Get ready to run, cheer, and celebrate as we mark 22 years of racing fun! This isn’t just a race — it’s a full-blown Midwestern party with live music, a town-wide cheering section, and an epic post-race celebration that’ll keep you movin’ and groovin’. Whether you’re chasing a PR or …
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Get ready to run, cheer, and celebrate as we mark 22 years of racing fun! This isn’t just a race — it’s a full-blown Midwestern party with live music, a town-wide cheering section, and an epic post-race celebration that’ll keep you movin’ and groovin’.
Whether you’re chasing a PR or just soaking in the vibes, our flat and friendly course is perfect for runners of all levels. And yes — it’s USATF-certified and a Boston qualifier!
Marathon
The Essentia Health Fargo Marathon course will be a 26.2-mile party unlike any other! You’ll be treated to live bands and DJs lining the route. PLUS you’ll be welcomed around town by Fargo’s incredible residents who cheer on every runner as they go by throughout the day. You couldn’t ask for better entertainment and support as you complete 26.2 miles on Saturday.
Half Marathon
Recognized as one of the fastest half marathons in the region, the Essentia Health Fargo Half Marathon includes the best pieces of Fargo all wrapped up in 13.1 miles with live bands and DJs rockin’ along with you every mile!
This course has everything you hoped for! All 13.1 miles of the course are very flat, very fast, and of course very fun! Taking you through tree-lined residential streets before exploring bike path trails along the Red River. The half marathon course continues through historic 8th and 9th Streets, Broadway and passing by the Fargo Theatre!
10K
The Essentia Health Fargo 10K route will take you through beautiful North Fargo neighborhoods and then wind back around to make your grand finish.
Mark Knutson Friday Night 5K
Join thousands of runners for a Friday Night 5K, now renamed The Mark Knutson Friday Night 5K after late Fargo race director. The Mark Knutson Friday Night 5K is a massive celebration of running and all things Fargo, celebrating Mark’s legacy by making his memory a part of the race he loved so dearly. Featuring a theme of Mark’s favorite 80’s rock music and an electric atmosphere, this is a 5K you won’t want to miss. The race kicks off at 6:30 p.m. and will have you rockin’ and runnin’ from the inside out!
Go Far Challenge
Are you someone who really likes a challenge? Then the Go Far Challenge is for you!
The concept is simple: run or walk the 5K on Friday evening and then run the 10K, Half Marathon, or Full Marathon Saturday morning! Two days. Two finishes. One epic achievement.
You’ll receive the ultimate swag kit including the 5K swag item and a finisher’s medal, the swag item and finisher’s medal from your Saturday race, an exclusive Fargo Go Far Challenge bonus item, and all the bragging rights you want!
LESS
A work in progress
2026 was a bit better than the previous 2 years. That being said, VE has turned Fargo into a less than desirable first choice of marathons. It used to be … MORE
2026 was a bit better than the previous 2 years. That being said, VE has turned Fargo into a less than desirable first choice of marathons. It used to be a full week of events; VE decided that if you could only ride a bike or walk your furry friend that you didn’t matter. Secondly, the routes need to be changed. Very early on the 1/2 and full merged together which created a traffic jam and slowed everyone down. Also early on, the ridiculous 25ft hairpin turn needs to be eliminated.
Crowd support was tremendous this year. Many provided water hoses for runners to cool off with and all the extra water and goodies. Maybe 2027 will be the year that organizers actually listen to what people have to say from returning the dog run and cyclathon and the biggest thing the marathon was known for: starting and finishing inside the Fargo dome. Something needs to be fixed when participant numbers were around 20000 and this year only 9000.
The community MAKES this race!
Well organized race on a very flat course that could be fast on a day with good weather. The logistics were easy, as I was able to park right at … MORE
Well organized race on a very flat course that could be fast on a day with good weather. The logistics were easy, as I was able to park right at the Fargodome, where the race starts/finishes. The expo was fine and the swag (race hoodies) was awesome! I will actually wear this often!
With that being said, it was very hot and humid in 2026. Temps reached the mid-80s by the time I finished. Unfortunately, the aid stations did not have Gatorade until around mile 8-10, and there was only ice available at 1 station later in the race. However, they were handing out cooling towels at 2 places, which was wonderful!
The course itself just meanders through the neighborhoods of Fargo, so there’s not much to see. However, this is where this race shines. The crowds and spectators really show up! This year, the homeowners were out with their hoses, sprinklers, squirt guns, ice, water, fireball shots, etc! This is what makes this race special!
Disappointed
The expo was nice and big for a marathon of this size. The course is flat, not scenic - going from one neighborhood to another, hitting downtown twice. I ran … MORE
The expo was nice and big for a marathon of this size. The course is flat, not scenic – going from one neighborhood to another, hitting downtown twice. I ran with my own hydration because the stations were spaced out way too much for the way I sweat. The half marathoners started 15 minutes after the marathon start, however I found myself bobbing & weaving through back of the pack half marathoners miles 7-10. I asked course volunteers twice if I was still on the marathon course because it really threw me off. They could add more stations, and design the course to where the half & full start at the same time and split at a certain point.
I loved it!
I thought it was a great race. It is a flat course, with lots of turns. It runs in a lot of residential areas, but they are nice areas and … MORE
I thought it was a great race. It is a flat course, with lots of turns. It runs in a lot of residential areas, but they are nice areas and a lot of people come out of their houses and cheer you on. The announcers are great!! They really keep the crowd going and the runners hyped!!
My problem with the race goes back to the Fargo EMS. I have to say that some of the EMS personnel for Fargo were not the best. I stopped to ask them if they had any glucose or anything that would help a type 1 diabetic with low blood sugar. They seemed very confused or unsure of what to do ( I even had my Dexcom receiver to show them that I was low.) They proceded to tell me to go on to the next medical area and they would help me there…..um…what?? Anyways, I ended up asking the Moorehead EMS, who ended up helping…right away, no questions asked.
Also, I’m not sure if it was because I finished behind most, but I was a little disappointed with the after race goodies. There wasn’t a lot to choose from. I feel like there were more items after the Friday night 5k. I just ran 26 miles, I’d love to have more food choices.
Would I run it again, yes I would.
Very organized and great spectators!
The race was extremely well organized and had good swag. Spectators along the route were very supportive. It would have been nice to run along the Red River instead of … MORE
The race was extremely well organized and had good swag. Spectators along the route were very supportive. It would have been nice to run along the Red River instead of through some neighborhoods. It was a hot day and there were some big gaps between water stations. Overall it was excellent and I would recommend it!
One of the best for crowd support
This is a flat course that goes through residential neighborhoods and downtown Fargo. It was a hot day and the support from both volunteers and locals throughout the course was … MORE
This is a flat course that goes through residential neighborhoods and downtown Fargo. It was a hot day and the support from both volunteers and locals throughout the course was amazing. So many people had garden hoses out to cool the runners down. They had tables set up with water, oranges, pickle juice etc – they truly were life savers.
Due to so much spectator support the the just flew by. Definitely a great race for anyone wanting to do North Dakota.
Fargo
The race was pretty flat, the weather was a bit hot, there were plenty of aid stations throughout the race and many friendly spectators out cheering. A lot of the … MORE
The race was pretty flat, the weather was a bit hot, there were plenty of aid stations throughout the race and many friendly spectators out cheering. A lot of the spectators provided water, Gatorade, icy pops, ice and sprinklers. The race production team had ice cold towels to cool you off. The finish line had a ton of treats. The medal was the pretty nice. The only thing is the marathon and half marathon elite run alongside you on the course at points, which I think was worse for the elites than for me.
Wow! What a great race
This was such a fun race and a great choice for North Dakota! Highly recommend. Everyone was so friendly and we met lots of other runners on their 50-state quest. … MORE
This was such a fun race and a great choice for North Dakota! Highly recommend. Everyone was so friendly and we met lots of other runners on their 50-state quest.
COMMUNICATION: was fantastic. Not 7 emails a day but enough to keep everyone in the loop. Race organizers did a great job.
EXPO: was good sized with merch to purchase (if you desire) and a good number of vendors.
COURSE: was pretty flat with lots of turns in neighborhoods. The community comes out for this race! An absolute ton of supportive spectators that had hoses to cool us down, ice, popsicles, treats and just cheers. These people were straight up heroes. They weren’t sitting in their cars bitching about the roads being closed. Nope they came out full court press to support this event. It was awesome and almost as good as Flying Pig. I felt very supported. The weather was very warm, but the race organizers did a great job with cooling towels and lots of water stations. I will say that the course was congested almost the entire race which was a little frustrating. There was some signage that was a little confusing, and the fast marathoners were running into the 1/2 marathoners which was confusing and caused them to have to dodge around slower runners.
SWAG: medals and shirts were great. I really liked the 1/2 marathon fleece for something different than a t-shirt since I literally have hundreds of them.
FINSHER PARTY: a bit odd that you had to walk to Buffalo Wild Wings, but it wasn’t far and the party was nice. There were live bands both there and at the finish line. Also want to call out the race announcer who was doing a great job hyping up the crowd both before and after the race. I appreciated her energy.
Overall, a really solid race that I would highly recommend.
A very hot day in Fargo took PR away
I which I had a better weather condition. Although the course has many turns, it is a nice one to have a PR. By the time we started, temperature was … MORE
I which I had a better weather condition. Although the course has many turns, it is a nice one to have a PR. By the time we started, temperature was already above 70F, and by mile 13 it was ~82F. It was raining the night before, so the morning was very humid too. Organizers should have have more aid stations for the second half of the race, considering the temperature conditions. The expo and swag items were very good.
There was a lot of support from the community during the full race (a big plus). Fargo Marathon was on my bucket list for a long time, too bad the heat took a good experience away.
No Gatorade in the early aid stations
They can’t control the weather… but they can control the aid and it was unpredictable at best. The race goes through mainly residential neighborhoods, and is at times confusing. MORE
They can’t control the weather… but they can control the aid and it was unpredictable at best. The race goes through mainly residential neighborhoods, and is at times confusing.
What a lovely town!
Any review of this race must start by mentioning that while it’s the race founded and directed for many years by Mark Knutson, who tragically passed away in a bicycle … MORE
Any review of this race must start by mentioning that while it’s the race founded and directed for many years by Mark Knutson, who tragically passed away in a bicycle accident, it’s not REALLY the same race. I didn’t know Mark, but have met people who knew him well and you can feel his lasting legacy all over the Fargo community.
While the race has lost some of its charm in the transition away from local ownership, it’s still a well-organized event. But more than the event, it’s the city and people of Fargo that make this one special.
Most of the race is through residential neighborhoods and college campuses. I’ve run races that are largely residential, but none with so many neighbors camped out on lawn chairs in their driveway to cheer on the runners. There were streets where it seemed every homeowner was out to show their support. The sprinklers were plentiful and SO appreciated on this balmy day.
The course is flat and mostly tree-lined, offering respite from the sun and heat. And boy, was there heat! Temps reached the 80s — and to think it was initially forecast to reach the 90s! Between the neighbors offering unofficial aid and the official aid stations, much care was taken to keep runners hydrated and cool. The washcloths soaked in ice water were AMAZING. There were a couple spots toward the end where I found myself wishing for an aid station sooner, but it could be that I had just slowed down so much they seemed farther apart.
My only nitpick is that I felt there could have been more portapotties on the course. Tons at the start/finish, not quite enough on the route.
The expo was fine — nothing major, nothing negative. Strong presence by race sponsor Essentia Health.
The swag is nice, but weirdly counter-seasonal. The premium long-sleeve shirt is a nice differentiator, but not too handy when it’s as hot as it was. Still, it’ll be great for fall/winter. The medal is nice…nothing standout, but a fine addition to the rack.
The post-race party at Buffalo Wild Wings across from the FARGODOME was a fun change of pace. Gotta say…I was sitting alone and some members of the local run club adopted me. Made my day. They warmly welcomed me into their group and we even met for a post- post-race celebration at The Bison Turf later that night. Runners are naturally community minded, but a friendlier group I’ve never met. Thanks for taking me in, y’all!
Before this race, my presumptions about North Dakota were — naive. I thought of it as a flyover state…one I had to run, but that I didn’t expect to be memorable. To my absolute surprise — and thanks to the warm, friendly people of Fargo and the runners here — it’ll go down as one my favorite memories on the quest to 50 states.
Hot, otherwise great
Overall great event, well organized and thought out. Was hot, but can't do much about that. Thankful for the community and organizers for the misters and wet towels! MORE
Overall great event, well organized and thought out. Was hot, but can’t do much about that. Thankful for the community and organizers for the misters and wet towels!
Okay
I ran the full marathon in 2024 and was very disappointed. I will say it has gotten better since. My biggest complaint is parking and some of the times when … MORE
I ran the full marathon in 2024 and was very disappointed. I will say it has gotten better since. My biggest complaint is parking and some of the times when there was a lot of course congestion. The parking at the FargoDome was pretty rough. I took a shuttle and it took almost 50 minutes to get off the bus because traffic was so congested. Bag drop was very easy and convenient. They could have used a few more porta potties. The course was pretty nice- lots of neighborhood support. There was one section I did not care for- we were running under a bridge and cars were still flying by on one side, on my left the top marathoners were trying to pass us and on my right the top half marathoners were heading back. This was just way too congested especially with traffic still going right next to us. There was a lot of post race food and drinks (Gatorade, water, chocolate milk). Overall, it was much better than 2024, just need to iron out a few more kinks.
Well produced event in Fargo!
Fargo puts on a nice race with plenty of support. Packet pickup was efficient, and I took a bus from the hotel and back which made race day logistics easy. … MORE
Fargo puts on a nice race with plenty of support. Packet pickup was efficient, and I took a bus from the hotel and back which made race day logistics easy. It got warm and humid, but they added some extra support on the course to keep runners safe. Nice swag with a jacket for cooler weather. It’s not especially scenic but the neighborhoods were out to support the runners and that’s always appreciated!
Great community support
I liked the course, within 2 miles we split off from 1/2 and 10k then they came back in later. There were several out and backs so u saw alot … MORE
I liked the course, within 2 miles we split off from 1/2 and 10k then they came back in later. There were several out and backs so u saw alot of runners which kept it interactive. I felt the aid stations were good. The community came out with their own stations which were great. It was very hot so the neighborhoods had sprinklers and hoses going at us. Very flat. Their race emcee was amazing she was out there for the first runner and the 8 hr runner.
The course has to be redesigned
Overall, I enjoyed the race. The main things that I didn’t enjoy were the course itself—it really needs to be redesigned. It doesn’t make sense that we start ahead of … MORE
Overall, I enjoyed the race. The main things that I didn’t enjoy were the course itself—it really needs to be redesigned. It doesn’t make sense that we start ahead of the half marathon and 10K runners, only to run into the back of their pack after several miles and then spend seven or eight miles weaving through the combined crowd. Also, there was no Gatorade until mile 10, which is really strange—especially since that was intentional. It feels like an odd way to save money, considering it’s not that expensive and is pretty standard for U.S. marathons of this size. That said, the community really showed up, and it was awesome to see all the people cheering. The swag was great, and the expo at the Fargodome was excellent.
Great flat race with great support!
We didn't get to much of the expo because our plane landed at 4pm and we ran the 5K at 6:30. Picking up our race packets was easy and fast. … MORE
We didn’t get to much of the expo because our plane landed at 4pm and we ran the 5K at 6:30. Picking up our race packets was easy and fast. Nice shirts for the 5K, and nice hoodie for the half. Lots of porta potties on both the 5K and Half Marathon. The crowd support was great, and the live bands on the course were lots of fun. Mark’s Mile honoring the previous race director who passed away was lively with music too. Plenty of water/Gatorade/Gu on the course, so even though it was hot, it was still a great race overall. Medals were great, and we also got the Go Far Challenge medal for completing 2 races!
Well produced
I assume it’s the best option you are going to find to cross off North Dakota. Large race with a lot of people cheering pretty much the entire way. Not … MORE
I assume it’s the best option you are going to find to cross off North Dakota. Large race with a lot of people cheering pretty much the entire way. Not a lot to see along the course, some nice neighborhoods but honestly nothing special. Flat course with good aid stations and support. Swag was good, pullover and medal were nice.
Brutal Heat, Could be improved
Fargo Marathon #18 is in the books! The Fargo Marathon has been getting a lot of discussion lately with the transition to new organizers. I can't speak to everything that's … MORE
Fargo Marathon #18 is in the books!
The Fargo Marathon has been getting a lot of discussion lately with the transition to new organizers. I can’t speak to everything that’s been said, but I can share my experience and some of the conversations I heard throughout the weekend.
First, the weather was brutal. The heat became a major factor for everyone on the course and has sparked discussion about whether the race should be moved to a date before Memorial Day weekend when temperatures may be more favorable for runners.
The course itself could use some adjustments. As a faster marathon runner, I didn’t appreciate having to weave around large groups of half marathon participants for portions of the race. It made it difficult to maintain rhythm and momentum. I also found the course somewhat repetitive, with long stretches through neighborhoods that didn’t provide a lot of variety or excitement. Maybe incorporate landmarks like the iconic Moorhead Dairy Queen into the race route or other spots.
One thing I heard repeatedly from local runners was how much they missed some of the traditions from previous years. Apparently, the course used to include running inside the Fargodome, which sounds like an experience worth bringing back. Several people also spoke highly of former race director Mark and the vision he had for the event. There seemed to be a common theme among locals that they wanted to see the new organizers, Ventures Endurance, preserve some of what made Fargo special while continuing to move the race forward.
Another sentiment I heard throughout the weekend was that some local runners and volunteers didn’t feel their feedback was being heard during the transition. Whether that’s fair or not, it’s something worth paying attention to because Fargo has built a strong running community over the years, and that community should have a voice in the race’s future.
On the positive side, there was a lot to like. The race swag was excellent—I absolutely loved the hoodie. The expo was well organized, easy to navigate, and simple to get in and out of. The shuttle buses from the mall parking area to the Fargodome were efficient and stress-free, making race morning much easier.
I also thought the female race announcer did a fantastic job. She was engaging, energetic, and helped create a positive atmosphere throughout the event.
Overall, Fargo remains a race with tremendous potential. The logistics were strong, the community support was evident, and there are many things the race does well. At the same time, listening to local runners, evaluating the race date, improving course flow, and honoring some of the traditions that helped build the event could make the Fargo Marathon even better in the years ahead.
Not as good as it used to be.
Not as good as it used to be. Used to have access to the Fargo Dome pre-race and finish in the Fargo Dome. This was great when weather was bad … MORE
Not as good as it used to be. Used to have access to the Fargo Dome pre-race and finish in the Fargo Dome. This was great when weather was bad for both racers and spectators. Also had kids activities (bouncers) and much better refreshments at the end of the race. There also used to be much more community involvement along the course. Lots of bands and other entertainment along to way and lots of people. Now it’s half of what is was. In my opinion, the event has gone backwards.