- Weather
- 47°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~1,200 runners
- Course
- Rolling
- Elevation
- 600 ft gain
Gateway Arch Riverfront
PR7Weather9Experience7
Mid-October · Midwest · Loop
Des Moines Marathon
Des Moines, IA · Sunday, October 18, 2026
Loops past the Iowa State Capitol, whose gold-leaf dome is the only one of its kind in the country, and around Gray's Lake in the city's downtown core. Rolling terrain throughout.
State Capitol grounds and Gray's Lake
- Scenic
Opens the race organizer's website
Typical start
48°
Cooler than 49% of U.S. marathons
Modeled historical conditions
Elevation gain
500ft
Flatter than 30% of races
Estimated total climb
Field size
1.5K
Larger than 60% of races
Estimated field
PR potential
7.3/10
Ahead of 37% of races
Almanac model
Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.
Course profile
500 ft gain
Rolling course, loop.
0510152026.2
Race-day weather
Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.
6 AM
40°
Start
48°
Midday
59°
ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk
Typical start sits at 48°F, excellent marathon conditions.
Typical dew point 41°F, 22% chance of precipitation, wind around 10 mph. All modeled.
The bottom line
A balanced race that suits most goals without specialising in any.
Des Moines Marathon is a strong choice for a first marathon, and the course rolls gently without any sustained climbing. The tradeoff is that nothing about it is extreme in either direction.
Why runners choose this race
A loop course around Des Moines, IA, with steady rollers that reward even pacing.
The case for it
- Runners who care about scenery
The tradeoffs
- No notable warnings in the data.
Course and logistics
- Course type
- Loop
- Surface
- Road
- Profile
- Rolling
- 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
- Next confirmed date
- Sunday, October 18, 2026
- Region
- Midwest
- Editorial tier
- Featured
- Data last reviewed
- 2026-08-26
- Scenic
- Loop course
- Destination race
Similar races
Races with a comparable profile.
- Weather
- 47°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~1,200 runners
- Course
- Rolling
- Elevation
- 600 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event listed as: Marathon
PR7Weather9Experience7
- Weather
- 46°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~1,000 runners
- Course
- Rolling
- Elevation
- 600 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event listed as: Marathon
PR7Weather9Experience7