Chasing Jefferson Davis
Early on the morning of May 10, 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured at his camp outside Irwinville by a detachment of the Fourth Michigan Calvary, who had pursued him into the heart of the Deep South. Davis had spent the evening of May 8, in Abbeville, a distance of almost exactly 26.2 miles from where he was captured. To commemorate this historic event, the counties and communities along the route will host the Annual Chasing Jefferson Davis Marathon on April 15, 2023.
About the marathon
On the 150th anniversary of the capture, the
Inaugural Chasing Jefferson Davis Marathon was
held. On May 9, 2015, marathon and half-marathon
runners followed Jefferson Davis’ historic route
through farm land and pine woods and parts of
three south Georgia counties in the first-ever
Chasing Jefferson Davis Marathon. The Civil War
Sesquicentennial event commemorates this closing
event of the war that divided America from
1861-1865.The marathon course almost exactly
follows the route of that historic journey at
the close of the Civil War, with the
participants finishing within feet of the actual
site of the capture.
The route is almost exactly 26.2 miles. Roughly
five miles of the course will be over dirt
roads. The route is fairly equally divided among
the three counties participating in the event.
The marathon is
USATF Certified (GA15012WC).
Further details about the race can be found on
Facebook at the Chasing Jefferson Davis Marathon
page.
This year, join us Saturday, April 15th for the
Annual Chasing Jefferson Davis Marathon
and Half Marathon. The point to point courses
will be run on paved and dirt roads. The
Marathon will be run from the Abbeville Historic
Gymnasium, 300 College St., Abbeville, GA
to the finish line at 338 Jeff Davis Park Road, Irwinville GA. The Half Marathon will start at
1018 Salem Church Rd, Fitzgerald, GA. and finish in the same location as the Marathon. The race will begin
with cannon or musket blasts at 6:00 AM and 6:30 AM at each location
for the start of the Marathon and Half-Marathon.
For a registration form, please
click here.
