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History and Important Landmarks found along the route of the Magic City Half Marathon & 5K in Birmingham, AL.
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the race just behind home plate.
All finishers will receive a cus-
tom Magic City Half Marathon
medal which is sure to be one of
your favorites to add to your
collection.
The Magic City Half Marathon
will make a move to beautiful
Regions Field in 2014. Home of
the 2013 Southern League
Champion Birmingham Barons,
Regions Field will make the per-
fect backdrop for this 4th year
event. Athletes will find the Half
Marathon course to be fast with
only 350 feet of vertical eleva-
tion gain. Aid stations will be
spaced every two miles and the
energy along the route will truly
make this a magical event for
our runners and the entire city
of Birmingham. The final 0.1
mile will be nothing short of
spectacular as runners will
enter through the center field
tunnel before stepping foot onto
the warning track of Regions
Field. Then it is a victory lap
around the field before finishing
Special points of interest:
Start and Finish at
Beautiful Regions Field
Flat and Fast Down-
town Birmingham
Courses
USAT&F Certified
Craft Beer Garden at
the Finish
Finisher BLING
The 5K (3.1)
The Half Marathon (13.1)
Inside this issue:
History Along the Half 2-4
History Along the 5K 5
Course Maps 6
Elevation Maps 7
Event Fact Sheet 8
Our Charity Partner 9
Our Sponsors 10
5K’ers will also end their jour-
ney by entering the field
through the center field tunnel
before being greeted by the
beautifully manicured grass and
the welcome sound of warning
The Magic City 5K will be
FAST!!!! Only 70 feet of total
elevation gain will separate you
from the finish line as you start
your race next to beautiful Rail-
road Park and Regions Field.
track beneath your feet. Girls
on the Run is again partnered
with the 5K bringing over 300 of
their runners to the start line.
If you are looking for a PR THIS
is the 5K for you!!!
November 23, 2014—Regions Field—Birmingham, AL
Benefiting the Ruben Studdard Foundation for Advancement of Children in the Musical Arts
The Magic City Half Marathon & 5K 2014
Birmingham, AL is a cornerstone
in the history of the Southeast.
With a beginning in the steel and
mining industries, Birmingham
quickly grew into prosperity at
the turn of the 20th century.
This sudden economic growth
earned the city the nickname
“The Magic City”. Today, eco-
nomic growth is being seen once
again—this time in the medical
and financial fields as Birming-
ham is poised for another eco-
nomic upswing. Leading the way
is the vast renovation of the
downtown area.
The Magic City Half Marathon is
proud to call downtown Birming-
ham home and we are thrilled to
showcase a plethora of history
along our route. Right alongside
the history are monuments to
advancement that are quickly
making their own mark on the
Birmingham landscape. Here we
highlight the history of our route
and show you, the runner, why
our course is so important to
this community.
The original course remains in-
tact today (although the start
and finish lines have changed)
and course designer Danny
Haralson is credited with the
foresight of making sure our
runners get to see so much of
the city we call home. We hope
you enjoy the route as much as
we do!!!
shows, youth programs and
more. Runners will pass by
their corporate offices be-
tween miles 2 and 3.
3. THE ALABAMA SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA was founded in
1921 with a single perform-
ance by a group of volunteer
musicians. Today, ASO a
community force offering
1. TIN ROOF is well known in
the Running Community as a
runner friendly watering
hole with amazing local
beers and custom made
burgers.
2. RED MOUNTAIN THEATRE
COMPANY provides the best
theatrical experience in
downtown Birmingham with
more than 20 free perform-
ances per yeor the children
of Birmingham.
4. SIDE BAR CAFE is a fantas-
tic restaurant serving some
of Birmingham’s freshest
burgers and authentic Mexi-
can cuisine. We also recom-
mend stopping in for a
breakfast that can’t be beat.
MILES 3-4 (Lakeview, Avondale)
2. RAILROAD PARK is an
award-winning 19 acre
green-space adjacent to
Regions Field. You can al-
ways find something fun
going on within the park.
Runners will start alongside
the Park and run the length
of the park before making
the first turn.
3. UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA
BIRMINGHAM is nearly a
mile of the Half Marathon
course. UAB became an
autonomous institution in
1969 and today is one of the
largest academic medical
centers in the country. UAB
is also the state’s largest
employer.
MILES 1-2 (Regions Field, Medical Center District)
1. REGIONS FIELD is home of
the 2013 Southern League
Champion Birmingham Bar-
ons. Barons Baseball in
Birmingham dates back to
1885, and Regions Field
opened its gates on April 10,
2013. Stadium Capacity is
8,500. Runners will start
and finish at Regions Field.
The History of a Magical 13.1 Miles...
Page 2 The Magic City Half Marathon & 5K
“The Magic City Half
Marathon was
simply amazing!
The organizers,
volunteers, police—
all made this a truly
MAGICAL
experience!!!”
5. AVONDALE PARK marks the
turn around point (Mile 3) of
the Half Marathon course.
This 36.5-acre park boasts a
mature rose garden and
amphitheatre. Be sure to look
down 41st St as you make the
turn to find Avondale Brewing
Co, Post Office Pies and
Saw’s Soul Kitchen.
6. THE PARKSIDE CAFE is yet
another eclectic find in the up
and coming Birmingham
scene. Parkside offers great
drinks, live music and a large
outdoor patio that is perfect
for that cold post-run bever-
age.
7. SLOSS FURNACES is a Na-
tional Historic Landmark built
in the 1880’s and produced
“pig-iron” and steam for
nearly 90 years. Today
Sloss Furnaces is home to a
variety of special events
including runs, corporate
events, and beer and music
festivals. Look to your left off
the 35th St Bridge (the
Rumpshaker Bridge) to see
Sloss looming above the city
skyline.
3. The Boutwell Memorial
Auditorium is a 5,000 seat
arena built in 1924. It is
currently owned by the city
of Birmingham and was
once home to the Birming-
ham Power professional
basketball team. Boutwell
Auditorium is also the origi-
nal home of the Magic City
Half Marathon & 5K.
4. Linn Park and the Munici-
pal Center of Birmingham
are bound by Rev Abraham
Woods Jr Blvd and 20th St
North. Linn Park, once
named Capital Park, sits in
the center of City Hall and
the Jefferson County Court-
house.
5. The Birmingham Museum
of Art is next to the Bout-
well Auditorium and houses
one of the finest art collec-
tions in the southeast. The
museum’s collection of
Asian art is considered the
finest in the southeast, while
the collection of Vietnamese
Ceramics is touted the fin-
est in the US.
6. The Alabama School of
Fine Arts is positioned at
the 10K point along the half
marathon route and is home
to 350 of Alabama’s finest
young creative minds.
7. A.H. Parker High School
can be seen at mile 7 and is
a beautiful newly con-
structed high school for
1,000 students grades 9-12.
The Thundering Herd re-
cently won the AHSAA Class
5A State Basketball Champi-
onship.
MILES 5-7 (Messer Highway, Rev Abraham Woods Jr Blvd)
1. The Original Magic City
Sign once reigned over
Terminal Station. Terminal
Station was the primary
station for passenger train
travel until the 1950’s when
train travel declined
sharply. Runners will pass
through the tunnel at the
corner of 26th St North and
5th Ave North where the
sign was originally located.
2. Jones Valley Teaching
Farm is not just a place
where food grows; it is a
place where young minds
blossom. With a goal to
educate 10,000 students
annually JVTF is focused on
empowering future genera-
tions with the knowledge to
eat smarter, think healthier
and live better.
MILES 3-4 (Lakeview, Avondale) continued...
Page 3 The Magic City Half Marathon & 5K
“I never knew how
much fun Birmingham
could be. The food,
the music, the
landscape —the whole
city is alive and
welcoming.
I love this place!”
1. LEGION FIELD is a massive
landmark that runners will
pass twice during the Half
Marathon. On either side of
Legion Field will be two of
the 7 water stops along the
route which will be hit just
after mile 8 and just before
mile 11. Once called the
“Football Capital of the
South”, Legion Field hosted
the Iron Bowl between rivals
Alabama and Auburn from
1948 until 1988. It is still
home to the annual Magic
City Classic between Ala-
bama A & M and Alabama
State. In addition, the sta-
dium has played host to
several soccer games from
the 1996 Atlanta Summer
Olympic Games. Today, the
field remains a very active
part of the Birmingham
Sports Community.
2. BIRMINGHAM CHURCHES
are known throughout the
southeast for their amazing
gospel choirs. Between
miles 8 and 11, half mara-
thoners will pass no fewer
than 6 churches of various
denominations.
3. BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN
COLLEGE is located to the
right just before mile 9.
BSC is a private liberal arts
college founded in 1856 and
is affiliated with the United
Methodist Church. The col-
lege is consistently ranked
among the top liberal arts
colleges in the country and
has a student body of ap-
proximately 1300.
4. RICKWOOD FIELD will greet
runners at mile 9.5 and is a
true gem of Birmingham’s
history. Built in 1910 for the
Birmingham Barons, Rick-
wood Field is the oldest
surviving baseball field in
the United States. The field
has been home to the Bir-
mingham Black Barons, as
well as the Birmingham
Barons as recently as 1987.
Today, Rickwood Field is
undergoing a gradual resto-
ration and transformation
into a baseball museum. It
is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places.
2. THE 14th STREET LIGHTED
BRIDGE is one of several
lighted bridges in Birming-
ham made possible by REV
Birmingham. Artist Bill
Fitzgibbons designed the
public art pieces and they
have quickly become one of
Birmingham’s most recog-
nizable landmarks.
3. GOOD PEOPLE BREWING
COMPANY is always a wel-
come site after a long run.
At the Magic City Half Mara-
thon this will be especially
true. Feel free to stop off
1. THE BIRMINGHAM DOWN-
TOWN SKYLINE is one of the
most recognizable skyline’s
in the country. With the
Wells Fargo Tower, Regions-
Harbert Plaza, AT&T City
Center, Regions Center and
the City Federal Building
making up the 5 tallest
buildings in the city, the
skyline will be a welcome
site as runners hit mile 11.5.
It is here that the Birming-
ham skyline comes into view
and signifies a fast (and
mere) 1.5 miles to go.
for a cold one, or just run
about 1/4 more and Good
People will be waiting on you
as part of our craft beer
garden inside Regions Field.
4. VULCAN makes his first real
appearance just before the
final turn onto 3rd Ave S.
High atop Red Mountain,
Vulcan looks down on Bir-
mingham as the world’s
largest cast iron statue. He
celebrated his 110th birthday
this past June!.
MILES 11-13.1 (The Home Stretch, Return to Regions Field)
MILES 8-11 (Legion Field. Rickwood Field, Smithfield Neighborhood)
Page 4 The Magic City Half Marathon & 5K
“This was my
very first half-
marathon and
I will do it
every year
from here on
out. I set a PR
in year 1 and
the course
keeps getting
faster!!!”
The Magic City 5K is brand new in 2014! With a move to Regions Field, the 5K route will cover brand new
roads in downtown Birmingham. Along these city streets runners will pass many Birmingham landmarks
etched in the history of the Magic City. It’s not only the rich history that will make the Magic City 5K so
special, the course itself can be best described as lightning FAST!!! With only 70 total feet of climbing run-
ners, are presented the perfect course to set a personal best. Complete with a finish line on Regions Field,
this 5K route is one that you will not want to miss (unless of course you opt to run the Half Marathon.).
We are again thrilled to host Girls on the Run Birmingham as they bring over 300 runners to the start line!
We also are excited to have our favorite host Ruben Studdard join us yet again at the 2014 event!
2nd Ave N and is a great
place to take both the young
and young at heart. Open to
the public in 1996, McWane
is a state of the art science
center which boasts both an
aquarium and IMAX Dome
Theater. One unique exhibit
to note is the Challenger
Learning Center of Alabama,
created in memory of the
Space Shuttle Challenger
Flight 51-L crew.
4. THE ALABAMA THEATER is
a Birmingham tradition. The
theater was built in 1927 in
the heart of the Birmingham
Theater district which was
home to vaudeville, per-
forming arts, nickelodeons,
and large first run movie
palaces. Today the Alabama
Theater attracts more than
400,000 patrons annually to
such performances as bal-
let, Broadway-type theater,
opera, music concerts and
films.
5. THE BIRMINGHAM CIVIL
RIGHTS HERITAGE TRAIL
winds its way throughout
the 5K route. At the corners
of 19th St N and 3rd Ave N
5K participants will retrace
the footsteps of activists
who fought for civil rights in
Birmingham during the
1960’s. On May 7, 1963
“Project C” leaders led to a
complete shut down of Bir-
mingham’s retail district as
demonstrators crowded the
streets and flooded lunch
counters and retail stores.
This act led to further nego-
tiations such as removal of
segregation signs, hiring of
black police officers and full
integration of public facili-
ties.
6. VULCAN awaits you just
before mile 3 and your final
turn before entering Re-
gions Field. Towering atop
Red Mountain, Vulcan reigns
supreme as the largest cast
iron statue in the world.
3.1 Miles of History...
1. RAILROAD PARK will serve
as the starting point for the
5K. Railroad Park is a 19-
acre award-winning green-
space nestled within down-
town Birmingham. The park
is home to a multitude of
outdoor events including
runs, concerts, fitness
classes and more. Railroad
Park is the perfect backdrop
for our starting line and we
are certain you will agree.
2. LIGHTED BRIDGES are the
newest form of public art to
make their way into the City
of Birmingham. A mere few
years old, these bridges
were designed by artist Bill
Fitzgibbons of San Antonio,
TX. 5K runners will pass
through two of these beauti-
ful tunnels (19th St N and
14th St S).
3. THE McWANE SCIENCE
CENTER is found at the
corners of 19th St N and
THE MAGIC CITY 5K
Page 5 The Magic City Half Marathon & 5K
“The Magic City 5K is
so much more than
an event held in the
shadow a Half
Marathon. It is it’s
own experience, it’s
own event. We had
such an amazing
time—this is my
favorite 5K!!”
THE HALF MARATHON COURSE (13.1 miles)
Page 6 The Magic City Half Marathon & 5K
THE 5K COURSE (3.1 miles)
THE 5K ELEVATION PROFILE
THE HALF MARATHON ELEVATION PROFILE
Page 7 The Magic City Half Marathon & 5K
Page 8 The Magic City Half Marathon & 5K
For Ruben Studdard, music has
always been an integral part of his
life. His desires to share his musi-
cal gifts with the world ultimately
led him to enter a national compe-
tition that discovered new talent
from across the country. The rest
is history. Ruben was named the
2003 American Idol!.
Ruben’s love for music and his
desire to give back to the commu-
nity led to the creation of The
Ruben Studdard Foundation for the
Advancement of Children in the
Musical Arts. As a product of the
Birmingham City School System,
Ruben experienced first hand the
significance of how music educa-
tion can impact a child’s life.
With budget cuts threatening the
elimination of thousands of music
education programs in school
systems across the nation, Ruben
is impassioned about students in
Birmingham never having this
possibility become a reality.
The Ruben Studdard Foundation for the Advancement of Children in the Musical Arts aims to promote
the essential role of the arts in education through learning initiatives for the development of students in
the Greater Birmingham area. The Foundation is committed to:
Supporting music education programs of schools within the Greater Birmingham Area
Offering students opportunities to showcase and further develop their musical talents
Providing college scholarships to Greater Birmingham music education students
Exposing students to various music career opportunities
Promoting advocacy and public awareness initiatives to support music education
THE MISSION...
and high school years show
“significantly higher levels
of mathematics proficiency
by grade 12”
95% of Americans believe
that music is a key compo-
nent in a child’s well-
rounded education
DID YOU KNOW?
Students involved in public
school music programs
scored on average 107
points higher on SATs than
those without participation
Students who report con-
sistently high levels of
participation in instrumen-
tal music over the middle
The Ruben Studdard Foundation for the Advancement of Children in the Musical Arts
Page 9 The Magic City Half Marathon & 5K
We would like to thank these great sponsors for making the Magic City Half Marathon so magical...