The IMT Des Moines Marathon advocates for individuals who actively participate in their health and wellness by engaging, coordinating, and providing community-related running events and initiatives. The IMT Des Moines Marathon has everything a major marathon has at a fraction of the price! The new flat and fast course gives …
MORE
The IMT Des Moines Marathon advocates for individuals who actively participate in their health and wellness by engaging, coordinating, and providing community-related running events and initiatives.
The IMT Des Moines Marathon has everything a major marathon has at a fraction of the price! The new flat and fast course gives runners a great opportunity to finally get the Boston Qualifier or PR. High-end runner SWAG and medals elevate the weekend to the next level. Tons of spectator support throughout the route. These, along with many more features, is what makes the IMT Des Moines Marathon special.
Since its inception in 2002, the IMT Des Moines Marathon has provided a positive image of Des Moines as a place to live, work, and play by offering race distances for athletes of all ages and abilities, including the IMT Des Moines Marathon & half marathon, Bankers Trust marathon relay, 5K and a FREE Kids Run.
The IMT Des Moines Marathon has won several awards including the top marathon in the state, top 20 marathon’s in the nation and many more! Come to Des Moines for a family friendly, affordable, and booming city. The new courses are flat, fast, Boston Qualifiers, and spectator friendly.
LESS
Loved it! Chill - Pretty flat.
This was the 2nd race in the I35 challenge. Kansas City was HILLY so I was relieved that besides one hill, this was pretty flat. The vibe was also very … MORE
This was the 2nd race in the I35 challenge. Kansas City was HILLY so I was relieved that besides one hill, this was pretty flat. The vibe was also very chill and I loved the city itself more. It just seemed much more relaxed. I stayed at the Hilton Downtown Des Moines and could walk to race start/finish. I loved how it took you into a park and while you could see a couple tall buildings in the skyline there were also cows and horses. I would def come back and do this again.
Top Notch Marathon Experience
Des Moines is a well organized race. Communication ahead of the race was timely and detailed. The expo was small but easy to navigate with several vendors. Fleet Feet had … MORE
Des Moines is a well organized race. Communication ahead of the race was timely and detailed. The expo was small but easy to navigate with several vendors. Fleet Feet had a shakeout run along a riverfront path on Saturday that was well attended. Marathoners received a puffy vest, nicer than the usual T shirt. In 2025 the weather was great, started in the 40’s and sunny. I signed up forthe VIP so having a tent to stay warm in at the start was a nice perk.
There were plenty of race pacer options in the starting corrals.
The marathon course is varied, keeping it interesting. You start running through the downtown then run a loop around the Drake Stadium track, run through some leafy suburbs, through Valley Junction, forrested bike paths and around a lake. The last few miles you head back downtown crossing the river on a bridge. There are a few hills at the start but overall it is fairly flat. Plenty of aid stations, every couple of miles. They had Coke at a couple stations, pickle jucie, gels, and even bacon at one station. There was good spectator support along the course.
I enjoyed a beer after finishing and some food in the VIP tent. Nice celebratory atmosphere, snacks and pizza were offered after crossing the finish line.
There are plenty of hotels downtown within walking distance of the start/finish line. Des Moines was a lovely place to visit – plenty of good restaurants, a pedestrian friendly downtown, huge Saturday Farmers Market and a nice history museum.
All in all Des Moines and the Des Moines marathon was a top notch experience.
Great Flat Course
Just a well-put-on race. The outdoor bib pickup and vendor area was great, friendly people, and a fairly flat course (note that there are a couple smaller hills towards the … MORE
Just a well-put-on race. The outdoor bib pickup and vendor area was great, friendly people, and a fairly flat course (note that there are a couple smaller hills towards the start of the race, but nothing horrible. Nice start and finish in downtown. Perfect running weather. Cool finish line/afterparty area. Just a really well-conducted race.
Chilly and flat
I did this as part of the I-35 Challenge (Ran KC Half day before). It was a great half with perfect weather. I would do this race again! The only … MORE
I did this as part of the I-35 Challenge (Ran KC Half day before). It was a great half with perfect weather. I would do this race again! The only downside was the after party it was a bit crowded and hard to find food and nonalcoholic drinks. All food and beverages were in the running shoot, so be sure to grab extras in there.
Definitely a race that you should do.
Loved that the downtown course took in so many key buildings. The course through the suburbs and parks was beautiful. Plenty of aid stations, bacon, pickle juice, sour gummies and … MORE
Loved that the downtown course took in so many key buildings. The course through the suburbs and parks was beautiful.
Plenty of aid stations, bacon, pickle juice, sour gummies and racers fuel on the course as a bonus. Pizza at the finish line was amazing. Crowd support was awesome and the volunteers did a fantastic job.
This was a real good race and definitely worth doing again.
Big race - small town feel
Loved this race! Everything about it was done well. The Des Moines airport -was easy to get in and out of. I stayed at a downtown hotel that was in … MORE
Loved this race! Everything about it was done well. The Des Moines airport -was easy to get in and out of. I stayed at a downtown hotel that was in walking distance of the start and finish, so I didn’t need a car. The expo and packet pick up was good – easy to find and a few choices of things to buy. The swag was great – a cute warm jacket that I will wear, although the medal was simple and ugly. The afterparty was good. A piece of pizza was given to me before I even got my medal. The course was ok. – through downtown Des Moines and out around a lake then back downtown. I love to see a city’s downtown, especially the capital. The best part was a BACON station at mile 9. Crowd support was amazing, lots of water stops, volunteers and spectators. Definitely choose this for Iowa!
Friendly race in the Midwest
This was a very fun race! Good mix of city scenery, neighborhoods and trails, very easy for spectators to view runners at multiple stops along the course, and the volunteers … MORE
This was a very fun race! Good mix of city scenery, neighborhoods and trails, very easy for spectators to view runners at multiple stops along the course, and the volunteers were super encouraging and enthusiastic. The puffy vest that marathon participants receive is a cool departure from the traditional race t-shirt. I did the I35 challenge (ran Kansas City the day before) and I appreciated that all challenge participants had a specific bib so we could spot each other. If you have specific questions about logistics of the I35 challenge or this race please message me!
Mostly Flat fun course
Good expo set up and staff. Few hills that are ok if you're ready for them. Back end is a little lonely with less crowd support. Great after party. Would … MORE
Good expo set up and staff. Few hills that are ok if you’re ready for them. Back end is a little lonely with less crowd support. Great after party. Would run again
I-35 Challenge 2 States
Great way to pick up 2 states doing the challenge with Missouri and Iowa. We stayed at Des Moines Marriott Downtown and we were able to walk to the start … MORE
Great way to pick up 2 states doing the challenge with Missouri and Iowa. We stayed at Des Moines Marriott Downtown and we were able to walk to the start and after walk to our hotel. Expo was outside and was well organized, communication was on point. Course had a few hills, it was cold and windy. Plenty of course support with water, snacks, bacon! Nice jacket and medal and we received a bonus medal for doing the challenge
Will return for full marathon
Well marked course and there are always people around running or cheering. A good chunk of the run went through downtown Des Moines, the rest was on a bike trail … MORE
Well marked course and there are always people around running or cheering. A good chunk of the run went through downtown Des Moines, the rest was on a bike trail with beautiful trees. Plenty of aid stations. I really enjoyed this one.
This is the race to run in iowa
I can not say enough good things about this race so let me try; 1. Half has a 7 hour limit - thanks to the marathon and it gets the … MORE
I can not say enough good things about this race so let me try;
1. Half has a 7 hour limit – thanks to the marathon and it gets the race out of worrying if this was not your day
2. Two beer tickets and you can use one at the expo.
3. There were no long lines for the beer
4. There was different swap if you race the 5K , half or full
5. Great spectator support and easy for the folks to cheer there runners at two or three sports on the race
6. Great communication
7. Gear check was a block from start of race and 100 yards from where I got my beer
8. Well marked and lots of arches to run through
9. Great scenery.
10. Cute volunteer shirts that said have a good day – reminded me of the pong game when I was in college
Very good event...
Overall, I really liked this event. Good communication, good packet pickup expo, good course, good swag, good medal, etc. A lot of hotels within feet of starting line. I personally … MORE
Overall, I really liked this event. Good communication, good packet pickup expo, good course, good swag, good medal, etc. A lot of hotels within feet of starting line.
I personally loved the course. The portion in the Downtown area were very scenic especially with the art murals all through Des Moines. Run right next to the capital building which is one of the most beautiful capital buildings I’ve seen. Portion goes through a scenic park. Portion along river and railroads. Very pleasant, enjoyable scenery.
There is not a lot to do in Des Moines itself, but enough to keep busy for a day or so. Drove 1 hour to Boone to do the scenic valley railroad train which was super fun.
Variety!
I really enjoyed this race. The course had a lot of variety! Urban running for the first several miles with some hills. Constant spectators for at least the first 3 … MORE
I really enjoyed this race. The course had a lot of variety! Urban running for the first several miles with some hills. Constant spectators for at least the first 3 miles. Running out to Drake through some neighborhoods and then running around the track! Then, I loved the last half on paved bike trails through large parks, through trees, around and over lakes. It was quite secluded (and peaceful), so not many spectators, but there were points in these areas where spectators did congregate. Near the end we did do a little out and back to add distance, but then we were back on the bike trail for a bit along the river, the. We turned a corner and we were back downtown and finishing the race.
I thought the puffer jackets were good (but I’m not a big fan of red). By the time I made it to the expo (I had ran KC Marathon for the I-35 challenge) there wasn’t really any race merch left. I would have liked a race t-shirt.
New Directorship, Same Solid Race
This was the first time I've had the opportunity to run Des Moines since the change in race director back in 2023. There are changes to this race that I … MORE
This was the first time I’ve had the opportunity to run Des Moines since the change in race director back in 2023. There are changes to this race that I like, and some that I don’t.
Let’s start with what I like. The expo is now outdoors! Cowles Commons in downtown Des Moines doubles as both the packet pick up space and a post-race area. I went almost as soon as the expo opened on Friday, so I can’t speak to how smoothly it ran, but it gave good vibes! I also liked the new course. I liked the old Des Moines course very much, but the new one is solid as well! I don’t love the addition of more hills, but they’re early enough and tame enough that it’s not a deal breaker. The segment of race through the trails into Waterworks Park and Gray’s Lake is nice too, and some of that stretch was recycled from the old course.
Now, what I don’t like. I actually did not care for the swag. Half marathoners got a 100% polyester jacket that to me is just kind of meh. It’s boring and I don’t have much reason to wear it. I heard good things about the puffer jackets the full marathoners got, but I did not like the half marathon jacket. Next, the overall branding of the race, in my opinion, is worse. Many years, Des Moines had lots of color and variety in its logos, bibs, medals, etc. Now, everything has been rebranded to mostly a black and white look. It just felt like some of the life was taken out of the brand of the race a little bit – it feels a little more sterile.
Minor in-race stuff: I thought the half could have used maybe one more water station. Loooots of people until the race splits. And, we started late. All minor and did not affect my enjoyment of the day.
Overall, my dislikes certainly don’t outweigh my likes about the new-look Des Moines Marathon. It was a really fun day with great crowd support. I ran well, and liked the course and medal. For me, Des Moines may no longer be a “must-run” each year, but I’ll happily do it when it’s convenient in the future!
Iowa has some hills
Seems like a lot of people think of Iowa as being flat, but that is not accurate. Luckily, the worst of the elevation gain is early. The packet pickup is … MORE
Seems like a lot of people think of Iowa as being flat, but that is not accurate. Luckily, the worst of the elevation gain is early.
The packet pickup is outdoors close to where the race starts. Bib pickup was quick and easy. They gave away some free samples of body armour and were broadcasting a football game on a big screen. It was a nice atmosphere. Just another block or two over was the farmer’s market. It goes until noon on that Saturday and is worth checking out. I stayed at the Renaissance, which is just over 1/4 mile from the race start/end. It took a lot of the usual race morning stress out of it.
The half and full both started at 8. They split off a couple times. The route went trough some nice older neighborhoods on the way to Drake stadium where runners did a lap around the track. We did a lap around Water Works Park and Gray’s Lake Park. The 1st half of the course was more enjoyable than the 2nd half. There were a few places where we had to do a short out-and-back just to get the distance. The one near the end was especially annoying, since you only have a mile left and you turn away from the direction of the finish, just to do a short out-and-back up a little hill. I actually thought I had made a wrong turn at first. The 2nd half did not have nearly as much shade as the 1st half. By the end, it was in the 70’s and not a cloud in the sky. It heated up quickly. An earlier start might have helped.
There was a 3:00 and 3:05 pacer at the start. I have no idea what happened to the 3 hour pacer because I passed him early and never saw him again. The 3:05 pacer finished in 3:15. Everyone has a bad day, but just keep that in mind. My success or failure is my own and not the fault of a pacer, but they can be useful.
The had some of the usual fare at the end. I can’t usually eat anything after a race, so I didn’t take much. The medal was nice and they had a puffy jacket instead of a race shirt. I’m not sure how I’ll look in it, but it’s nice to have something different once in a while.
It was a good race, I just didn’t like a couple of the places that were just to make up some distance.
Good autumn race to the list
Packet pickup expo was small but the race rain jacket and medal were good. The route was decent, covering downtown, trails, bridges, and some landmarks. Weather was perfect at the … MORE
Packet pickup expo was small but the race rain jacket and medal were good. The route was decent, covering downtown, trails, bridges, and some landmarks. Weather was perfect at the start but warmed up towards the end. Good autumn race. Thanks to the organizers and volunteers.
Poor Course Management
I ended up running the race for over 14 miles because I took a wrong turn after mile 10. That was really disappointing since I was on my way to … MORE
I ended up running the race for over 14 miles because I took a wrong turn after mile 10. That was really disappointing since I was on my way to finishing the race well under 1:35. Instead, I finished at almost 1:40. There should have been course marshals at each every single mile. Overall, the course was just ok. There was a bit of a hill around mile 5, but the course is otherwise flat.
One good thing I will say about this race is that instead of the usual cheap and cheesy shirt that most races give out, this race gave out a nice hooded windbreaker instead.
Des Marathon 2024 Review
This was my first time back to Des Moines since 2014. I signed up for this race because they advertised a new course with fewer hills, and they were offering … MORE
This was my first time back to Des Moines since 2014. I signed up for this race because they advertised a new course with fewer hills, and they were offering a pretty sweet puffer jacket.
The puffer jacket is really nice—they didn’t skimp on quality. The image matched exactly what we received.
The course did have fewer hills than it used to, but I’d still say Des Moines is a tough course with the elevation.
It was unseasonably hot for this race, though that’s not something IMT can control. However, I would suggest having water stops every mile after mile 20, instead of every 2 miles, as they do now.
I think Des Moines should implement corral gates. I wanted to run with the 3:10 pacer but quickly realized that wasn’t going to happen. The start of the race is congested, with runners moving up to the front when they likely should be toward the back.
Running around Drake Stadium is a really neat experience.
You do spend a lot of miles on a lonely trail from about miles 14 to 22, and then you hit Gray’s Lake. You also run by the I-Cubs stadium, and it would be cool if they could arrange for runners to do a lap around the outfield.
Overall, it was a good race—well-organized, with lots of runners and spectators.
Excellent choice for Des Moines
I ran as a first timer in 2024 as part of the I-35 challenge, having run Kansas City the prior morning. I am very proud to have finished both races … MORE
I ran as a first timer in 2024 as part of the I-35 challenge, having run Kansas City the prior morning. I am very proud to have finished both races under 4 hours which was my main goal.
Great race all around. Pros: well supported first half in the city, splits from half marathon at mile 5, ample water/ powerade throughout, mostly flat and hills are largely done by mile 15. Cons: miles 18-24 are all out in the country around levees and aqueducts (very lonely), lot of full sun near the end, limited crowd support miles 18-24, lots out out & back segments.
Great race!!
Great crowd support and volunteers. Fun running through the stadium and university too! We had perfect weather although it was a lil too hot by the end - but that's … MORE
Great crowd support and volunteers. Fun running through the stadium and university too! We had perfect weather although it was a lil too hot by the end – but that’s what I get for being so slow. Highly recommend!