The Rock n’ Roll Marathon in San Diego and the Nashville Country Music Marathon sparked a brilliant idea for John Noblin. Mississippi needed a major marathon. A blues marathon, to be exact, honoring and celebrating Mississippi’s blues. “In 2007 I was invited to meet with a group of businessmen who were interested in creating a real ‘event’ marathon in Jackson that would be a tourism boost. I told the group my story about the blues theme and everyone basically said, ‘That’s great. You’re in charge,’” laughs Noblin. Blue Cross Blue Shield came on board as the exclusive sponsor, and the Mississippi Blues Marathon was born.
January 7, 2017 marks “10 Years Running” of this incredible event! Runners will start at the Art Garden of the Mississippi Museum of Art, and will wind through historic downtown Jackson. Live music will dance through the air throughout the course and at the finish line. Noblin smiles, “There are a lot of runners who are blues fans, particularly from other parts of the country or other countries. We get a lot of positive feedback about the race having a really authentic connection to blues music, rather than just a name.”
The Blues Marathon also supports Mississippi’s blues musicians. A portion of the proceeds goes to the Musician’s Benevolent Fund of the Mississippi Blues Commission. John says, “This is an account that is available for blues musicians who have an unexpected financial crisis. These are usually due to a health issue or disaster loss.”
As runners complete the marathon in 2017, they will expect a joyful crowd, memorable music and a boisterous finish line. “I have been told that this is the only event that has ever brought people from all fifty states to Jackson on the same day. There is a tremendous economic impact for Jackson, but there is also a huge public relations value because we are bringing people to Jackson who probably wouldn’t have come otherwise,” says Noblin. “They are telling the rest of the running community across the country that this is a great event with some of the friendliest volunteers they have ever encountered. The race has a great reputation nationally, which reflects well on Jackson.”
For more information on the Mississippi Blues Marathon, please visit www.msbluesmarathon.com
January 7, 2017 marks “10 Years Running” of this incredible event! Runners will start at the Art Garden of the Mississippi Museum of Art, and will wind through historic downtown Jackson. Live music will dance through the air throughout the course and at the finish line. Noblin smiles, “There are a lot of runners who are blues fans, particularly from other parts of the country or other countries. We get a lot of positive feedback about the race having a really authentic connection to blues music, rather than just a name.”
The Blues Marathon also supports Mississippi’s blues musicians. A portion of the proceeds goes to the Musician’s Benevolent Fund of the Mississippi Blues Commission. John says, “This is an account that is available for blues musicians who have an unexpected financial crisis. These are usually due to a health issue or disaster loss.”
As runners complete the marathon in 2017, they will expect a joyful crowd, memorable music and a boisterous finish line. “I have been told that this is the only event that has ever brought people from all fifty states to Jackson on the same day. There is a tremendous economic impact for Jackson, but there is also a huge public relations value because we are bringing people to Jackson who probably wouldn’t have come otherwise,” says Noblin. “They are telling the rest of the running community across the country that this is a great event with some of the friendliest volunteers they have ever encountered. The race has a great reputation nationally, which reflects well on Jackson.”
For more information on the Mississippi Blues Marathon, please visit www.msbluesmarathon.com
Article by Mitchell Ammons Walters and Photography by Chris Todd
RSS Feed