Mountain Man Memorial March

🏔️ Event Overview

The 19th Annual Mountain Man Memorial March planning is underway and we look forward to seeing everyone! Book your travel for this year's event taking place April 10-11, 2026. Join us as we host our Gold Star Families and celebrate the lives of our fallen Veterans!

We thank the Mountain Man Memorial March faithful who have been the bedrock in the continued growth of our event and Veteran & Gold Star community which continues to Honor our Fallen and support our Gold Star Families! To the new participants in 2025, we thank you for joining the MMMM family and we look forward to seeing you in future events. We are so thankful for our participants, volunteers, partners and sponsors!

🤝 Partnerships

For 2026, the Mountain Man Memorial March will again partner with Legacies Alive (https://legaciesalive.com/), a 501(c)(3) Non-profit organization directly supporting Gold Star Families.

• Free Meal: The FREE hot meal you get post-race, thank Legacies Alive for providing!
• Community Support: We look forward to our partnership with Legacies Alive.
• Return to Gatlinburg: We look forward to having everyone return to Gatlinburg in 2026 to join with our Military and Veteran community!

📍 Location Details

We are currently working with the City of Gatlinburg and the Sevier County Schools to keep the 2026 Mountain Man Memorial March start and finish at the Pi Beta Phi Elementary School (125 Cherokee Orchard Rd, Gatlinburg, TN 37738) and pre/post race activities adjacent to the school.

We expect no major changes to the courses, and you can find them a last year's link - 2025 Mountain Man Memorial March Course Maps can be found here: 18th Annual Mountain Man Memorial March Routes. The bridge construction in Emert's Cove area (vic mile 20) is complete - so no detour over the rocks!!!!!!

🏃‍♂️ Race Options

In addition to in-person racing and the usual categories in the team march, individual march and run events, we will also continue to offer a virtual racing option in 2026.

• Inclusivity: We believe many MMMM veterans want to return, but the virtual option will be there if you cannot make it to Gatlinburg.
• Participant Benefits: Virtual racers will still receive the same race shirt and participant medal.
• Event Growth: We hope this slight change to the format offering will accommodate all of our previous MMMM family.

🏅 Event Categories

The run events include a full 26.2mi marathon, a 13.1mi half marathon, a 10K run, and a 5K run. The run events are further divided into categories based on gender and age.

The march events have two distances - the full 26.2mi marathon and the 13.1mi half marathon.

• Categories: Competitors can register in individual, team (5 members), civilian or military qualification categories.
• Military Criteria: Military teams must be affiliated with a military organization: civilians cannot register in military categories.
• Weight Requirements: Heavy and Light categories have uniform and ruck sack weight requirements - see here.

🗓️ Important Dates

Pre-race Packet Pick-up will be published as we get closer to the date of the race. All registrations will be online only! We are working with other organizations & vendors to also be available during both Friday and Saturday.

Gold Star Family Ceremony: The Gold Star Family Ceremony will take place on Friday, April 10, 2026 in the Mills Auditorium located within the Gatlinburg Convention Center.

Opening Ceremony: The race events on Saturday, April 11, 2026 will begin at 7:30 AM with the opening ceremony followed by the race beginning at 8:00 AM.

🌄 Race Route

The route begins in Gatlinburg and makes its way through Gatlinburg and into the Smoky Mountains. The route consists of paved road, gravel road, and other uneven terrain.

• Terrain Variability: The route is made up of flat stretches, rolling hills, and steep climbs.
• Support Resources: Water points, snacks, medical aid, and support staff will be positioned along the route.
• Preparation: It is highly recommended that all participants carry appropriate water and fuel to properly finish their race.