Traffic Update: Secret City Half Marathon
Nov 10, 2025
OAK RIDGE, TN — Explore Oak Ridge and the City of Oak Ridge would like to alert businesses, motorists and residents of several main roads and intersections that will be affected in conjunction with the Secret City Half Marathon & 5K (SCHM) on Saturday morning, Nov. 15.
Race Director Hannah Fatheree anticipates over 1,200 runners and walkers taking to the city streets and greenways of Oak Ridge to participate in the family-friendly events. See below for the race routes and also visit the SCHM website for a map of both routes.
Motorists should also be aware of the early morning course preparations. While the races start at 9:00 a.m., volunteers will begin setting out cones along the course as early as 5:30 a.m. The Oak Ridge Police Dept. will be out in force directing and stopping traffic where and when needed. While no roads will be shut down due to the race traffic, motorists should expect some minor delays due to runners crossing streets on Melton Lake Dr. and Emory Valley Rd. Motorists are asked to take it slow in these areas and be mindful of the race participants.
The half marathon and 5K both start and finish at the Melton Lake Peninsula.
The half marathon route (13.1 miles):
• South from the peninsula onto Melton Lake Dr. turning right onto Union Valley Rd. then right onto Illinois Ave.
• Illinois Ave. merging right onto Lafayette Dr. then right onto Emory Valley Rd.
• Emory Valley Rd. turning right onto Briarcliff Ave. then left onto S. Columbia Ave.
• S. Columbia turning left back onto Emory Valley Rd. then right onto Briarcliff Ave.
• Briarcliff Ave. merging right onto Laboratory Rd. then merging right onto the Oak Ridge Turnpike.
• Oak Ridge Turnpike turning right onto Fairbanks Rd. then left onto Warehouse Rd.
• Warehouse Rd. turning right onto Melton Lake Dr. then left back into the Melton Lake peninsula.
The 5K route (3.1 miles):
• North from the peninsula onto Melton Lake Dr. turning right onto Oak Ridge Turnpike.
• Immediate right into Elza Gate Park then back down Melton Lake Dr. greenway.
For more information about the races and online registration, please click here. Friends, family and community members are welcome to attend and cheer on the racers along the routes.
About Secret City Half Marathon & 5K
The half marathon route starts at the scenic Melton Lake Park peninsula. The 13.1 mile route of mostly flat terrain is considered a great PR course. Runners race along the beautiful Melton Lake then down by an operational quarry for a change of scenery. They continue along a serene tree-lined private road and then wind through Oak Ridge. The finish is along the water's edge and back to the peninsula. The course is USATF certified with certification # TN15066MS.
The 5K race route starts and finishes at the Melton Lake Park peninsula. The course follows the water's edge along Melton Lake to Elza Gate Park then doubles back down a walking trail to the peninsula. It’s a very scenic, easy and enjoyable 5K run. Cert #: TN15077MS.
About Explore Oak Ridge
Explore Oak Ridge champions the “Secret City'' of Oak Ridge, Tennessee as a scientific powerhouse and unforgettable tourist destination. With the hope of developing technology that would end World War II, the U.S. government built the city of Oak Ridge under a cloak of great secrecy. Once a Secret City, today, Oak Ridge is anything but a secret and has become a global leader in innovative science, engineering and technology.
The city has five amazing museums that give a one-of-a-kind, hands-on look at how the Secret City came to be and how the city’s global impact has drastically changed the world.
Oak Ridge is also one of the nation’s premier competitive rowing destinations and has played host to national and regionally ranked regattas. The glassy waters of Melton Hill Lake are perfect for fishing, boating, paddling and rowing, and offer over 30 miles of pristine shoreline. The Oak Ridge outdoors scene has become so popular that it attracts visitors from all over the southeast to hike and bike the more than 85 miles of trails and greenways in the city.
Oak Ridge continues to grow with significant scientific achievements, improvements to the city such as plans for a new downtown area, continued retail development, and a wide variety of restaurants.
Plan a trip to Oak Ridge so we can share our secrets with you.
