be present and engaged with trainees on Saturday morning runs, as well as leading them on race day in the Rock’n’Roll Nashville race on April 26th. The pacer commitment is to help your trainees meet their goals on race day by leading them at the assigned pace, knowing that your reward comes from seeing them achieve their goals rather than shooting for your own PR.

  • We encourage you as a pacer to share relevant and helpful running tips and tricks and to providing positive encouragement along the way.

  • Above all, keep it easy-breezy and fun! Help the runners along who are having the inevitable bad day, and keep the group motivation high!

  • Warning: You could make a lot of new friends. Your heart may swell 3Xs its size on race day.

To volunteer to pace, click the link below! And please feel free to forward this link on to anyone who may be interested in becoming a pacer.

More Information for Participants

The Program

Beginning in early January and continuing through Rock’n’Roll Nashville, our training program consists of:

LONG RUNS on Saturday mornings led by volunteer pace group leaders starting from different locations throughout the city. Half training will start at 8am. Full training start times will vary by distance, but will generally begin earlier.

SPEED SESSIONS on Monday evenings, open to all runners. Structured speed workouts are beneficial to every runner and are adjustable to your pace. Speed workouts will consist of hill repeats, tempo runs, and intervals, and will make you a stronger runner.

SUGGESTED WEEKLY WORKOUTS to follow during the week. Saturday runs are great, but to really prepare for a race, mid-week training is essential. We'll provide some basics for you to modify to suit your own needs.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT RUNS with East Nasty of course. We run together as a club every Wednesday at 6p from 12th & Holly. We highly encourage you to join these runs, but they are not mandatory for the program.

COACHES AND PACE LEADERS who can give lots of support and advice, and will guide Saturday morning runs.

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER updates via email, with training notes, special events, and occasional free giveaways!


the Cost

As with all East Nasty programs, training with us is absolutely free!

Training Requirements

We only ask that you are able to run five miles without stopping on the first day of training for half marathon training or eight miles for full marathon training. If you aren’t there now, consider our Potato to Tomato 5k Training program!

CONTACT info

Email training@eastnastyforlife.com with questions and for additional information.

the Training Plan

The training plan includes a schedule and description of the Saturday runs, Speed Training workouts, suggested weekday workouts, and training guidelines. During training, update emails will come out weekly with details for the run, guidance for the week and any changes to the plan.

Sponsorship

If you would like to become a business sponsor for this training series, please contact us!