RALEIGH, N.C. - January 29, 2016 - Rock ‘n' Roll Raleigh Marathon & ½ Marathon presented by WRAL today announced an expanded Weekend of Music, which will feature music Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well as an endless array of on course entertainment. Multi-Platinum artist Gavin DeGraw will kick off the weekend with a Friday night concert at Red Hat Amphitheater. The headliner performers for Saturday and Sunday will be announced at a later date.

Limited complimentary tickets are available online for all marathon and half marathon participants. Runners can request their tickets by registering at RunRocknRoll.com/Raleigh. Tickets will go on sale to the public Friday, February 5 on Ticketmaster. VIP upgrades will also be available.
"Raleigh is known for its eclectic music scene so expanding the entertainment experience throughout the weekend was a natural fit," said Katie Holmes, Event Manager. "We are thrilled to have Gavin DeGraw perform a special show on Friday night and look forward to a rockin' weekend when this world-class running event returns to Raleigh."

Singer songwriter Gavin DeGraw is known for a multitude of hits but his big break came from the release of "I Don't Want to Be," the theme song from the popular TV series One Tree Hill. Other major hits include "Chariot," "Not Over You," "Sweeter," "Follow Through" and many more. DeGraw has released five studio albums including, Chariot, a certified platinum album; Gavin DeGraw and most recently Make a Move. He has sold more than a million records in the U.S. and has appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel Live.

For the first time in 2016 Rock ‘n' Roll Raleigh will feature two days of running with the 5K on Saturday and the marathon and half marathon on Sunday. Participants can take the "Remix Challenge" by running both Saturday and Sunday to earn the coveted Remix Challenge medal in addition to each race's finisher medal.
Rock ‘n' Roll Raleigh Marathon & ½ Marathon will start and finish downtown and tour the charming homes of Oakwood and North Carolina State University, among other attractions. Participants will be greeted by the sounds of live entertainment, along with spectators and cheerleading teams lining the route to motivate runners to the finish line. Upon finishing, participants are invited to relax and celebrate with family and friends at the post race Toyota Rock ‘n' Roll Concert Series.

The V Foundation for Cancer Research is the race's featured charity and was created by ESPN and the late Jim Valvano, legendary North Carolina State basketball coach and ESPN commentator. Since 1993, The V Foundation has funded more than $130 million in cancer research grants nationwide. Participants can join the cause by running for Team V at www.run4v.org.

A complimentary Health & Fitness Expo kicks off race weekend on Friday, April 8 from 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, April 9 from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at the Raleigh Convention Center. The Expo will have numerous vendors featuring the latest in running gear, nutrition and training.

Information and registration is available online at RunRocknRoll.com/Raleigh.