The GO! St. Louis Marathon Weekend is excited to bring back St. Louis’ favorite running tradition to the city streets, historic landmarks, and beautiful parks of downtown St. Louis this April. The annual Marathon Weekend will include races and festivities for everyone in the family – from 26.2 miles to …
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The GO! St. Louis Marathon Weekend is excited to bring back St. Louis’ favorite running tradition to the city streets, historic landmarks, and beautiful parks of downtown St. Louis this April. The annual Marathon Weekend will include races and festivities for everyone in the family – from 26.2 miles to fun runs for all ages, the GO! St. Louis Marathon weekend is Missouri’s premiere fitness event for all!
Sunday’s full and half marathon routes travel along a scenic point-to-point course that begins in the city’s urban gem, beautiful Forest Park, and winds through the city’s most beautiful urban neighborhoods and streets before finishing in downtown St. Louis near the Gateway Arch! The 10K race is another great way to join in on the big race fun – with a start and finish at the same site as the marathon finish in downtown St. Louis.
Saturday’s family events include a 5K, children’s fun runs, and the culmination of our elementary school program, the Read, Right & Run Marathon. It’s a day of family fitness and fun in beautiful Forest Park, and a wonderful start to the weekend of events!
Marathon Weekend will be full of top-quality participant amenities, a smooth race experience, and plenty of local delights to fill your weekend!
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Great tour of St. Louis
I spent 24 hours in St. Louis to complete my Missouri Half Marathon, and I am glad I chose this race to do it. The race itself was well run … MORE
I spent 24 hours in St. Louis to complete my Missouri Half Marathon, and I am glad I chose this race to do it. The race itself was well run and provided a great tour of the city. The weather was great and public transit made it easy to get to the start without renting a car or taking a ride share. I also visited the Gateway Arch museum while in town and found that to be an excellent little museum to give me some history and context for the city.
Not a destination race but a nice local
The race expo is weird - a ton of outdoor stuff aimed at hunting, fishing, hiking, and biking. There were almost no running-related booths. The race shirt is a cotton … MORE
The race expo is weird – a ton of outdoor stuff aimed at hunting, fishing, hiking, and biking. There were almost no running-related booths. The race shirt is a cotton t-shirt with an ironed-on image (not sublimated) so not anything special. I did like that they gave you a shirt with your specific distance on it.
The course itself was totally fine. You run point to point, so you run through some pretty neighborhoods. However, you are just running through a city so nothing especially scenic. The finish takes you through a gravel area by some train tracks, but I was told the course changes a bit every year. I didn’t find it hilly, although there were some long gradual inclines. If you run in a flat area, you might call them hills.
There isn’t a lot to do in downtown St. Louis other than look at the arch and the sculpture garden. I came from out of town and just wandered around afterwards. If I did it again, I’d rent a car and stay in a different area. There also aren’t a lot of restaurants around the finish.
decent race near the arch
This was a deferral from 2020. They actually gave several options in 2021 and 2022 for this and other Go St Louis events to use the deferral. The packet pickup … MORE
This was a deferral from 2020. They actually gave several options in 2021 and 2022 for this and other Go St Louis events to use the deferral.
The packet pickup and expo were in downtown St Louis. Once I parked it was a little difficult to find the expo since there was no signs. The expo was not just a running expo but a outdoor expo that included biking, RV, etc. Surprisingly I found this different and interesting. This was a point to point race that started in Forest Park (seemed nice) and ended near the Arch. Plenty of porta potties at the beginning. The half marathoners and marathoners ran together until they reached the 13 mile mark. The marathoners then split off and did a out and back on a trail along the Mississippi river. The first half wasn’t bad and had some decent crowd support at times and some hills. The second half was boring with almost no crowd support. There was enough water stations with good volunteers. The final .2 of the race was basically straight up hill (sucked). The medal was small but had a neat design. I actually liked the soft t-shirt. post race included a caned beer. The food included a roll, some gooey cake, packaged snacks, and bananas. I am not sure if I would go out of my way to run this again (I only live 4 hours away). It was decent but not spectacular. If you are looking for a Missouri Marathon I preferred the Kansas City Marathon.
Gooey Louie was all I needed
I picked up my race packet the day before the race at the convention center. It was fairly easy to get to and had a parking garage across the street. … MORE
I picked up my race packet the day before the race at the convention center. It was fairly easy to get to and had a parking garage across the street. The pick up was a little different in that it was part of a larger expo- The Gateway Outdoor Expo. There were vendors for mountain biking, kayaking and various other outdoor activities represented. The bibs were handed out in the front and then the shirts were in the back corner of the expo. It meant you had to go by most of the exhibitors. Otherwise, it was a quick and easy experience. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any extra memorabilia that could be purchased.
The race started at Forest Park at 7. There were shuttles from the end of the race that would drop runners off at the start, but I was dropped off by my #1 fans, so I don’t know how good the logistics were.
The weather was perfect for running. It was 40 degrees, sunny and no wind. The day before had been very windy, so this was a great relief. Port a pots were plentiful and the lines seemed to move quickly. I always like to get in line for a little last minute relief.
The corrals weren’t too crowded and the race started on time. The route didn’t go past all of the monuments or through downtown, but the areas where we did run had good streets and seemed safe. Probably not as scenic as some races, but I didn’t think it was bad.
The water stops seemed to be spaced out a bit early on and became more plentiful the further along you were. I take a water bottle with me, so I didn’t use any of the water stations. There was someone handing out Gu at one place, but it wasn’t obvious at first.
I thought the race was supposed to end in the “shadow of the arch,” but it wasn’t all that close to the arch. The last quarter/half mile of the course turned onto a gravel road and was the worst part of the course. Luckily, the rest of the course had nice paved roads that were closed off to traffic, although one person did get loose on the course.
There was a nice mix of rolling hills and nothing too difficult, but it was definitely not flat. I didn’t expect to have a PR, but thanks to the great weather I managed to shave 3 seconds off my personal best. Not a lot, but I’ll take it.
The end of the race had the usual bananas and fruit cups, but they also had a gooey butter cake from Gooey Louie. I like to research local dishes from the places I travel and this is the one thing I had planned to try while I was in town and they gave it away at the end. It was very good and I think I added back all of the calories I had just burned off during the race.
I liked the medal and shirt because it was unique and had the arch and the flag. Race shirt fit well and is comfortable. It’s not wicking, but cotton, so some might not like it because of that, but it is comfortable for lounging around. The end of the race wasn’t great, but overall I liked the race. Of course a PR will always help improve my impression of any race.
OK race - not great but not terrible
Just an OK race. It was my first time to St. Louis. The expo was hard to find and had very disappointing vendors. I love to buy extra shirts and … MORE
Just an OK race. It was my first time to St. Louis. The expo was hard to find and had very disappointing vendors. I love to buy extra shirts and running stuff but there was nothing to purchase. The race started at a reasonable time and the shuttles to the start were plentiful. The course was hilly and boring. Very little crowd support but plenty of water stations and water (and I’m always near the end). The medal was good but the shirt was tacky. Post race food was pretty good. There was some type of famous gooey cake that everyone was excited about. If you are only doing one Missouri – pick another race. If you want to see St. Louis and the Arch – it’s a good choice.
Left Shark beat me by 19 minutes
Perfect day for running in St. Louis, low 60s, sunny, mild wind. The start line (Forest Park) is about 5 miles west of the finish line (on the north side … MORE
Perfect day for running in St. Louis, low 60s, sunny, mild wind. The start line (Forest Park) is about 5 miles west of the finish line (on the north side of downtown). There is a pre-race shuttle from downtown to Forest Park, or postrace vice versa. Parking in Forest Park is free, but they have most entrances blocked just before the race starts, so check the marathon website for a map of which park entrances are open.
The first half of the course takes you through some average-looking neighborhoods and barren city streets west of town, ending near the north side of downtown. If it is a sunny day, BRING SUNGLASSES, y’all. You will be running eastward into the sun for 2 hours straight. Luckily I had mine. The second half of the course is an out-and-back, 6.5 miles north along the Mississippi river banks. I clocked in at about 3:40, but some guy dressed in a Left Shark costume, blaring Katy Perry songs from a speaker, got 3:21. Hats off to him.
Pretty good crowd support. I was a little disappointed with the course, as it shied away from downtown and missed the landmarks, like WUSTL, the Arch, and the cool downtown streets.
All about the arch!
Easy logistics—uber downtown to expo, bbq restaurant, hotel. Easy am shuttle (heated) and heated building to wait for start. Corrals went quicker than rock and roll races (whew) and the … MORE
Easy logistics—uber downtown to expo, bbq restaurant, hotel. Easy am shuttle (heated) and heated building to wait for start. Corrals went quicker than rock and roll races (whew) and the weather was great.
I was worried about the wind so I didn’t wear my hat—my regret. We ran into the sun for ten miles. Sigh. The route was straight and long low-grade rolling hills. NBD for me—reminds me of the bike path I train on in nova. Garmin says 740 feet of elevation gain— the only tough one was the last .15 mile!
The out and back for the second half was not as scenic as the first half but it was flatter and we could settle in for the tough part. Water stops were plentiful, stocked with gu.
Love a cotton shirt (I think I am in the minority but I really wear them more)—race specific shirt and medal with the arch and state flag featured prominently.
I enjoyed St. Louis—people were friendly everywhere , lots of green spaces downtown—did I mention the bbq??? So so good.
Greenway run to the Arch
The course was a flat, paved, point to point run along a greenway on the Mississippi. Parts of the greenway were enjoyable, although we did cross through a few industrial … MORE
The course was a flat, paved, point to point run along a greenway on the Mississippi. Parts of the greenway were enjoyable, although we did cross through a few industrial sites. The last 3 miles were excellent. We ran under the St. Louis Arch twice along the river before finishing downtown.
WHEN THE WIND WINS
What a beautiful morning, what a beautiful day, I have a beautiful feeling everything's blowing away – literally. You couldn't have asked for a more perfect union to begin the … MORE
What a beautiful morning, what a beautiful day, I have a beautiful feeling everything’s blowing away – literally. You couldn’t have asked for a more perfect union to begin the race. With a new marathon course, new drop-off location for the half and having had an excellent 5K day before the main events, it was a dead ringer that many PRs and course records would be set. That was until the Great Mighty Mississippi River reminded everyone – and everything – just why it is called the Great and Mighty.
Had the first 5K been an indication of things to come, I would have set my own personal goal of 5:05:50 for my 50th Birthday Year Celebration Running of Marathons time goal, instead, it was an indictment against thinking that you can do anything but show up prepared as possible to run in whatever conditions possible.
Miles 3.2 upto 8 would take the wind out of not only me, but even the elite runners on the course who would later go one to tell how their hopes were just to finish after making it just under a third into the marathon. Some like myself, pushed towards the turnaround while witnessing the elite runners being pushed by the wind. At one point, my 6′ 2″ 290 pound body was twice nearly knocked over by the 40 mph plus wind gusts. A fellow runner who past me up heading back to mile 8 laughed in awe that the wind nearly knocked me off of my feet. And as I was heading back to mile 8, the wind gust picked up and knocked over a Port-a-potty. Exhausted, I excited the trail head to climb the bridges back over to Missouri from Illinois. Little did I know that I’d find myself experiencing one of the worst episodes of PTSD that I had experienced in a little while.
I started up the bridge headed back 3 miles to the start area where we began having difficulty focusing. By the time I had reached the aid station just prior to crossing the Route 66 Bridge, I was an emotional wreck. The lady over the aid station convinced me to rest a moment and proceeded to call for someone to pick me up. However, I was determined to get to the otherwise. I knew if I could just make it to the other side, back to Missouri, that I’d finish with the wind at my back helping me. Besides, I had told myself that I needed to complete no less than 13.1 miles because my heart l great niece Gabby and another runner’s son Aiden didn’t have the choice to give up due to their pain. After gathering myself, I told the lady that I needed to at least get back across the bridge to the start. She arranged for the medics to pick me up at the start.
As I continued across Route 66, I only grew worse. My anxiety, depression and crying spells were back and in full force. I was angry, hurt, mad, disappointed, felt like a failure and many other emotions were going through my mind and body. Sometime thereafter, a medic biker rode up asking me was I okay. I quickly replied no emphatically. I knew I was far from okay. I was in a vulnerable place. I had been thrown out of a plane workout a parachute. I needed help and probably for the first time during my race wasn’t afraid to let someone know.
The biker guy stayed with me for the next mile or so. He helped by asking important questions then listening. He let me cry but kept me focused. He encouraged me to get where I could get help and decide realistically whether to continue or not. I shared why I was running, why I wanted to get to the half way point and my hopes of just needing to complete an entire marathon one day in 5:05:50. He then handed me off to another biker, a lady who I recognized from Facebook with Black Girls Run.
I continued with her expressing why I needed to get to the half mark while she continued to ask if I wanted to stop. She warned me of a steep hill and was concerned if I’d make it. To tell the truth, I was concerned if I’d make it. But I continued to cross the street where the police officer who was driving a medics transport vehicle inquired if I wanted to get in. I told him that I needed to get to the halfway mark, to which he replied that he’d wait for me there. So up the steep hill I went, stopping at some point lessthan halfway up and continuing to get to the timing mat.
As I approached the sign informing us that the mat was near, I found new energy from the sun shining — just enough energy to run through the timing mat. If only I wasn’t an emotional wreck, I would have pressed on to cross the finish line. But the pain caused from the work I had to wrought from running against and from the Great ighty Mississippi River was way too much for me to bear. I called it quits, knowing that I’d live to run another day.
Wiinnnddddyyyyy!!!
Overall Rating: Good. No issues, started on time. Course was crazy windy. Course Difficulty: This course was really flat and fast. A few rollers here and there, but overall easy. … MORE
Overall Rating: Good. No issues, started on time. Course was crazy windy.
Course Difficulty: This course was really flat and fast. A few rollers here and there, but overall easy. The downside is probably that you are completely exposed to the elements, so anything other than perfect conditions would affect you.
Course Scenery: The first 2 miles are pretty cool as you are going over old bridges on Rt 66, the next 8ish mile are on a levee (pretty boring), back over the bridges, 10 more pretty boring miles, and then it gets interesting running in front of the arch and some historic riverfront and old town.
Race Production: Really good. The only issue I had was coming into town as on Sat, and no available packet pickup that afternoon/evening. I was planning to be dropped off at the start, but the race was 100% in on packet pickup at the finish and take the shuttle bus. Ended up having my son pick up the packet earlier in the week (which he had no issues with). Not a big deal, but definitely needs to be planned for.
Race Swag: Good medal, nice long sleeve shirt, and commemorative mug.
My Performance: Good, probably would have gotten a PR, just ran out of steam after fighting the wind.
This was a good race that was pretty close to home. I generally don’t do city races, and didn’t love fighting the post race (Cardinal’s game) traffic when it was over, but I was super thrilled to get back into an actual in person race.
If you’re looking for a race that is fast and well run in the StL area, this will do.
Quintessential STL Run
-Coming into downtown for the finish is an amazing scene. -This race takes you through some of the cooler parts of St. Louis! -The course is well-laid out and has … MORE
-Coming into downtown for the finish is an amazing scene.
-This race takes you through some of the cooler parts of St. Louis!
-The course is well-laid out and has some gentle hills.
-Make sure you have your pre-race transportation plan in place, as the Forest Park staging/parking area can fill up quickly!
Great race with great swag!
Due to flooding along the river, the course organizers had to change the finish line from the Gateway Arch park to the Soldier's Memorial park. They had shuttles from downtown … MORE
Due to flooding along the river, the course organizers had to change the finish line from the Gateway Arch park to the Soldier’s Memorial park. They had shuttles from downtown to the starting line in Forest Park. Running through Forest Park for the first 5 miles was really beautiful. It’s very scenic running past the art museum and running through Washington University campus. Miles 7-10 weren’t nearly as scenic, and I’m not a fan of running the same roads out and back, but I think the race organizers had to do what they could. The last mile was pretty much all downhill. Medal for the half marathon was pretty nice and ICE CREAM SANDWICHES at the finish! It was perfect for the warm sunny morning. The race swag was great – long sleeve technical shirt for the half. And a nice cotton shirt for the 5K. I did the Go! Short, Go! Long challenge and did both the 5K and the half and got an extra medal as well as a light cotton half zip shirt. Excellent production! Would highly recommend.
Fun in St. Louis!
-Well organized -Personalized bibs made the experience more personal - very cool! -Hilly course - tough second half of the race -Great option for Missouri, fun city! -Nice long sleeve … MORE
-Well organized
-Personalized bibs made the experience more personal – very cool!
-Hilly course – tough second half of the race
-Great option for Missouri, fun city!
-Nice long sleeve tech shirt and medal
Great race!
********Mid west people are so nice! Course was great, a few hills, temps were good, almost too warm, beautiful scenery. I’d recommend!!!!!!!!************ MORE
********Mid west people are so nice! Course was great, a few hills, temps were good, almost too warm, beautiful scenery. I’d recommend!!!!!!!!************
Big race, nice people, well managed.
I liked the race but the course was fairly urban/industrial. Aid stations and amenities were spot on and traffic management superb. You run to and from the arch, through some … MORE
I liked the race but the course was fairly urban/industrial. Aid stations and amenities were spot on and traffic management superb. You run to and from the arch, through some ghetto’s and wealthy neighborhoods, so you get to see St. Louis, which was why i went. I did not stay downtown near the start as i signed up too late, I was dropped off, which worked great as parking and traffic were quite hectic. It was 35 degrees full moon and a race to remember.
Thanks St. Louis!
I went into the Go! St. Louis Half not expecting much- due to personal conflicts, I wasn't able to train as much as I would have liked, it was below … MORE
I went into the Go! St. Louis Half not expecting much- due to personal conflicts, I wasn’t able to train as much as I would have liked, it was below freezing at the start, and I had heard rumors of a tough, hilly course. The rumors were right- the course wound its way over 3 bridges through East St. Louis during the first 5K alone, followed by umpteen overpasses through downtown, and an enormous hill at about mile 7.5 as we ran through the Anheuser Busch campus. However, the crowds and aid support were amazing throughout, and I had a fantastic run! The best part was that the last 2 miles or so were generally downhill, which made for an easier finish. My only gripe with the end of this fantastic race is that the race is set up so you run back through the huge starting arch- I saw it in the distance, and thought it was the finish as well, so I turned on my speed slightly too early (there was at least another half mile after you ran through that). Overall, a great race!!!
Fast 5K
Awesome! Great area for 5K. It was a cold April morning. Besides the weather it was a fantastic race with good snacks at the end. It was the start of … MORE
Awesome! Great area for 5K. It was a cold April morning. Besides the weather it was a fantastic race with good snacks at the end. It was the start of the Go short, go long Challenge (5K + half marathon or marathon in the same weekend)
Love the starting line!
Overall great race from start to finish. I’ve completed a few races around St. Louis and this was the best as far as where it started & ended. Enjoyed going … MORE
Overall great race from start to finish. I’ve completed a few races around St. Louis and this was the best as far as where it started & ended. Enjoyed going over 2 bridges taking you into Illinois and back and going through St. Louis. The rolling incline on the course was challenging. Definitely not a super flat course but I was still able to make a new PR! The medals are great! I collected 4 total from the weekend. I ran the 5K on Saturday for the GO! Short, GO! Long Challenge and this half marathon is the start of the Run Across Missouri Series and received the first out of series of 3 medals. Which once I complete the entire series, the medals put together will make a state map of Missouri. Pretty neat! The only drawback was I wish the gear check was closer to the finish line. Walking another 2 blocks past the post race party area was a little inconvenient. It would’ve been nice to have a tent set up for gear check in that area. Overall great race!
Not my favorite race
I wish I had better things to say about this race, but it was just uninspired and not particularly scenic when I ran it. (Plus, there was a lot of … MORE
I wish I had better things to say about this race, but it was just uninspired and not particularly scenic when I ran it. (Plus, there was a lot of downtown construction at that time, so you couldn’t even get good pictures afterwards! Not the fault of the race, of course, but a bummer nonetheless.) I think the course has changed significantly now, which is definitely a plus – running across multiple bridges into seedy areas of Illinois wasn’t fun, though I did enjoy the Budweiser brewery sections!
The swag was decent, as was the packet pickup experience, but overall not particularly memorable and not a race I’d run again.
Better than expected.
This was my first time running this race and looking at previous years maps this years new start/finish line was much better. Overall I liked the 1/2 course which was … MORE
This was my first time running this race and looking at previous years maps this years new start/finish line was much better. Overall I liked the 1/2 course which was much hillier than I expected. Running over 2 bridges was a cool experience but time seemed to drag on when you were running between the two bridges on the Illinois side. As some previous reviews said there was a spot where it smelled like sewer but I only noticed it when going through one underpass and it was only a minute or two before I got past it so it really wasn’t that big of a deal to me. I thought the crowd support for the 1/2 was decent even though there were a few stretches where there was nobody in sight. This was probably the easiest I’ve ever had it as far as getting to the start line. I rode the MetroLink to the Lacledes Landing stop and the starting area was directly across the street which was great. After the race it was a long haul back to the post race area. The Arch grounds were under construction and there was a lot of orange fencing up so I’m hoping that once everything is complete they will move the after party closer to the finish line for next years race. Overall I enjoyed the half and plan on running the full marathon sometime in the next few years.