Nashville’s Country Music Marathon brought a record 50 thousand visitors to the city in April, and organizers expect it to continue growing next year, despite the shaky economy.
Half of the event’s 30 thousand runners were from out of town, and most brought friends and family along for the trip.
All told, they spent over 40 million dollars, generating about 3.4 million in tax revenue, according to a new economic impact study by George Washington University.
Adam Zocks is general manager for organizer Elite Racing. He says he doesn’t expect the rough economy to dampen next year’s turnout.
“People are still traveling, they still want to come and do their recreation. When you come to a race, yeah, it costs you some money, but it also gets your mind off some of the other problems you may be dealing with.”
Zocks expects 35 thousand people to race next April. That’s almost five times the number in the first Country Music Marathon 10 years ago.
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