The Warner Parks, one of eighty parks owned and operated by the Nashville, TN Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation, are located in southwest Davidson County in the Harpeth Hills. The Parks comprise a vast rolling woodland in the heart of the Nashville community, and are situated just 9 miles from downtown. Surrounded by urban and suburban settings on all sides, the Warner Parks include the adjoined Percy and Edwin Warner Parks, together encompassing nearly three thousand acres of forests, fields, hills, valleys and wetlands. The Warner Parks together make up one of the largest city parks in the country. While the parks have walking and nature trails, the singular draw for runners is their extensive network of paved running routes.
Snaking through the 2,058 acre Percy Warner Park, the 11.2-mile Main Drive has been featured in "Runner's World" and called a runner's Paradise. From the moment you start "the 11.2", as the locals call it, you know you are in for a treat. A challenging one. As you wind your way through the tree-shaded Park, you endure over 1,500 feet of elevation gain and loss, encountering grades of up to 10-12% at times. Mercifully, you will also pass an occasional long, flat stretch around open fields and densely-forested glades. The route takes you by scenic overlooks of Nashville, various sports and recreation areas, and quiet picnic pavilions. You also pass the Iroquois Steeplechase, one of the country's oldest horse tracks. But above all that, with its repetitive climbs, descents and rolling terrain, Percy Warner Park demands the runner's attention and respect. The 11.2 should never be taken lightly. And the marathon will cover it twice. And it will just keep going.
Running a Marathon in Nashville's Percy Warner Park will allow you to -