Event Description
THE CRESCENT CITY CLASSIC
The Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent City Classic 10k road race is held in New Orleans on the Saturday before Easter Sunday each year. The Classic is locally produced by a not-for-profit 5013c entity, the Crescent City Fitness Foundation, and is a great way to get in shape while having fun! Both runners and walkers of all abilities are invited to participate in the race.
The Classic is both physically challenging and a great New Orleans tradition! The 10-kilometer course (6.2 miles) begins in Downtown New Orleans in front of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, runs participants through the French Quarter, and then all the way up beautiful Esplanade Avenue to New Orleans City Park.
During Easter weekend, the events surrounding the Crescent City Classic promise a jam-packed weekend. We host a two-day Health & Fitness Expo which is free and open to the public. After the race, we throw the best post-race parties in road racing hosted by Michelob Ultra, and complete with live music and local creole cuisine!
RACE DAY SCHEDULE
5:30 am Buses begin running from City Park (at Beau Bassich Circle) to start area (Champions Square)
7:00 am Pre-race warm up in Champions Square, led by Ochsner Fitness Center
7:30 am Last shuttle bus leaves City Park
7:45 am Final Announcements, Dignitary Welcome and the National Anthem begin at the Start Line
8:00 am The Allstate Sugar Bowl Crescent City Classic Begins!
8:30 am The Michelob Ultra RaceFest begins near the finish at the new Festival Grounds on Friedrichs Ave.
9:30 am Complimentary bus transportation begins taking participants from City Park (at Henry Thomas Dr.) back downtown to Poydras St.
10:15 am Award Ceremony & Costume Contest begin on main stage
10:30 am Distribution of Top 500 posters begins at the Top 500 Tent
11:00 am Festival Bands resume playing
1:00 pm The RaceFest officially ends; Complimentary bus transport back downtown ends
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This fast, point-to-point course is a USAT&F sanctioned and certified 10,000 meters. It starts in front of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on Poydras St., proceeds down Poydras, bears left on Convenetion Center Blvd. then left onto Canal St., before continuing onto N Peters St., where it passes historical Jackson Square. Participants run through the French Quarter, past Cafe Du Monde and the French Market, before taking a left on Esplanade Ave. The course continues down beautiful Esplanade Ave. to the front of New Orleans City Park on City Park Ave. The remainder of the course takes place inside the park, passing by Storyland, before finishing on Lelong Ave. just before the New Orleans Museum of Art, exactly 6.2 miles from the start. For your own safety: no bikes, rollerblades, skates or pets (other than service animals) are allowed on the course.
Water stations and port-o-lets will be placed at mile markers 1-5. All water stations will be available on both sides of the street. Port-o-lets will be placed on the right side of the street. Please be sure to hydrate prior to and during the race. Nearly all health issues on Race Day are related to dehydration. New Orleans EMS units will be stationed throughout the course and at the finish line, along with the Ochsner Medical Team & Tent. If you cannot finish the race, we will have a vehicle trailing the race that can transport you to the Finish Line.
