Disclosure: The following is a sponsored post.
New Orleans is known for putting on a great event which makes it the perfect location the annual Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon. Once a year the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series tours throughout the U.S and Canada as well as Spain, Mexico and even Ireland. So naturally New Orleans is a perfect fit!
Rock ‘n’ Roll weekend in New Orleans is filled with events for over 20,000 participants as well as friends and family like myself who attend to lend their support to the community. From the Health & Fitness Expo held at the Convention Center Friday and Saturday to the 10K, 1/2 Marathon and Full Marathon, there is something for all ages and physical abilities.
Toyota USA Concert Series
Last weekend my husband and I were guests at the Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon which featured the Toyota Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert Series with co-headliners The Preservation Hall Jazz Band and J.Roddy Walston & The Business. My sister-in-law was participating in the full marathon so it was the perfect opportunity to enjoy the beautiful weather, listen to some great music and support the athletes.
Toyota knows how to put on a good show! The Headliner Act at the Toyota Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert Series include big names in music like Blues Traveler, Better Than Ezra, Gavin DeGraw and more! but for this weekend, it was all about jazz and rock! a dozen or so other bands performed on different stages throughout the race course. But the headliners were on the main stage at the finish line in City Park.
I had the opportunity to participate in a meet & greet after the Preservation Hall Jazz Band completed their set and are definitely some cool kats! Original band members have changed since the formation in the 1960’s but have a broad range of fans. They even performed at Coachella in 2014, made a guest appearance on the Foo Fighters’ eighth studio album Sonic Highways and performed alongside The Black Keys and Dr. John at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards Ceremony!
If the Preservation Hall Jazz Band doesn’t get you on your feet, you don’t know jazz like we do in New Orleans! 
Toyota USA
In between music sets Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon guests and finish line participants enjoyed other festival complete with vendor booths and race sponsor booths including Toyota.
In addition to sponsoring the concert series, Toyota had several of their new vehicles on display which allowed guests the opportunity to get an up close and personal look at Toyota vehicles like the drool 2016 Toyota RAV4. Please note: Disco Ball is not an add-on optional feature. I asked already! lol
I’ll be test driving the 2016 Toyota Tundra in March so check back for more info on that!
Do you love to compete in marathons or quick 10K? While at the Health & Fitness Expo Friday I met several athletes competing in the Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon picking up their Bib numbers. The few I interacted with were not just locals but some coming as far as Tampa Florida or Carlsbad, California. now that’s dedication!
The couple from California mentioned how they enjoy coming to New Orleans annually for the race. Their love for New Orleans food, music, culture and hospitality were a few of the reasons why they returned the last several times.
The Finish Line
My husband & I left the VIP Experience Tent (definitely a must) we headed over to the finish line to cheer on the runners. The runners have varying degrees of emotions when running to the finish line. Some were all smiles, some in pain and some with tears of joy. i’m not going to lie, I got teary eye when I saw a few of the atheletes. What a phenomenal experience they just endured!
My favorite runner: Elvis has left the finish line! Naturally he was there supporting the Toyota USA Concert Series right?!?
At the end of the day we left exhausted from all of the fun but not nearly as exhausted at those who competed in the Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon! After a 5K walk back to my parking spot (if you’re in NOLA, you get my reference) our song had ended and we were ready to head home. Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon, see you again in 2017!
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