Mountain Man Memorial March

Honor Through Action

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!

Partnership with Legacies Alive

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!
• Partnership: We look forward to our partnership with Legacies Alive.
• Honoring Veterans: Join us to continue honoring our fallen and supporting Gold Star Families!

Event Details

The 2026 Mountain Man Memorial March will continue to offer both the March events and the Run events. We look forward to having everyone return to Gatlinburg in 2026 to join with our Military and Veteran community!

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.

Course Information

We expect no major changes to the courses and you can find them at 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!

• Full Marathon Route: 2025 Full Marathon Course Map
• Half Marathon Route: 2025 Half Marathon Course Map
• 10K Route: 2025 10K Course Map
• 5K Route: 2025 5K Course Map

Participation 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. We believe many MMMM veterans want to return, but the virtual option will be there if you cannot make it to Gatlinburg and still wish to be a part of this tremendous event and mission.

• Same Perks: Virtual racers will still receive the same race shirt and participant medal.
• No Placing: Virtual participants will not compete for placing since conditions will vary at each location.

Run and March Events

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.

• March Events: The march events have two distances - the full 26.2mi marathon and the 13.1mi half marathon.
• Subcategories: Individual, team (5 members), civilian category, or military qualification category.
• Military Category: Competitors must be affiliated with a military organization or military-type organization.
• Weight Requirements: Heavy and Light categories have uniform and ruck sack weight requirements - see here.

Pre-Race Activities

Pre-race packet pick-up will be published as we get closer to the date of the race. All registrations will be online only!

Ceremonies and Start Times

• Gold Star Family Ceremony: Will take place on Friday, April 10, 2026 in the Mills Auditorium located within the Gatlinburg Convention Center.
• Opening Ceremony: Events on Saturday, April 11, 2026 will begin at 7:30 AM.
• Race Start: The race will commence at 8:00 AM with winners of the run and march events recognized throughout the day.

Route Information

The route begins in Gatlinburg and makes its way through Gatlinburg and into the Smoky Mountains. The route consists of paved roads, gravel roads, and other uneven terrain with flat stretches, rolling hills, and steep climbs. Water points, snacks, medical aid, and support staff will be positioned and available along the route, but it is highly recommended that all participants carry appropriate water and fuel to properly finish their race.

More information and registration