Greater St. Louis Marathon
St. Louis, MO
- Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, Kids Run
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
Experience a marathon reimagined! Discover the excitement of the Greater St. Louis Marathon. This not-to-be-missed event promises a weekend filled with exciting courses, iconic landmarks, and vibrant celebrations, including the return of the National Running Club Championships & Rally. With festivities kicking off downtown and concluding with a lively after-party, … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Apr 11):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 71 | 55 | 67 | 78 | 71 |
| L (°F) | 49 | 47 | 53 | 47 | 52 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
Pretty solid
For those like me not from the area, a nice course to see St. louis - you run through several different neighborhoods, the arch of course, Busch stadium area, the … MORE
For those like me not from the area, a nice course to see St. louis – you run through several different neighborhoods, the arch of course, Busch stadium area, the MIssissippi, etc. Not all of it is pretty – there’s quite a few abandoned mills, buildings and other remnants of the city’s heyday which i found interesting to see. The race was very organized with a start and finish line conveniently near the downtown area where many of the hotels are located. Not many crowds except near the arch and the finish line. The expo was well run and inside union station which is worth looking around. The medal was truly custom with the race date on it and the shirt was decent. The cardinals were in town, so got to catch a game later that night. A good long weekend in St. Louis! 3,700 finishers for the half marathon; 1,400 for the full marathon.
Not recommended, ok value, poor course
Overall value was decent, but the experience fell short. The course was lacking, with multiple out-and-back sections and very little scenery beyond repeated runs past the arch. It became crowded … MORE
Overall value was decent, but the experience fell short. The course was lacking, with multiple out-and-back sections and very little scenery beyond repeated runs past the arch. It became crowded and tight in several spots, which disrupted the flow. The swag was disappointing—only a T-shirt, and nothing particularly memorable. There are much better marathon options available this time of year, and I wouldn’t recommend this one.
St. Lou...I appreciate you!
This was finish #17 and state #11. Here is my detailed review. There are lots of hotels near the race start/finish. I stayed at the hotel in Union Station. The … MORE
This was finish #17 and state #11. Here is my detailed review.
There are lots of hotels near the race start/finish. I stayed at the hotel in Union Station. The expo was also in Union Station. There are places to eat and drink at Union Station along with the aquarium and big Ferris wheel. Although Union Station serves as a beautiful backdrop, the expo itself is very underwhelming. It was small…not a lot of merch or booths. I browsed around but basically I just picked up my bib and T-shirt. The T-shirt is ok looking. Not a tech shirt.
The corrals were not crowded at all and the runner traffic at the start and during the race was very light. So, you aren’t running or bumping into people. The course itself was around St. Louis. It was great running to and near the Arch. We also ran across the Mississippi River, by Busch Stadium and Forest Park which was beautiful.
The hills took me by surprise. My watch measured about 1000 ft of elevation gain which is not terrible. There was a long incline around mile 25 that zapped me of energy and there were various other rolling hills.
Crowd support- you are always going to get some pockets of enthusiasm and support here and there in a marathon. But for the most part there was little crowd support. For most miles it’s you, road and runners.
On course, the water and Gatorade stations were adequate. No issues there. They had one gel station but I brought my own. Do keep your eyes on the road because there were potholes. Also, there were very few mile markers. There were more towards the end.
Post race- I know there was water and Gatorade and some snacks, merch vendors and post race entertainment but I didn’t participate in much as I headed to the hotel right after.
Overall, I loved the city, my stay and the race. There were much more positives than negatives.
Where can things improve? The medal design was underwhelming. The most dominant text on the medal is 26.2 FINISHER so creativity was lacking. Also, this could be a bigger and more supported race if there was more marketing. There were several folks I ran into in town that didn’t even know there was a race. Also, I wish the expo was a bit better. But I guess it was commensurate with the size of the race.
I enjoyed the city and race. It wasn’t my best performance which I expected because of how I trained and my nutrition was lacking. But I’m grateful for 3:47 and for another finish.
Thank you St. Louis!
Greater St Louis!
Love it! It was very exciting run under the Arch and the support was amazing! The weather was perfect and I was not expecting that much people! A must if … MORE
Love it!
It was very exciting run under the Arch and the support was amazing!
The weather was perfect and I was not expecting that much people!
A must if you need to do a race in MO!
Beautiful rolling hill course
Running around St Louis Arc is an awesome experience. Weather was wonderful. Union Station expo was another plus. Very well managed. Volunteers. I wish, they could have better looking medal … MORE
Running around St Louis Arc is an awesome experience. Weather was wonderful. Union Station expo was another plus. Very well managed. Volunteers. I wish, they could have better looking medal e.g, picture of one of the St Louis monument carved on medal.
Doable city course with some nice views
Cool scenery and mostly flat course, but the humidity in April adds to difficulty. The first half was scenic running past Busch Stadium and around the Arch grounds, but features … MORE
Cool scenery and mostly flat course, but the humidity in April adds to difficulty. The first half was scenic running past Busch Stadium and around the Arch grounds, but features a major bottleneck by Laclede’s Landing going uphill. The second half had some course issues with a long down and back and a deviation due to potholes, but the crowds in Soulard were great. Production and merch left something to be desired.
Unique Route, Small hills, Good race
The Saint Louis Marathon race was a good event. The expo at Ballpark Village highlighted the city's strong baseball culture as well as surrounding states. The course itself was pretty … MORE
The Saint Louis Marathon race was a good event. The expo at Ballpark Village highlighted the city’s strong baseball culture as well as surrounding states. The course itself was pretty well varied, and you got to run past the arch a couple of times. The course has a number of hills, one of them coming up from the river is pretty steep.
The downside is that you could not track runners in any way on an app. However, the course doubled back on itself a few times making a few ideal spots for participants to cheer on and watch. I’d recommend this marathon!
I PR’d on this course.
Nice Course This Year
I have ran this race a couple times, but only as a relay. This year I ran the half marathon solo. They changed the route and it was really nice! … MORE
I have ran this race a couple times, but only as a relay. This year I ran the half marathon solo. They changed the route and it was really nice! It takes you through and by many beautiful parts of Saint Louis, including the Cardinals Ball Park, the Arch, the Riverfront, Soulard, Lafayette Square (With stunning homes). It has what I call inclines, not really hills. I ran it after battling a month of vertigo and had figured I’d end up walking most of it. I surprised myself and finished in less than 3 hours. There were plenty of water stations and port a potties along the route. The shirts were really nice this year a long sleeve tee. Post race party was ok. You got one cold toasted ravioli. Not impressed with a cold toasted ravioli to represent STL.
Well put on race!
The roads of St. Louis are horrible, so you definitely need to watch your footing. The scenery isn't bad though, you run by and through Gateway Arch National Park. There … MORE
The roads of St. Louis are horrible, so you definitely need to watch your footing. The scenery isn’t bad though, you run by and through Gateway Arch National Park. There are also some nice neighborhoods to run through. The finisher festival is OK, music and good beer. The best part is how awesome St. Louis is and how much there is to do. This is one of the few cities I would return to!
Rolling Hills but Lots of Fun!
This was my first marathon and I was honestly really happy with it! The course is set up so it's about 4 out and back loops, but I really enjoyed … MORE
This was my first marathon and I was honestly really happy with it! The course is set up so it’s about 4 out and back loops, but I really enjoyed it because it allowed my family to see me 6 different times! Had rolling hills, but honestly I expected so much worse and I enjoyed them! The last mile or so is all downhill which allows a good finish as well. The only really complaint I had is the post-finish food; I was not super impressed by it. But for my first marathon I was thoroughly impressed! Would definitely do again!
Great opportunity to see St Louis
Fairly large race but easy to navigate, course seemed a little random through parking lots and alleyways, disappointed with post-race snacks because only gluten fee option was banana MORE
Fairly large race but easy to navigate, course seemed a little random through parking lots and alleyways, disappointed with post-race snacks because only gluten fee option was banana
First Time Pacing a Marathon!
I was the 5:00 pacer, and I was great! I kept the pace and didn't burn out! The course starts off in the city and we wrap around the arch … MORE
I was the 5:00 pacer, and I was great! I kept the pace and didn’t burn out!
The course starts off in the city and we wrap around the arch and the bridge for 2 laps. Since this is a city marathon, it wasn’t as pretty compared to the marathons I’ve done in the northwest (ex. Oregon). The city came out to celebrate with us since it was the 25th anniversary!
The course is filled with hills! The last 10K was a LOT since that’s when the elevation was the highest. At least when we are on the last kilometer, it’s flat to downhill. The finish line area had beer, massage tables, and live music.
I would run this again since MO doesn’t have many options and tons of people came out to cheer us on!
Great race and fun course
What I loved about this race is they snuck laps in on us, but made the laps fun. We ran around the Arch and around Busch Stadium a few times, … MORE
What I loved about this race is they snuck laps in on us, but made the laps fun. We ran around the Arch and around Busch Stadium a few times, but the laps were varied and different angles and made it interesting to see the city in this way. There were some out of back portions of the race, but they weren’t too long or boring. Crowd support was pretty consistent and energetic! there were still people cheering for the back of the pack runners. The course does have hills (strava showed 882 ft of elevation gained), but they weren’t killer hills – more like the annoying hills. The medal was plain, simple and ok. Nothing too flashy, but still good. The shirt was also basic and good. The after party had a decent amount of bread and toasted raviolis for food, and lots of beer. Packet pick up was at the baseball village, so that was an amazing introduction to the city for me.
Fun race experience!
This was a really fun race! I kept saying I wish the course were in reverse- running around the arch the first four miles was so much fun and would … MORE
This was a really fun race! I kept saying I wish the course were in reverse- running around the arch the first four miles was so much fun and would have been great the last bit when you’re tired from all the rolling hills! Regardless, TONS of porta potties at the start, great communication regarding parking and street closures, cute shirts. The medal was a little boring but cool experience. Would run again!
Well-organized and Midwest hospitality.
This race was really well organized, and it was cool to run past so many STL landmarks and especially through Gateway Arch National Park. The aid stations were great--water, gatorade, … MORE
This race was really well organized, and it was cool to run past so many STL landmarks and especially through Gateway Arch National Park. The aid stations were great–water, gatorade, gels, vaseline, and bandaids. I had trained for the full, but unfortunately it just wasn’t my day.
Running Under the Arch
It was really cool to get to run underneath the arch and along the river. There were a few hills that I was not prepared for, but otherwise a fairly … MORE
It was really cool to get to run underneath the arch and along the river. There were a few hills that I was not prepared for, but otherwise a fairly easy course. The race production was ok. The swag included a medal and a rollup blanket which I immediately used to rest after the race. This race was well put together.
Running Tour of St Louis
I enjoyed the scenery and running through the Gateway Arch National Park. I have no complaints about the expo, race, or the medal. Free race photos are always a plus. MORE
I enjoyed the scenery and running through the Gateway Arch National Park. I have no complaints about the expo, race, or the medal. Free race photos are always a plus.
Organized and good vibes
The expo was smaller and had good vendors Race instructions were clear, good number of porta potties Course was moderately hilly, steepest hill was at the beginning. Running past the … MORE
The expo was smaller and had good vendors
Race instructions were clear, good number of porta potties
Course was moderately hilly, steepest hill was at the beginning. Running past the arch was the highlight for sure. Most neighborhoods had good support crowds. Cups were well marked- green = Gatorade, white= water.
Nice finisher medal. Also got a nice blanket at the finish.
Horrible Experience, used to be better
I have run this race many times, back when it was called the Go St.Louis marathon. This was by far the worst experience in a race I've ever had, I've … MORE
I have run this race many times, back when it was called the Go St.Louis marathon. This was by far the worst experience in a race I’ve ever had, I’ve run over 30 marathons. The course roads were in bad shape, with potholes and torn up pavement. There was hardly anyone around cheering as the course was difficult to navigate for spectators. For the poor marathon era the last 6 miles was through the worst part of town, downright dangerous, somewhere you do not want to be. North St.Louis with vacant and burnt out dilapidated buildings and drunks hanging around sleeping. Hardly anyone was around, the aid stations were barely stocked and with little help and absolutely no nutrition for the marathoners. The finish line sucked. They started handing you little chocolate packets and a cookie and nothing to put anything into. It’s sad, this used to be a well run race. Management change name change, whatever. I do NOT recommend this race.
Must-do for 50-state Hopefuls
The highlight for me is undoubtedly running through the Gateway Arch National Park (and later taking the tram up the Arch for a 360 view of St. Louis). I also … MORE
The highlight for me is undoubtedly running through the Gateway Arch National Park (and later taking the tram up the Arch for a 360 view of St. Louis). I also recommend checking out the sunset at the rooftop of the 360 St. Louis atop the Hilton St. Louis across from the Busch Stadium ballpark.
I stayed at the Hotel Indigo, which is ideally located in downtown St. Louis. It’s within walking distance from the Gateway Arch National Park as well as from the shuttle stop near the Finish area. The shuttle takes you to the Start area in Forest Park.