Overall Rating
Overall Rating (72 Reviews)
4.6
(72 Ratings)  (72 Reviews)
DIFFICULTY
3.3
SCENERY
4.6
PRODUCTION
4.5
SWAG
4
Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend is the community’s signature running and fitness celebration. Entering its fifth decade, the weekend features runs for participants of all ages and paces. The community-inclusive event also includes live art, course entertainment, the Summit Beer Garden, and welcomes non-participants to join the 300,000+ cheering spectators … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Oct 05):
  2023 2022 2021 2020 2019
 
H (°F)  65  74  77  71  56
L (°F)  53  56  52  44  47
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Recent reviews

    cassidymegan3 FIRST-TIMER '23

    They cancelled it but there were still PLENTY of people who ran anyway. All around there were parks and trails filled with runners wearing their bibs getting out to run. … MORE

    They cancelled it but there were still PLENTY of people who ran anyway. All around there were parks and trails filled with runners wearing their bibs getting out to run. Some ran the actual course. I was from out of town and didn’t know the course so I just ran laps around a lake for 26.3 miles (I ran extra just in case.) I went to MSP to run a marathon so I ran a marathon.
    Neighbors and friends of racers were sprinkled throughout the neighborhoods with makeshift aid stations.
    I wish they would have left it up to the runners to decide what they wanted to do: we all signed waivers. We all trained in the heat over the summer. You’ve got to adjust your expectations when it’s warmer. Smart, realistic runners know this.
    I won’t go back. I’ll find some other race in Minnesota to run. This race got my $135 already as did this town’s economy. I’m salty about this one.

    DIFFICULTY
    1
    PRODUCTION
    1
    SCENERY
    5
    SWAG
    1

    3 members marked this review helpful. Agree?

    ryandholmgren Nov 01, 2023 at 7:46am

    This is not helpful at all and has nothing to do with the quality of the race. The decision to cancel has been lauded as the right call by basically… MORE

    This is not helpful at all and has nothing to do with the quality of the race. The decision to cancel has been lauded as the right call by basically everyone in the running community. They went above and beyond to provide full refunds and guaranteed entry for 2024. I live along Summit Avenue and most of the runners who decided to run the course anyway were absolutely wrecked from the record heat. There are reports of some going to the hospital. The decision to cancel likely saved several lives. For anyone reading this, you can go right ahead and ignore her review. LESS

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    TatumBurke FIRST-TIMER '22

    If you’re looking for a perfect course while running in cool temperatures with great organization and fabulous fan support along the way, this is it! Added bonus of the beauty … MORE

    If you’re looking for a perfect course while running in cool temperatures with great organization and fabulous fan support along the way, this is it! Added bonus of the beauty of the peaking fall colors in the height of the season adding immense beauty! This was a top of the notch race all around and was truly enjoyable! I would highly recommend and plan to run this one again at some point as it was definitely memorable!

    DIFFICULTY
    3
    PRODUCTION
    5
    SCENERY
    5
    SWAG
    5

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    dbonestroo REPEAT RUNNER '22

    I have run in this race several times, always as part of a corporate team in the Corporate Challenge. This is a USATF certified and chip-timed course that is very … MORE

    I have run in this race several times, always as part of a corporate team in the Corporate Challenge. This is a USATF certified and chip-timed course that is very professionally produced. There are typically 2,000+ runners in this race. You will need to train on hills if you don’t want to have a bad time – the first 1/2 mile is about 80 feet of elevation change, all up, and it can take the wind out of your sails for the balance of the next 2.6 miles. The middle part of the course is small rolling hills and then you get the 80 feet of downhill elevation change at the end. This is a big event, it is the day before the Medtronic Marathon on the Sunday following this Saturday race. There is a lot of fanfare and it is fun, with hundreds of spectators along the course. If you are in the Twin Cities area around early October, you should think about this race!

    DIFFICULTY
    4
    PRODUCTION
    5
    My Report
    SCENERY
    4
    SWAG
    4
    My Media

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    Profile photo of Michael Walentiny
    Michael_Walentiny REPEAT RUNNER '21

    Everything about this race is awesome. Crowd support the entire race. Cool fall temperatures. Well organized start area and finish area. Highly recommended event. MORE

    Everything about this race is awesome. Crowd support the entire race. Cool fall temperatures. Well organized start area and finish area. Highly recommended event.

    DIFFICULTY
    3
    PRODUCTION
    5
    SCENERY
    5
    SWAG
    5

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    miltichl REPEAT RUNNER '21

    As an actually good runner, you will cry on the sidelines watching silly people in tutus fool around with what could be sport. This is a beautiful course, an excellent … MORE

    As an actually good runner, you will cry on the sidelines watching silly people in tutus fool around with what could be sport. This is a beautiful course, an excellent race, a wonderful time of year, and a great chance for a runner to be at their best. Unfortunately being a good runner WON’T get you in. Lottery! Fun! TCM has been consistently total garbage when it comes to actually caring about the sport. There must be some profit in that. Sad to say, I won’t try my luck at this ridiculous lottery for characters again. TCM, you besmirch the sport.

    DIFFICULTY
    5
    PRODUCTION
    1
    SCENERY
    5
    SWAG
    5

    1 member marked this review helpful. Agree?

    rclay1962 Apr 22, 2022 at 1:32am

    Not helpful

    Not helpful

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    runnincarrie REPEAT RUNNER '21

    It always amazes me how well they pull off this race - it’s huge with both the 10 miler and full marathon on the same day. I enjoy the course … MORE

    It always amazes me how well they pull off this race – it’s huge with both the 10 miler and full marathon on the same day. I enjoy the course although the hills can be challenging and also Summit Avenue, my gosh the city needs to do something about that road. It’s in terrible condition and saw several runners take a tumble on the bumps and cracks. So it is a bit hazardous. But after surviving that stretch soon comes the awesome downhill finish to the State Capitol, always so glad to see! Great race and great fall weather in Minnesota is a must to experience.

    DIFFICULTY
    4
    PRODUCTION
    5
    SCENERY
    4
    SWAG
    4
    My Media

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    Null-Kat Nov 13, 2022 at 10:55am

    The City of St Paul fixed portions of Summit Ave this past year. I didn’t experience any terrible road conditions there and saw plenty of fresh asphalt, just my own… MORE

    The City of St Paul fixed portions of Summit Ave this past year. I didn’t experience any terrible road conditions there and saw plenty of fresh asphalt, just my own personal pain cave in those last few miles! ‘22 finisher! LESS

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    FearTheTurtle FIRST-TIMER '19

    The race starts in Minneapolis and finishes in St. Paul. Don't stress about where to stay (near the start or near the finish) since they provide shuttles from St. Paul … MORE

    The race starts in Minneapolis and finishes in St. Paul. Don’t stress about where to stay (near the start or near the finish) since they provide shuttles from St. Paul to the starting line. I stayed in St. Paul because I didn’t want to wait to get back to my hotel. St. Paul has a good light rail system.

    I started out a bit too fast because my watch wouldn’t pick up my pace due to the tall buildings in downtown Minneapolis. About a mile or so in, my watch finally “clicked” and I saw that I was going about a minute/mile faster than I would have liked. My bad.

    Nice scenery running past the lakes and the Mississippi River. Very well supported. Good entertainment along the course. Even though I knew about the big uphill from miles 20-23, it still was a bear getting through it. I walked more than I would like to admit. 🙂

    Great finish at the state capital. One word of warning. If you do not carry your ID with you, you cannot get the free beer at the end of the race. I was 57 and they wouldn’t serve me.

    DIFFICULTY
    4
    PRODUCTION
    5
    SCENERY
    4
    SWAG
    3

    1 member marked this review helpful. Agree?

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    buytaerts REPEAT RUNNER '19

    Lovely race. Come visit MN for this one. Large well organized race with great get together at the end. Run through beautiful historic Minneapolis homes. MORE

    Lovely race. Come visit MN for this one. Large well organized race with great get together at the end.

    Run through beautiful historic Minneapolis homes.

    DIFFICULTY
    4
    PRODUCTION
    3
    SCENERY
    4
    SWAG
    3

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    deidrajo86 FIRST-TIMER '19

    The cheer squads along the route were AWESOME! The roads were okay, some rough spots but overall great race and very well put together! Can’t wait to do it again! … MORE

    The cheer squads along the route were AWESOME! The roads were okay, some rough spots but overall great race and very well put together! Can’t wait to do it again!

    DIFFICULTY
    4
    PRODUCTION
    5
    SCENERY
    5
    SWAG
    5

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    w.c.d. FIRST-TIMER '19

    Start to finish, the spectators/fans are lined up and ready to cheer you on with posters, high-fives, bananas, oranges, candy, beer, mimosa's, ENERGY! It was the best race I've run … MORE

    Start to finish, the spectators/fans are lined up and ready to cheer you on with posters, high-fives, bananas, oranges, candy, beer, mimosa’s, ENERGY! It was the best race I’ve run thanks to the crowds who are so involved!

    DIFFICULTY
    4
    PRODUCTION
    4
    SCENERY
    4
    SWAG
    4

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    Profile photo of Ellen Hiser
    echwfi FIRST-TIMER '19

    ~BEAUTIFUL scenery from Minneapolis to St. Paul ~Great course; tons of landmarks + no repeating roads in the 26.2 miles ~Crowd support was PHENOMENAL ~Expo was fantastic ~Nice moderate hills … MORE

    ~BEAUTIFUL scenery from Minneapolis to St. Paul
    ~Great course; tons of landmarks + no repeating roads in the 26.2 miles
    ~Crowd support was PHENOMENAL
    ~Expo was fantastic
    ~Nice moderate hills to give the course variety. The 2 mile long hill on Summit in and of itself isn’t hard but it comes at mile 20 which is a challenge but a GREAT feeling to conquer
    ~Qualified for Boston on this course!

    DIFFICULTY
    3
    PRODUCTION
    5
    SCENERY
    5
    SWAG
    4

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    runnincarrie REPEAT RUNNER '19

    This was the only race that could be ran for the Loony challenge. The day was great, chilly start, some crazy long hills but a fun route with a lot … MORE

    This was the only race that could be ran for the Loony challenge. The day was great, chilly start, some crazy long hills but a fun route with a lot of crowd support. It was disappointing to not be able to do the full loony challenge because the first day was cancelled due to rain. But regardless the swag was very disappointing considering what we paid for the challenge. The additional swag was an insulated mug, years past it has been a jacket. And for the 10 and 5k race whether it happened or not there was one medal, one shirt, nothing exclusive for each of the races. Kind of cheap! I probably will not attempt the Loony challenge again unless I really need to do it all. Give me some time to figure that out, but I have a lot of other challenges I have done and am doing, so it’s not knowing I can do it, it’s just the TC Loony!

    DIFFICULTY
    4
    PRODUCTION
    4
    SCENERY
    4
    SWAG
    3

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    MattyIce FIRST-TIMER '19

    Lived up to its namesake at the most beautiful urban marathon. I really enjoyed running in and around the neighborhoods and lakes. Well structured course that lands you in St. … MORE

    Lived up to its namesake at the most beautiful urban marathon. I really enjoyed running in and around the neighborhoods and lakes. Well structured course that lands you in St. Paul at the end.

    Excellent community support and enthusiasm throughout. I did well for this one and just had a really nice time experiencing Minneapolis.

    DIFFICULTY
    3
    PRODUCTION
    4
    SCENERY
    5
    SWAG
    4

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    runnincarrie REPEAT RUNNER '19

    So disappointed this was cancelled 1 out of the 3 races for the Loony challenge, the 5K was cancelled too. But even if I had been able to run very … MORE

    So disappointed this was cancelled 1 out of the 3 races for the Loony challenge, the 5K was cancelled too. But even if I had been able to run very disappointed in the challenge in comparison to past years. I wanted to do the challenge because of the physical challenge but when paying more you do want the swag too. The “extra” swag was an insulated cup and they gave the same shirt and medal to both 5k and 10k racers. There was nothing exclusive about each race. I don’t think I will attempt the Loony again,

    DIFFICULTY
    1
    PRODUCTION
    1
    SCENERY
    1
    SWAG
    2

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    ab2039 Oct 15, 2020 at 9:36am

    Bad review. Its not their fault it rained.

    Bad review. Its not their fault it rained.

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    runnincarrie Oct 15, 2020 at 9:48am

    Read more carefully, It's not about the rain - it's about the same swag used for both races

    Read more carefully, It's not about the rain - it's about the same swag used for both races

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    runnincarrie REPEAT RUNNER '19

    So disappointed this was cancelled 1 out of the 3 races for the Loony challenge, the 10K was cancelled too. But even if I had been able to run very … MORE

    So disappointed this was cancelled 1 out of the 3 races for the Loony challenge, the 10K was cancelled too. But even if I had been able to run very disappointed in the challenge in comparison to past years. I wanted to do the challenge because of the physical challenge but when paying more you do want the swag too. The “extra” swag was an insulated cup and they gave the same shirt and medal to both 5k and 10k racers. There was nothing exclusive about each race. I don’t think I will attempt the Loony again,

    DIFFICULTY
    1
    PRODUCTION
    1
    SCENERY
    1
    SWAG
    2

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    bizzeeintc REPEAT RUNNER '18

    well run production, great swag, very nice expo, strong city support, little to no bad views throughout the run. I've done this course 4+ times and plan to do it … MORE

    well run production, great swag, very nice expo, strong city support, little to no bad views throughout the run. I’ve done this course 4+ times and plan to do it again. It can be quite cold at the start.

    DIFFICULTY
    3
    PRODUCTION
    5
    SCENERY
    5
    SWAG
    5

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    buytaerts REPEAT RUNNER '18

    You’ll have a great time at this one. Great route and fun finish at the Bank of America stadium. Stay for the Vikings game after! Can be a little chilly. … MORE

    You’ll have a great time at this one. Great route and fun finish at the Bank of America stadium. Stay for the Vikings game after! Can be a little chilly.

    DIFFICULTY
    4
    PRODUCTION
    5
    SCENERY
    5
    SWAG
    4

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    jeannecorey64 REPEAT RUNNER '18

    This is the 2nd time I’ve run this race and I’m planning on coming back next year. The weather has been perfect running weather. Even though this is a challenging … MORE

    This is the 2nd time I’ve run this race and I’m planning on coming back next year. The weather has been perfect running weather. Even though this is a challenging course with rolling hills it’s my fastest marathon times. I loved the crowd support and the beautiful course. The race was very organized and easy logistics.

    DIFFICULTY
    3
    PRODUCTION
    5
    My Report
    SCENERY
    5
    SWAG
    3

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    AllanHoltz REPEAT RUNNER '18

    From the start next to the new Vikings football stadium to the finish by the state capitol, this point to point road chip-timed marathon features lots of lakefront, stately old … MORE

    From the start next to the new Vikings football stadium to the finish by the state capitol, this point to point road chip-timed marathon features lots of lakefront, stately old mansions, river crossings, fall color, bands, constant spectators and parkways with some significant ups and downs, hard surfaces and uncertain weather, although more apt to be cold and wet than hot and dry. Due to the large number of participants, runners now start from 3 corrals. I began midway in the 3rd corral this year. I was about 15 minutes behind the lead runners when I crossed the start line. I am now 68 and slow, i.e. I now do a combination of 50% walk – 50% run. 20 years ago I ran this race under 3.5 hours – now 5.5 hours. I have enjoyed this race 23 of the last 25 years. Twice I was running a 100-mile ultra that day instead. It has a good expo with convenient packet pickup. The finish line is well organized, albeit crowded with modest post-race food (Gatorade, water, yogurt, fruit cups, bananas, energy bars, chocolate milk, broth and whole wheat muffins). Your name and residence city-state is announced as you approach the finish line. There are finish line and mid-race photos available. You have good access to bus or train transport from the finish line to the start of the race. I recommend parking at the finish and taking the bus. More toilets along the course would be nice. Beverage (energy drink first and water second) is served every 2-3 miles, although it should be on both sides of the road at each aid station, given the large number of runners. There are faster races to qualify for Boston if qualifying is a goal and a challenge for you. There are races less crowded, fewer turns, more downhill and with softer surfaces. I have qualified for the Boston marathon 7 times, finished a marathon or beyond in every state, finished 144 marathons, but although close a couple times, I NEVER qualified for Boston at this race. Expect to pay $10-20 to park for the expo and start of the race – or be prepared to walk (a mile maybe) before and after the race or packet pickup. When the Metrodome existed, runners warmed up inside at the start. Now with the new Vikings stadium, runners have NOT been allowed inside, so waiting up to an hour outside before the start of the race is often cold (frosty ground) and potentially wet. BE PREPARED, as you likely will use the complementary drop bag service for warmup clothing transport to the finish line, where mylar thermal blankets are distributed. The past couple years, cloth gloves (useful!) were included in packet pickup. Also be ready for the mostly uphill miles 19-23 as they come at a tiring time of the race.

    DIFFICULTY
    3
    PRODUCTION
    5
    SCENERY
    5
    SWAG
    4

    2 members marked this review helpful. Agree?

    cassidymegan3 May 11, 2023 at 6:36am

    Thank you for your thorough review. I like a lot of details going into a new race. I appreciate it!

    Thank you for your thorough review. I like a lot of details going into a new race. I appreciate it!

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    thie0193 REPEAT RUNNER '18

    It is a great race with beautiful scenery. You run through the city, around the lakes, and along the river. Plenty of spectators to cheer you on and provide support. … MORE

    It is a great race with beautiful scenery. You run through the city, around the lakes, and along the river. Plenty of spectators to cheer you on and provide support. A great race overall and well run. I was injured so not a PR. I plan to tackle it again in 2019.

    DIFFICULTY
    3
    PRODUCTION
    5
    SCENERY
    5
    SWAG
    4

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  1. Races
  2. Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend