2026 Des Moines Marathon

Name: 2026 Des Moines Marathon
Start: 2026-10-18
End: 2026-10-18
Location: Des Moines, United States

42KCombo

BonusesScenic

Oct 18, 2026 · 1 day🇺🇸 Des Moines, United States

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Key FactsRegistration open

Standouts

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The IMT Des Moines Marathon is a flat, fast, USATF-certified Boston qualifier through downtown, Drake's Blue Oval and Gray's Lake. It starts and finishes in downtown Des Moines around the Court Avenue district, with a course that tours the city including Drake University, leafy residential neighborhoods, Valley Junction, and river trails.

Why attend here

Autumn in Des Moines brings crisp air and golden leaves, perfect for an October marathon that winds past Drake University's iconic blue oval and through the leafy streets of Valley Junction. After the race, warm up with a hearty meal in the Court Avenue district, where local breweries and farm-to-table spots showcase Iowa's harvest season.

Distance from you

From Columbus, US to Des Moines, US

~1.1h · 911 km

Des Moines

combo

typical Oct weather · 2025

18 Sat

25°14°

0.4mm6.1 m/s

ComboPart of 4 combo trips

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Event Details

Elevation

207m

Course

The course starts and finishes in the heart of downtown Des Moines around the Court Avenue district, then tours the city: an early stretch winds out to Drake University, where runners get a lap on the famous blue oval at Drake Stadium, before the route threads leafy residential neighborhoods, the historic Valley Junction district in West Des Moines, and forested bike paths. The back half follows the Des Moines river trails through Water Works Park and around Gray's Lake before delivering you back downtown for a finish near the start.