Memphis Makes Me: Want to Get Moving
When it’s really truly Fall in Memphis, there’s hardly anything better. The mornings and evenings are cool, the days are mild and the trees lining North and East Parkways are on fire with autumn color. It’s the best time to get out and discover the city’s many great walking and running paths, to start training for your next community race or just develop some good habits that get your body out and moving.
Couch to Marathon
One of the greatest annual Memphis traditions is the St. Jude Marathon. Memphians start training every Summer to participate in the 5k, Half, or Full Marathon that leads them around downtown and through the St. Jude Hospital campus. It’s an exhilarating community event that pulls thousands of people together and has raised millions of dollars for an incredible cause. And the training can be just as much fun if you do it in community with other runners. Local running clubs and shoe shops schedule group runs at various times of day and in different regions of the city to prepare for the event.
Whether your scene is the 5k or the full marathon, the St. Jude race is one of the most “Memphis”, most exciting runs you will ever do. And if it’s too late to start thinking about training now, makes plans to create an encouraging sign, pull some friends together, and go cheer on the runners that participate in this year’s race. You will experience some Memphis pride that cannot be beat. This year’s St. Jude Marathon is December 4 and runners can participate in person or virtually. Sign up on-line to register and begin fundraising for one of our city’s most amazing resources, St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Parks and Paths
Our city has no shortage of great walking trails. Whether you live out East or in the heart of Midtown, there is a big beautiful park nearby with forest trails, paved paths, lots of shade, and incredible playgrounds. Shelby Farms is, of course, one of the city’s outdoor gems with over 4,000 acres of greenspace and 10 miles of trail. Whether you want an easy path to bike with your littles, a lake to paddleboat or kayak, or more intense trails to run or hike, Shelby Farms offers it all. The ease of the park makes it even more attractive to families...the parking is easy, food trucks are parked there every weekend, and the playground is second to none, offering a variety of play gear for babies to older kids. There is no better play to move and play in the city than Shelby Farms, whether you’re training for an event or just enjoying a day outside with your people.
Overton Park is central to the city of Memphis. Wedged right in the heart of Midtown, the park features 340 acres, a 9 hole golf course that is currently being redesigned, and miles of paved trail and forest paths for runners and hikers alike. Rainbow Lake playground is the perfect diversion for families and sets neatly between a large open greenspace, ideal for picnics or frisbee, and Rainbow Lake itself, which is bordered by a walking path. The park is perfect for community gatherings. Early morning Tai Chi classes meet in the gardens while exercise boot camps gather regularly in the greenspace. Afternoons at the park are bustling with food trucks, MemPops, and visitors at the off-leash dog park. Overton Park truly has created a community of Memphians that move and play together on the daily.
River Garden right on the edge of the Mississippi River downtown
Hidden Gems
If you’re looking for a place to get out and move, Memphis has no shortage of space. Riverside Park downtown captures terrific views of our river, the Playground of Dreams in Arlington provides hours of fun for you and your littles, and there are dozens of great parks and trails in between. So don’t waste your Fall days inside...throw some Stax music onto your playlist and get out there!