Marathon races near Oak Ridge

The Atomic Multisport Event, hosted by Personal Best Racing, takes place at the TVA Melton Hill Dam area near Lenoir City, Tennessee, west of Knoxville. The race begins at 8 AM Eastern. Packet pickup and late registration are available at the race site the evening before and on race morning. The event features triathlon and swim-bike formats, including Half Iron, Olympic, and Sprint distances, along with relays, aqua-bike races, and a Sprint duathlon. Clydesdale divisions (men 220 lbs+) and Athena divisions (women 165 lbs+) are offered across several distances. The race logistics are designed for the dam site: athletes park in the lower lots or at the Overlook and walk uphill to transition. The upper bath house lot is reserved for dropping off gear and bikes. Heavy fog may delay the swim start until visibility improves for safety. Relay teams must pick up their packets collectively, and all participants require photo ID for pickup. The event has previously included Sprint and Olympic races before the Half Iron, accommodating a range of participants from relay teams and short-course racers to those competing in the half iron distance.

The Oak Ridge to Kingston Express Marathon & Half Marathon is a small, speed-oriented race utilizing the Oak Ridge Turnpike, limited to 50 participants. It is designed for runners aiming for a Boston Marathon qualifying time, an age-group standard, or a strong half marathon performance, with strict finish times of under 4 hours for the marathon and under 2 hours for the half. The marathon follows an out-and-back route on the Oak Ridge Turnpike, using the bike lane or shoulder, featuring under 600 feet of total elevation gain and a halfway split. The half marathon is a point-to-point highway course with under 400 feet of gain; shuttles will transport runners from the finish back to the start. This is a simple, basic event: no shirts, no awards, no amenities, and few aid stations, with participants expected to provide their own food or support. The outside lane remains open to light traffic, headphones are prohibited, and the early darkness necessitates bright clothing or a strobe light for safety during the first 30 minutes.