Thousands of runners prepare for St. Jude Marathon

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - It is St. Jude Marathon Weekend!

Friday kicked off the weekend of running with a Pasta Party, so runners could carb up before heading to the race Saturday morning.

Over 20,000 people are preparing for the St. Jude Marathon. It is a race that brings awareness and raises money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

“Everything that St. Jude encompasses is really rewarding,” said Matt Deberry, a runner from Texas.

With thousands coming in, safety is at the top of mind for Memphis leaders. The Memphis Police Department command center staff has geared up for monitoring across downtown.

But for the people coming in for the race, curing childhood cancer is at the top of their minds.

“It’s amazing. I mean, so many people have been impacted by childhood cancer, but even the ones that haven’t been, volunteers and people raising money for these babies. That means a lot,” said Brooke Brown, whose son was a St. Jude patient.

As thousands of heroes pour into Memphis for the St. Jude Marathon this weekend, Action News 5 spoke with one mom from North Carolina. April Bezilla says she is returning to Memphis to honor her late daughter, Alexis.

“She had Medulloblastoma, a brain tumor; she passed away in October 2019,” said Bezilla. “She was 15, she was just your typical teenager.

Bezilla said her family comes back every year to cheer on one of her daughters’ former nurses, but also because Memphis is more than the home of St. Jude for her.

“Everyone was always so welcoming and supportive and always had something nice to say and encourage us and that has just become a part of me, at this point Memphis feels like home,” she said.

The first race starts at 7 a.m. Saturday.

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