The 8th Annual Kenwick Derby Marathon

A Tradition Unlike Any Other.
In 2026, Lady Paisley kept the neighborhood moving.
For 2027? Let’s just say we’re not lowering the bar.
The Kenwick Derby Marathon is Lexington’s proudest neighborhood tradition, held every year on the morning of the Kentucky Derby! Now in its 8th year in 2027, this beloved event began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Tom Butler ran 47 laps around the Bassett/Preston block to raise money for relief efforts.
Neighbors rallied, bourbon flowed, legends were born.
No entry fees. No race timing chips. Just you, your neighbors, and the casual certainty that running 47 laps is a perfectly normal way to spend Derby Day.
📅 Race Day 2027
When: Saturday, May 1, 2027
The Second Most Famous Race on the First Saturday in May
Time: 9:00 AM (Derby start)
Where: Corner of Bassett Ave & Monroe Ave, Lexington, KY
Full Marathon: 47 laps
Half Marathon: 24 laps
10K: 12 laps
5K: 6 laps
1 Mile: 2 laps
"Please don't question the official lap count. Trust the science."
📋 How to Join
No registration needed, just show up!
Bring your own bib (pin a piece of paper with your spirit name on your shirt).
Bring a Sharpie to mark your lap counts.
Bring the kids! (The 1-mile race is perfect for young runners.)
Spectators: Bring chairs, signs, nerf guns, and Derby spirit.
Participation Fee: $0.00
Fun Level: Immeasurable
🏆 Course Records
Full Marathon: Tom "The Bassett Hound" Butler – 3:10 (2020)
Half Marathon: Antonio "Ant-Man" Marchi – 1:12:30 (2026)
Female Distance Record: Sonya Lindsey - 20 miles (2025)
Longest Run While Drinking and Holding a Mint Julep: Antonio "Ant-Man" Marchi and Greg "Gregacy" Humkey (2025)
“You lose 100% of the Kenwick Derbies you don't participate in.”
– Wayne Gretzky (sort of)
This event is community-led and is not affiliated with the Kenwick Neighborhood Association.