The Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend is more than Sunday’s beautiful 26.2-miler. We offer races, walks and activities for every age and ability level!
Eventful for the entire family! Our weekend events include:
More than 120 vendors with the latest in running and fitness gear and helpful information on equipment and nutrition gather for the Health & Fitness Expo, a two-day event before the marathon and 10 mile that is free and open to the public!
Our legacy event, the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, is a top 10 U.S. marathon and has become an annual celebration of fitness and fun this October. The race has 300,000 spectators, 5,000 volunteers, more than 25 entertainers and Cheer Zones, plus a “27th Mile” filled with post-race activities.
In the Medtronic TC 10 Mile, runners take on the 5th largest 10 mile race, also known as the Shortcut to the Capitol®, because participants are able to follow the last seven spectator-lined miles of the marathon route. The participant field limit fills by online drawing in July.
TC 10K and TC 5K – These walker to runner-friendly out and back courses begin and end on John Ireland boulevard, near the State Capitol. Enjoy the scenery along historic Summit Avenue and cross our marathon finish line. All participants receive technical event shirts (kid’s sizing available) and post-race water and food.
Diana Pierce Family Mile, presented by Medica and Half Mile, presented by KS95 – These walker to runner-friendly out and back courses begin and end on John Ireland boulevard, near the State Capitol Enjoy the scenery along historic Summit Avenue and cross our marathon finish line.
The 50-yard Toddler Trot on the State Capitol lawn is great for kids learning to love to run! The event is run in waves, starting with the youngest competitors.
A “competitive” crawl on the State Capitol lawn, the Diaper Dash, presented by Pioneer Press is perfect for little ones still on their hands and knees.
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First Marathon
This was my first marathon and I chose a great one. The expo was exciting and smooth. The energy at the starting line was electric. Even with the corral system, … MORE
This was my first marathon and I chose a great one. The expo was exciting and smooth. The energy at the starting line was electric. Even with the corral system, the first several miles were very congested, which I might have found more problematic if I had any real time goals, but as I mentioned, this was my first and all I wanted was to finish. The trails around the many lakes and fall colors made this course beautiful, and the aid stations, volunteers, and spectators were incredible. The long gradual uphill along Summit Ave felt tough, but the view from the end of the climb to the Capital and finish line below was amazing. Great race, would recommend.
Absolutely gorgeous, challenging run
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.
Great course
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.
Beautiful Race
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!
Great way to see 2 cities
This is a well organized run. Beautiful course and pretty easy at the beginning. but once it crosses the river it's an uphill battle to the end. awesome after party … MORE
This is a well organized run. Beautiful course and pretty easy at the beginning. but once it crosses the river it’s an uphill battle to the end. awesome after party too.
Spectators are FANTABULOUS!
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!
Incredible!
~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!
1 RACE OUT OF 3 FOR THE LOONY CHALLENGE
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!
RACE WAS CANCELLED DUE TO RAIN
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,
RACE WAS CANCELLED DUE TO RAIN
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,
Great race
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.
One of the best
Beautiful course. Well organized. Good spectator support if that's important to you. Usually close to perfect running conditions. I have run it 31 times and will continue to do so … MORE
Beautiful course. Well organized. Good spectator support if that’s important to you. Usually close to perfect running conditions. I have run it 31 times and will continue to do so until I can’t.
Challenging and beautiful
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.
Most Scenic Urban Marathon (AS BILLED!)
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.
It is a BEAutiful race!
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.
Well run
Great course! Almost always a good weather weekend. Let's hope for the same next year! A really fun event for both racers and spectators. The course was set up and … MORE
Great course! Almost always a good weather weekend. Let’s hope for the same next year! A really fun event for both racers and spectators. The course was set up and organized very well. The volunteers were awesome, and the race ran very smoothly from what I could see.
Spectators carried me the whole way!
The spectators at this race are constant! I didn't think much about my body at all because there was so much cheering along the way to keep your spirits up! … MORE
The spectators at this race are constant! I didn’t think much about my body at all because there was so much cheering along the way to keep your spirits up! Make sure to run the tangent, I ended up running 26.6 instead. The corral start went smoothly, and the finish line as well. It seemed like a ways to walk through everything, but I felt it was reasonable considering runner safety. It was nice to have a changing tent to get into warmer clothes, too. Take some time to hang out and walk around afterwards. I was rushed and totally missed my free beer and the PR bell. For spectators: my crew saw me four times, but that is probably about max unless you bike and are able to follow near the route.
Perfect morning to run through MN
As a spectator, this was a fun race, but I had to move quick! I made it to 3 spots along the course, at 2 miles, 6 miles, and at … MORE
As a spectator, this was a fun race, but I had to move quick! I made it to 3 spots along the course, at 2 miles, 6 miles, and at the finish. I had to plan out where I wanted to be and move quickly to get to the next spot, as the runners I was watching were towards the front. It was a gorgeous fall day, a little chilly in the morning, but perfect for running. The course was set up and organized to a T, the volunteers were awesome, and the race ran very smoothly from all I could see between the 10M and the full marathon.
My favorite marathon so far
TCM is a great marathon. The spectator support, scenery, production and course are all fantastic. It's not a killer course. It's really an enjoyable experience, made possible by all the … MORE
TCM is a great marathon. The spectator support, scenery, production and course are all fantastic. It’s not a killer course. It’s really an enjoyable experience, made possible by all the folks who put it together.
Fun Race, Nice Course
Fun start to TC marathon weekend. Mostly flat course through some beautiful neighborhoods. The race is well organized with plenty of water and food for runners. MORE
Fun start to TC marathon weekend. Mostly flat course through some beautiful neighborhoods. The race is well organized with plenty of water and food for runners.