Two Marathons, One Legendary Weekend: Tupelo & Heart of America

 

This post accompanies Episode 26 of Marrying Your Passions, "Tupelo & Heart of America Marathon Reviews: Elvis, Steep Hills, and 26.2 Miles." Listen to the full conversation for the stories, the laughs, and everything we could not fit into this post.

Alicia and Nathan after the Heart of America Marathon way back in 2012!

Labor Day weekend has always held a special place in our hearts, and for good reason. Back before we had forty plus marathons behind us, before the podcast, before running a marathon in most of the states was checked off, two Labor Day weekend races quietly became part of our story; the Tupelo Marathon and the Heart of America Marathon. These small marathons turned into two of our favorite early memories, and two races that still hold up today.

Tupelo Marathon: The Race We Chose Because of Elvis

We will be honest, we did not pick the Tupelo Marathon because of the course. We picked it because Alicia loves Elvis, and Tupelo happens to be where he was born. The marathon was simply the reason to be in town for the weekend.

This year the race falls on Sunday, September 6, the day before Labor Day, with an early 5:00 AM start designed to beat the Mississippi heat. The marathon runs as a 13.1 mile out and back course through gently rolling country roads in West Tupelo and Belden, and for those wanting a little more challenge, Tupelo also offers a 14.2 mile option that splits off in the final stretch. The race is intentionally kept small, capped at 150 marathon runners and 300 for the 14.2, which gives the whole event a personal, community feel rather than a big city race atmosphere. It is a Boston qualifier with a six hour time limit, and the race benefits the St. Luke Food Pantry, which provides food boxes to food insecure residents of Lee County.

Getting ready to run the Tupelo Marathon (that shirt)!

 

That small field size and quiet country setting is exactly what we remember from running it. It was Nathan's third marathon, run past farms and open stretches that made the whole morning feel peaceful rather than crowded. It is not a race for people who need a big spectator crowd along the entire course, but there is something special about that kind of quiet. A woman stationed along the route handing out Kleenex to runners might be one of the smallest things we remember, and one of the sweetest. The start and finish take place in a huge parking lot at the Tupelo Furniture Market, which made race morning logistics wonderfully simple for spectators too.

We got lucky with the weather that year, a cool 55 degrees at the start, though anyone running this race should expect Mississippi heat and plan accordingly since that kind of morning is not the norm. Nathan crossed the finish line with a personal record (at the time) that day, in 4:07:14.

Nathan finishing the Tupelo Marathon in 2012

Then came the part we actually planned the trip around. Nathan could barely walk after the race, but that did not stop us from heading straight to the Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum. We toured the two room shotgun house where Elvis was born in 1935, a home his father built for just $180, walked through the museum and the Assembly of God Church where Elvis was first exposed to gospel music, and soaked in a little bit of music history while Nathan hobbled along behind. On a later trip back through the area, we stopped at Johnnie's Drive In, the diner where Elvis grabbed a burger and an RC Cola as a kid, and Alicia ordered the dough burger, made the same way it always has been, with a little flour mixed into the meat, a Depression era trick to make it go further.

Alicia at Johnnie's!

We spent the rest of that first week in Memphis, close enough to make the trip easy, and it deserves its own episode down the road. We have also spotted the start of the Natchez Trace Parkway on our trips through the area and would love to actually drive it sometime.

Heart of America Marathon: The One We Want to Run Again

Marathon number nine took us to Columbia, Missouri, for the Heart of America Marathon, the second oldest continuously running marathon in the country, second only to Boston. This year marks the 67th running, held on Labor Day itself, Monday, September 7, with a 6:00 AM start. The course starts and finishes at the Boone County History and Culture Center, includes about five and a half miles of gravel roads, runs along the Katy Trail beside the Missouri River, and climbs the famous Easley Hill near the historic Pierpont General Store. It is presented by the Columbia Track Club.

Nathan before the Heart of America Marathon

This race has stuck with us in a different way than Tupelo. Nathan was not in the best shape heading into race day, and the finish time reflects it, 4:37:16, but this remains one of the few marathons on his list that he genuinely wants to go back and redo. What stuck with him was running along the river, the string of named hills throughout the course, and just how beautiful the whole route was. Back when we ran it, the course finished right in the heart of downtown Columbia. Crossing that finish line while the town was out enjoying a "normal" Labor Day, people having brunch, going about their morning, made for a surreal contrast we still talk about. The course has changed some since then, so if you are running this year, know the finish now takes you through the trail sections rather than downtown.

Nathan finishing the Heart of America Marathon in 2012

We also happened to be there the year a runner attempted to set a record running the entire marathon in a full suit. Long sleeves, tie, jacket, the whole look. It did not go smoothly for him in the heat, but we still think about the sheer commitment.

Heart of America runs hot, hilly, and humid most years, and tends to run even hotter than Tupelo, a good reminder that both of these late summer races demand real heat preparedness no matter how far north or south you are running.

We ran Heart of America the year Steven Mankofsky attempted to break the world record for running a marathon in a suit. He didn't, but he did raise over $3,600 for charity!

What's New This Year

We connected with Graham Bartlett, the current race director at Heart of America, who ran the relay in 2023 and the full marathon in 2024 before taking on the role. In the episode he shared what has changed about the course, what this year's runners can expect, and a little bit of the race's deep history. So, listen for those details! 

We reached out to the Tupelo Marathon as well, and while we were not able to connect in time for the episode, everything we share about this year's race comes straight from their current race information, and we would love the chance to talk with them for a future episode.

Give It a Listen

Two small marathons, two Labor Day weekends, and a whole lot of memories in between. If you are chasing a state for your own 50 State Marathon journey, looking for an early season race to kick off fall marathon training, or just enjoy a good story about a guy who tried to run 26.2 miles in a suit, this episode is for you.

Tune in to hear the full stories, our conversation with Graham, and an announcement about where our own marathon journey is headed next.

Not someday. Today.

Nathan and Alicia enjoying sunset on their favorite beach in Florida

Marrying Your Passions: The DINK Travel and Adventure podcast is hosted by Nathan and Alicia Adams, married 19 years and DINK by choice, who travel, run marathons, scuba dive, and eat their way through life together. This is a space where your latest adventure is the opening line, not your kid's age. Whether you're a DINK couple, empty nester, or anyone ready to adventure NOW, this podcast is for you. New episodes every other week. Subscribe, leave us a review, and keep adventuring!

Nathan's well worn bib from the Heart of America Marathon

Tupelo is only an hour or so away from Memphis and was our 3rd marathon and state

"Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead" is the Tupelo Marathon's motto. That gives you an idea of the challenges ahead! Do it anyway!

Steven Mankofsky preparing for a suited run for the record in a suit

A tired and happy Nathan after completing state and marathon #9 in Missouri

Nathan before the Tupelo Marathon super early (the race starts at 5:00a.m.)!