Med City Marathon
Rochester, MN
- Marathon, Marathon Relay, 20 Miler, Half Marathon, Half Marathon Relay, 5K, Kids Run
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
Since 1996, Med City Marathon has been providing a high quality, fun and energetic marathon in Rochester. The Full Marathon, presented by ActivePT, is one of the fastest growing marathons around, and for good reason! The new Boston-qualifying course is now faster than ever. The race starts near the RST … MORE
Local Historical Weather (May 16):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 81 | 68 | 68 | 76 | 70 |
| L (°F) | 59 | 48 | 58 | 53 | 54 |
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Well run small town race
Fly into Minneapolis so you get a direct flight . Course is mostly flat . I struggle in my first three miles but I would rather have the slight hills … MORE
Fly into Minneapolis so you get a direct flight . Course is mostly flat . I struggle in my first three miles but I would rather have the slight hills early in the race so I take advantage of the downhill in the second half. Reasons to run this race-great commutation and a race director to get really cared about the race he was putting on. There was a shuttle to the start of the race as it was point to point. They had lots of buses running so at 6:00 when I got on the bus there was no wait. I could then get a banana to eat, fill my water bottle with Gatorade or water , use real bathrooms , check my bag in and if I was stupid enough do the red eye I pick up my pack up on race day at no charge. Course was well parked with blue.cones, blue arrows on the ground and volunteers so when your brain malfunctioned at mile 10 you didn’t get lost . They had light weight long sleeve shirt with a hood. The medal was… need to have a medal that highlights Rochester or something. Medal got a c grade. Finish line had beer with no line, protein bars, chocolate chip cookies and they had the thing that out your name and time up so you could get your picture. I liked that. Suggestions to improve the race- awards for age groups of five years not ten. You are not spending a lot on what you get. I didn’t do the 5K and half but the complaint I had heard is your don’t need two of the same shirt
Hometown Half
I got the unique experience of running Med City, my hometown half marathon, on my birthday, and it was a great time. The course is a point-to-point that starts out … MORE
I got the unique experience of running Med City, my hometown half marathon, on my birthday, and it was a great time. The course is a point-to-point that starts out at the airport and runs into downtown Rochester. For the half, about 8 of the 13.1 miles aren’t even really in Rochester, as you’re running county roads from the airport into town. Once in the city, you hop on bike trails for nearly the rest of the race.
I personally am not in love with the course as it’s very long stretches on county roads, but it is extremely flat with one major downhill around mile 6.
That also makes fan support difficult, and I would describe it as mostly scarce for the majority of the race.
That said, 2023’s race had a perfect day to run, cool and overcast, and I love the long-sleeve tech shirt. The expo was organized and the athletic trainer station was able to help me with some back trouble I had going into the race. I also ran my fastest time in more than 2 years, which was great – but I think that was because my Nike Run Club app had the course coming up short of 13.1.
All in all, this was a really fun race for me. It sounds like the race is under some relatively new ownership, and they’re doing their best to continuously improve the experience. I expect this race to get better and better as the years go by!
Airport to farmland to Rochester.
Race day started with clear weather, gentle breezes, and a temperature in the low 50s. The race started near the airport and immediately entered a long stretch of Rollinghills in … MORE
Race day started with clear weather, gentle breezes, and a temperature in the low 50s.
The race started near the airport and immediately entered a long stretch of Rollinghills in farmland. The race organizers advertised this race as a course with a good bit of downhill. There was one stretch mid race of about a 1 mile downhill run. Otherwise, this may be just a joke that the locals have, I would’ve classify. The entire course is rolling. These weren’t Mount Rushmore or Colorado inclines but the course did roll out many of the races. I have ran in New England.
The officers and volunteers on the course were friendly. There were multiple water/aid stations on the course.
The last 3 miles or so of the course transversed a park along the river, heading into town. The final stretch ran through the canal system leading to downtown Rochester.
Finishers received a nice, long sleeve tech shirt, and a metal that was nice but not overly unique. There was live music and nice post race refreshments for the runners.
I enjoyed the visit to Rochester and would recommend the race if someone visits the area.
Nice point to point run in Rochester MN
Very enjoyable. Pretty much flat but a good course. Lots of support and refreshments along the way. Well done in a nice place. Nice refreshments at the end. MORE
Very enjoyable. Pretty much flat but a good course. Lots of support and refreshments along the way. Well done in a nice place. Nice refreshments at the end.
Lost checked bag and no shirt
My checked bag which contained the race shirt I got before the race and a few other things was lost. The RD agreed to mail me a replacement shirt. I … MORE
My checked bag which contained the race shirt I got before the race and a few other things was lost. The RD agreed to mail me a replacement shirt. I have followed up with him a few times through email over the past month. Sadly I still have not received the shirt.
unexpected storms cause mid race delay
Memorial Day weekend in Rochester Minnesota. A little warmer than average temps. I was not able to make the expo the day prior to the race. a Point to Point … MORE
Memorial Day weekend in Rochester Minnesota. A little warmer than average temps. I was not able to make the expo the day prior to the race. a Point to Point race starting at the airport and ending downtown Rochester. packet pickup and parking at the start was easy…enough porta potties. The race was relatively flat with some smalls. Enough aid stations with water/Gatorade etc, the course seemed to be well marked….Unfortunately, around the half marathon mark…a unexpected thunderstorm with rain caused the RD to suspend the race and divert the marathons runners to the finish as they were passing the half way point. Not a lot of information was provided, as I believed at the time the race was over…However, a little while later we were allowed to finish the race, a lot of the marathoners did not receive the word that the race would continue….I ended up running around 27.8 with being diverted to the finish and back to the course…other than that the course wasn’t bad overall as we ran through park, residential areas, and downtown….
The shirt was a hooded long sleeve tech shirt…the finisher medal was kind of plain….Post race food included bananas, cookies, and an assortment of drinks to include a beer truck…..plus a live band playing near the finish….Overall not a bad race…the pre race social media and emails was great….It was nice that we were able to finish after the weather delay but it would of been better if there was a better communication flow on the evolving situation., though my time was severely hampered by the delay
bet it was better before pandemic
Well organized race that runs mostly on bike/running paths on connected parks. Small ups and downs throughout the race. Nice hoodies for both the 5K and the half ( I … MORE
Well organized race that runs mostly on bike/running paths on connected parks. Small ups and downs throughout the race. Nice hoodies for both the 5K and the half ( I ran both. 5K was on the same course). It is still hard to compare the postrace experience due to the ongoing pandemic restrictions. I guess they normally have a band, etc but not much this time. I stayed at the Centerstone Hotel, which was the race hotel. It was about 3/4 a mile from start/finish/packet pickup. They shuttled from airport and offered to shuttle to start but I just preferred to walk. Easy walk from hotel via one of the parks. It was only $75 a night and well worth it. They have a restaurant at the hotel that is apparently very popular with the locals. Also, other places to eat nearby within easy walking distance since you are literally right next to the Mayo Center. Overall a decent experience.
Med City 5k
Beautiful Race! I really enjoyed it. Next year I hope to do the Half marathon and see more of Rochester which was the next day, so both races can be … MORE
Beautiful Race! I really enjoyed it. Next year I hope to do the Half marathon and see more of Rochester which was the next day, so both races can be done. The medal was awesome – a flag, so appropriate for a 9/11 race. The hoodie shirt is really nice, great quality.
Great family weekend!!
I've participated in the Med City marathon weekend for the last two years and am so pleased with both experiences! In 2016 my kids did the Kids K and I … MORE
I’ve participated in the Med City marathon weekend for the last two years and am so pleased with both experiences! In 2016 my kids did the Kids K and I ran the full marathon the next day. This year we ran the 5k together and I did the half as well. They really make it a fun event for the family and there is something for kids of all ages. Med City marathon weekend is officially a family tradition!
Good marathon with flat 2nd half
- First half is rolling hills from Byron to Rochester with easy spectator access - Second half is flat, but challenging access for spectators (when you need the cheers!) - … MORE
– First half is rolling hills from Byron to Rochester with easy spectator access
– Second half is flat, but challenging access for spectators (when you need the cheers!)
– Could have used more aid stations on second half
– Beautiful finish line
– Great race swag and weekend set-up
– Very humid run
– Excellent pacers
Solid intermediate level race course
Solid run with rolling hills the first 8 miles and multiple park runs throughout Rochester thereafter. Cool/light rain conditions made it comfortable. Ran the first split 1:47:08, and 2nd split … MORE
Solid run with rolling hills the first 8 miles and multiple park runs throughout Rochester thereafter. Cool/light rain conditions made it comfortable. Ran the first split 1:47:08, and 2nd split 1:59:58. Course was properly supported and relatively small so no overcrowding issues. The biggest charm was the scenic tour through the parks … not a boring out and back.