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...