- Weather
- 47°Ftypical start
- Field size
- ~1,200 runners
- Course
- Rolling
- Elevation
- 600 ft gain
Gateway Arch Riverfront
PR7.3Weather9.0Experience7.3
All marathons
Mid-October · Midwest · Loop
Des Moines Marathon
Des Moines, IA
State Capitol grounds and Gray's Lake
- Scenic
Opens the race organizer's website
- Typical start temp
- 48°F(estimated)
- Field size
- ~1,500 runners(estimated)
- Course
- Rolling
- Elevation
- 500 ft gain(estimated)
Why runners choose this race
A loop course around Des Moines, IA, with steady rollers that reward even pacing.
Good fit if
- · Runners who care about scenery
Think twice if
- No notable warnings in the data.
Course and logistics
- Course type
- Loop
- Surface
- Road
- Total gain
- 500 ft(estimated)
- Field size
- ~1,500 runners(estimated)
- Crowd support
- Pockets of spectators
- Entry
- Data coming soon
- Start / finish
- Start and finish in the same area
Race details
- Typical timing
- Mid-October
- Region
- Midwest
- Editorial tier
- Featured
- Data last reviewed
- 2026-08-26
State Capitol grounds and Gray's Lake
Good to know
- Scenic
- Loop course
- Destination race
Race-day weather
Modelled from location, month and coastal proximity — not verified race history.
ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk
Typical start sits at 48°F — excellent marathon conditions.
Similar races
- Weather
- 47°Ftypical start
- Field size
- ~1,200 runners
- Course
- Rolling
- Elevation
- 600 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event listed as: Marathon
PR7.3Weather9.0Experience6.8
- Weather
- 46°Ftypical start
- Field size
- ~1,000 runners
- Course
- Rolling
- Elevation
- 600 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event listed as: Marathon
PR7.3Weather9.1Experience6.7