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 …
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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, debuting in 2024, are flat, fast, Boston Qualifiers, and spectator friendly.
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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!
I wanted to give this 5 shoes, but...
...but then a friend reminded me of check-in... So we did the I-35 Challenge. With that came a personalized BIB that we picked up at Des Moines Expo. Because none … MORE
…but then a friend reminded me of check-in…
So we did the I-35 Challenge. With that came a personalized BIB that we picked up at Des Moines Expo. Because none of us knew our bib number because we didn’t get the email that supposedly had it (got all the other prerace email…) they just assigned us new ones instead of looking for the ones with our names on it. Might be a small thing to some people but for me bibs are almost as good as medals, and easier to look through a book than the 70 or so medals I’ve earned this year (with challenge medals). It always irks me when you just get a generic bib and then I have to write on there what it was so when it goes in my bib book for the year…but I digress. While my friend did manage to track down the bib I should have had after the conclusion of the race, everyone wasn’t so lucky, and if you’re just going to assign new ones as opposed to looking up the originals (or if you can’t for whatever reason, then your process needs adjusting. I took off a shoe for that, but I ended up adding it back due to the “extra credit” bringing the average back up. More on that later.
People say the expo is small, but you know what, I say it’s just concentrated. There aren’t any roofers and water filter crap there. It’s all about racing and recovery and that’s the expo I’d rather see than something twice that size where half of it is siding or some other nonsense. It’s outside, which is a nice change of pace, and it’s where the post-party is located. If you hang out there the morning of the race the portajohn line can get long though, so Pro Tip: half a block behind the chute on the left is an entire block of portajohns….no waiting even right up until the opening bell. Great job to Des Moines on that one for sure.
The course itself is super fast. There’s a mild uphill from mile 3.5-5, but it’s only about 150 feet of gain. From around mile 5.25 through 6 you’re going back down the hill, then it’s flat the rest of the way, save a dip and a bridge or two at the end. The final stretch back to the finish line comes after a slight left turn. It’s nice and long enough to really have some time to let the “home stretch boost” carry you through the energy of the finish without being so long that the boost wears off and you still have 50m to go. Then take a hard left to medical or right down the extended chute to get your medal/medals as appropriate (I-35 Challenge). Both medals were really nicely designed and there will absolutely be more of them in my collection in future years.
So…this extra credit I spoke of came in the form or roving aid station volunteers in bright yellow-orange shirts on bikes who were riding both directions, dropping off candy and water to those who needed it, and being available to get medical for the people who went down. It was amazing. Not one or two, they must have had a fleet out there because I don’t think I ever made it a half mile without seeing one. I know I never went a full mile. While I didn’t take them up on the offer, I did hand off a water bottle to my buddy in the group who needed one, and part of me wanted to grab a piece of candy just because. When runner cramped up and went down they swarmed them like (friendly) Pirahna until EMT could get there, and runners would report to them when they saw someone in trouble and off they went. Maybe with the shirts, little bicycling bees would be a better analogy…
I hate to see racers go down. I pains my soul every time, but when I saw it here, and saw the rapid reaction, I knew they were in good hands. To the young ladies a mile and some change from the finish, just before the bridge. Thank you for sticking by your buddy. It pained me so much to watch her go down but I was already past you when I noticed and the bike people were going to make it to you far sooner than I (also a first responder) could. I hope she’s okay and I hope you both got to finish together. You are strong. I’m proud of you both.
Anyway, I’ve been to some truly great races with excellent support, IndyMini, Running With The Cows (RWTC), Tough Ruck Boston, well now add Des Moines, who really brought their A-game and hit well above their weight class on this category. I wish I could give them 6 shoes for production, despite the hiccup with the bibs (if my buddy hadn’t managed to retrieve mine I might not have been so forgiving). The medal and challenge medal were nice and I always like when the exit chute is a little long…seems to prevent celebratory activity from crowding the timing mats.
The full marathon came with a puffy red jacket, the half with a rubberized interior raincoat, and I’m sorry I don’t know what the two shorter distances got. Honestly I like the raincoat more, because I’ve never got one of those from a race, so this is in my car for my default raincoat now. There was no tshirt at this length race. The I-35 challenge shirt was cotton with a decent design on it. It’ll be a great addition to my end-of-year quilt.
Larger race than expected!
On my 50 states journey - ran Mankato Minnesota the day before - felt sore but the course was overall great. Definitely more incline than anticipated as course is advertised … MORE
On my 50 states journey – ran Mankato Minnesota the day before – felt sore but the course was overall great. Definitely more incline than anticipated as course is advertised as fast/flat. Beautiful trails/parks for a good chunk of the race. Perfect weather, great swag with a jacket! Definitely can use this as a rain jacket as it has a hood – and zippered pockets! Plenty of aid stations along the way. I stayed at the Renaissance which was like a 2 min walk to start/finish, very convenient. Pizza post race was tasty. My only drawbacks were some disorganization, especially at the starting line. Very unclear of where to enter the corrals or how to enter them. It was like moving through molasses trying to walk from the front of pack to a corral, weaving among spectators and racers with minutes to go before the start. Also confusing long line for taking photos with the 13.1 sculpture. Overall – beautiful course, great crowd support, nice people, great selection for your Iowa race!
Perfect Race for a First Marathon
The IMT DMM was my 1st full marathon. The Expo was cool but fairly small with only a couple of vendors there and a few organizations with booths to pass … MORE
The IMT DMM was my 1st full marathon. The Expo was cool but fairly small with only a couple of vendors there and a few organizations with booths to pass through. I attended the athlete briefing on Saturday night which I found to be helpful.
Getting into the corral on Sunday morning was a bit chaotic as there was only one gate opening that I could find. They finally opened up a second corral panel to let runners onto the street and into the lineup.
The course itself was pretty neat. I enjoyed looking at all the old houses in the first 10K and running around the Blue Oval was pretty cool. Getting into the park areas was nice for a few miles but got a little boring as far as scenery and such goes which was tough as you approach the 20 mile mark and there’s not many spectators out there.
Coming back into downtown for the finish was great though. The streets were lined as I approached the finish line which made for a strong finish. I wish they would have had a gate opening closer to the finish though so I could have gotten off the course to hug my family sooner. I didn’t stick around much for the post-race party as my feet were shot. I was happy I could hobble back to my hotel a few blocks away.
I booked my hotel through the race website which was pretty convenient. Water stations were frequent enough for my needs and all of the volunteers were great! Iowa is truly the best!
My only “complaint” is that I was hoping to purchase a cool sweatshirt or jacket like you see all the people that run in Chicago or NYC wearing around and the only offerings were a sweatshirt which they sold out of and a tshirt. The vest that came with the race entry was okay but not something I would ever purchase probably on my own.
Overall it was a great experience for my first marathon and I will probably be back for a better time in the future!
Love this course!
Well organized run, normally starts on time but didn't in 2023. Beautiful and fairly flat easy course, there are some hills in the beginning but its nice to get the … MORE
Well organized run, normally starts on time but didn’t in 2023. Beautiful and fairly flat easy course, there are some hills in the beginning but its nice to get the hills done early while the legs are still strong. Several areas where your family or support people can cheer you on. There is normally loads of food choices at the finish but this year just cold pizza.
Beautiful Fall Race
The Des Moines races are always wonderful. The weather is nearly always perfect for long distance running (mid-40s to 50s). The race route is flat, for the most part, and … MORE
The Des Moines races are always wonderful. The weather is nearly always perfect for long distance running (mid-40s to 50s). The race route is flat, for the most part, and lined with trees all changing colors in the fall months. The crowds and volunteers are second to none! I would highly recommend this race to new racers, runners looking to PR and anywhere in between!
Good for my first marathon
This was my first marathon and was glad it was well supported overall. The scenery was great and overall was good route. The public support along the route was great … MORE
This was my first marathon and was glad it was well supported overall. The scenery was great and overall was good route. The public support along the route was great as well and plenty of water stations throughout. The route is very safe. The only complaint I have is they ran out of finishers medals. I understand I am a slow runner but was a disappointment to put in the time training and not have it at the end.
Love Downtown DSM
The half-marathon has very little elevation, which makes it great if it's your first time participating in a long run like this. The race also has great scenery. MORE
The half-marathon has very little elevation, which makes it great if it’s your first time participating in a long run like this. The race also has great scenery.
Love this race
The scenery is absolutely gorgeous! They changed the route up a bit this year, and I thought it was even better! I hope they keep this route for next year … MORE
The scenery is absolutely gorgeous! They changed the route up a bit this year, and I thought it was even better! I hope they keep this route for next year as well. The medal this year was outstanding! Definitely better than last year’s. The running vest was a good idea for part of our swag, but it was just ok. The start of the race was a bit rough with a delay, and it was overcrowded at first, which is probably part of the reason why we had to go in waves, and was probably part of the delay, because runners couldn’t fit to line up, but it worked out overall. My overall opinion is that I always highly recommend this race. It’s one of my favorites that I continue to sign up for. I was glad the weather was absolutely perfect this year. I really enjoyed the set up at Cowell’s Commons as well.
Good race!
One of my pet peeves is when a race doesn't start on time. We were delayed 15 minutes and it was very cramped for most of the beginning of the … MORE
One of my pet peeves is when a race doesn’t start on time. We were delayed 15 minutes and it was very cramped for most of the beginning of the course. The actual course was pretty, especially when we got out on the trail. The elevation map showed a gain towards the end of the race and my friend and I didn’t even notice it. Overall a great race, but start on time.
Flat course and incredible pace team
The half course is very flat and fast. Big shout out to all the pacers who helped so many of us PR! Start line was a bit of a mess, … MORE
The half course is very flat and fast. Big shout out to all the pacers who helped so many of us PR!
Start line was a bit of a mess, and it was difficult to get into the corral. Other than that everything ran very smoothly.
Weather wasn’t great for the outdoor packet pickup and expo, but I didn’t mind it being outside.
Annual go-to race, disappointed this yr
Love doing this race every year for many reasons, however found myself disappointed in several aspects this year. The starting line & corral was a mess - several of us … MORE
Love doing this race every year for many reasons, however found myself disappointed in several aspects this year. The starting line & corral was a mess – several of us runners could barely budge into the corral and start time was 10-15 minutes late. The course had been the same for several years (a wonderful one!) but was changed up this year. Not a fan of that for more than one reason – several less areas for spectators to cheer on; hardly any entertainment along the course (used to have A LOT); & had to do a switch back on a narrow path after Gray’s Lake. Spectators mentioned to me that they would’ve liked to get around to easily see us more than just once as well, which was difficult with the course set up. After crossing the finish line, we were in the corral for longer than normal trying to get to the medals, the drinks, and then the food which was much less than normal and no varying options. Post race entertainment seemed cheaper in many ways. Overall, just disappointed in the changes that were made.