Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon Begins New Decade in Nashville – John Rich, with Cowboy Troy, to Headline 11th Annual Post Race Concert with Special Guest, Heidi Newfield

Nashville, TN – March 11, 2010 – On Saturday, April 24, 2010, the Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon will celebrate its 11th annual running in the Music City.   Award winning singer, songwriter and producer, John Rich, with special guest Cowboy Troy, is set to headline the post-race concert at the Bridgestone Arena on Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 7:00 p.m.

For Rich, his performance will bring him full circle as he played on the finish line stage in 2001 – the second year of the event.  Heidi Newfield will open the show along with new artist Jerrod Niemann.

“The Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon continues to grow we enter our eleventh year in Music City,” said Adam Zocks, the event’s General Manager. “We are thrilled that John Rich will headline the post race concert and are proud that so many participants return year after year to experience what a great running destination Nashville has become.”

The concert is open to the public and tickets are now on sale for $35.00.  Tickets can be purchased at the Bridgestone Arena box office, TicketMaster charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com.

The Country Music Marathon is a weekend celebration complete with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo, YMCA Country Music Kids' Marathon and the post-race concert headlined by John Rich.  The Nashville Convention Center is home to the Health & Fitness Expo, where all race participants pick up their race number, browse through fitness related products and attend informational clinics.

The event has been internationally recognized as the ultimate tour of Music City featuring historic sites like the Parthenon, Nashville's world-renowned Music Row and an expansive finish line festival outside the Tennessee Titan’s home, LP Field, located along the Cumberland River. Featuring many of Nashville’s best live bands on entertainment stages placed along the 26.2 and 13.1-mile courses, the musically themed road race is expected to attract 35,000 runners, walkers and junior racers in 2010.

A strong youth program is contributing to the race’s overall growth. The YMCA Country Music Kids’ Marathon is sold out with over 4,000 youth runners grades K-6 on Friday, April 23, 2010.  NFL Head Coach Jeff Fisher will continue as the celebrity spokesperson for the YMCA Country Music Kids’ Marathon.   In addition, Bridgestone Americas provided 250 underprivileged children with scholarship entries so that the registration fee didn’t prevent them from participating with their schoolmates.  

For more information or to register for the 11th annual Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon, please visit nashville.competitor.com or call (800) 311-1255.     

About John Rich
Most recently known as one-half of the Multi-platinum Warner Bros. Records duo, Big & Rich, Rich has been honing his writing skills for years. He has made a name for himself as an artist in his own right, a producer, an award-winning songwriter, and host of the smash hit series Gone Country on CMT. As a part of Big & Rich and as a songwriter, he has garnered multiple Grammy, ACM, CMA and CMT Music Award nominations. He was also awarded the ASCAP Songwriter Of The Year Award in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and has written 14 Top 10 singles and over 30 Top 40 singles.

Rich's writing credits include the Academy of Country Music Award winning single of the year, "Redneck Woman," along with Gretchen's other two hits "When I Think About Cheatin'" and "Here For The Party," Faith Hill's smash single "Mississippi Girl" and Jason Aldean's singles "Johnny Cash" and "Hicktown." In addition, he has written several other cuts for Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Clay Walker, Aaron Tippin, Cowboy Troy, and James Otto.

Rich released his Warner Bros. Records solo debut in March of 2009, Son Of A Preacher Man, which spawned his first solo Top 15 single of his career on the Country singles charts and was also the fastest-rising single of his career. Rich currently lives in Nashville. www.johnrich.com  

About Heidi Newfield
Possessing one of country music’s most distinctive voices, Curb/Asylum recording artist Heidi Newfield is hard at work writing and recording songs for her second solo album due out in mid 2010. A true performer with an explosive stage persona, Newfield’s album, What Am I Waiting For, marked her first foray into solo territory since her departure from Trick Pony, the platinum-selling band that earned four top 20 singles, an ACM Best New Artist award, and an army of fans for their rabble-rousing honky-tonk brand of country music.  What Am I Waiting For debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart and entered the Billboard Top 200 chart in the top 10 following its August release.  It was called one of the year’s best country albums by People, and it garnered rave reviews from The New York Times, USA Today, Billboard, Blender, Country Weekly and more.  Newfield was nominated for 5 ACM Awards at 2009’s award show in April, making her the most nominated female of 2009.  Newfield is preparing to release her first single from her second solo album and continues to tour year round. www.heidinewfield.com

About the Country Music Marathon
A Competitor event, on Saturday, April 24, 2010 the Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon will celebrate its 11th annual running in the Music City. Featuring many of Nashville’s best live bands on 28 stages along the 26.2 and 13.1-mile courses, the musically themed road race is expected to attract 35,000 runners, walkers and junior racers. The race weekend kicks off with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo on Thursday, April 22 and includes the YMCA Country Music Kids' Marathon and a post-race concert Saturday night at the Bridgestone Arena headlined by John Rich.  The Nashville Convention Center is home to the free Health & Fitness Expo which is open to the public as all race participants pick up their race number, browse through fitness related products, enjoy free samples and interactive clinics.

For more information, please visit nashville.competitor.com  

Kim Dettwiller
Dan Cruz