David Gregory from Virginia Beach wins St. Jude Nashville Marathon
David Gregory from Virginia Beach won the 25th anniversary St. Jude Nashville Marathon in dominating fashion on April 26.
- More than 25,000 people participated in the various races, the most since 2020.
- David Gregory finished in 2:32:06, more than 12 minutes ahead of the second-place finisher.
- Kate McAndrew won her first complete women’s marathon in 3:08:55.
David Gregory celebrated his fourth wedding anniversary by winning the 25th anniversary of the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon on April 26.
It was the first marathon win for Gregory, 29, who posted a time of 2:32:06 on the 26.2-mile course, which started at 8th Avenue and Broadway next to Bridgestone Arena and finished at Nissan Stadium.
Gregory, who is from Virginia Beach, proposed to his wife, Summer, at the finish line of his first marathon in 2022 in Wilmington, North Carolina.
There were more than 20,000 participants for all the Nashville races in the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll series, which included a full marathon and a half-marathon. Summer completed the Nashville half-marathon in 2:10:04.
The Gregorys planned to celebrate their big day by indulging in hot dogs and ice cream, after having been on strict diets leading up to the event, while attending the Nashville Sounds game against the Durham Bulls at First Horizon Park. They are staying in Nashville to celebrate their anniversary through Wednesday.
“We’re going to a baseball game and eat some junk food,” David Gregory said. “I’m an ice cream connoisseur and we’ll have a big ol’ hot dog at the game.”
David Gregory dominated the Nashville Marathon
Gregory, a former George Mason track and cross-country runner, was hardly challenged in the race, which was run in uncomfortable conditions with high humidity and temperatures in the mid-60s.
He finished more than 12 minutes ahead of runner-up Harrison Morris, 24, from Huntsville, Alabama, who came in at 2:44:13.
Ben Kimtai of Kenya was registered but did not show up. When Gregory saw that Kimtai wasn’t there, he was confident he could win.
“A few guys got out with me for the first few miles, maybe five, then I got out front after about Mile 10 and with the humidity and the hills I kept telling myself, ‘You’ve got to relax and survive,’ ” Gregory said. “I didn’t have a whole lot of competition. After Mile 10, for the most part, I was just running behind some of the half-marathoners with no one else (in the full marathon) around.”
After being unable to finish the Nashville marathon in 2024 due to the course’s early elevation, Morris was more concerned with making it to the finish line than winning — especially after he saw the pace Gregory was able to keep. Morris had never completed a full marathon prior to this one.
“I just tried to stay in that pocket, run my pace,” said Morris, a former Georgia Tech runner. “I felt really good about halfway, started picking it up a bit. Around Mile 20 it gets brutal back in Shelby Park. I blew up a bit, but it was a really good day overall and I was really happy with it.”
Kate McAndrew was top female finisher in St. Jude Nashville marathon
Kate McAndrew, 24, from Savannah, Georgia, was the top female finisher (3:08:55) in her first complete marathon. McAndrew specialized in the 800-meter run at Richmond and Notre Dame.
“I feel good, but the last six miles were pretty tough,” she said. “This was my first time stepping up to long distance.”
McAndrew beat her goal by more than 10 minutes.
“I was aiming for about 3:20,” she said. “I thought maybe I could go faster. I’m just having fun with it. It’s nice to race without pressure. It was really exciting. It was probably around Mile 18 when people on the course started saying, ‘You’re the top lady.’ I was just like, ‘Hold on.’ I slowed down, but it wasn’t necessarily a strategic slowdown. My legs were just really burning at the end. It’s just super hilly the last six miles.”
Nashville half-marathon winners
Joseph Skoog, 24, from McKenzie, Tennessee, was the men’s half-marathon winner in 1:07:49. Nashville’s Wesley Robinson, 28, was the runner-up in 1:08:04.
The women’s half-marathon winner was Morgan Johnson, 22, from Nashville, in 1:19:33. The runner-up was Hannah Brookover, 27, from Chicago, in 1:22:14.
For the complete results visit St. Jude Nashville marathon results.
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
