Sioux Falls Marathon & Half Marathon
Sioux Falls, SD
- Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Sioux Falls Marathon, powered by the Sioux Falls Sports Authority, features races for all levels of runners. Distances include the full marathon, half marathon, & 5K. The full & half races feature downtown Sioux Falls, iconic Falls Park (for full and half) and many of the city’s finest parks … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Sep 20):
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |
| H (°F) | 73 | 87 | 87 | 94 | 79 |
| L (°F) | 55 | 54 | 56 | 61 | 52 |
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Hot and boring, but decent city
Easy city to get to from the MSP area. Race expo was organized, easy, and fun. The city itself is nice, but the run was very uneventful--especially the second half … MORE
Easy city to get to from the MSP area. Race expo was organized, easy, and fun. The city itself is nice, but the run was very uneventful–especially the second half on the bike trail. Saw a lot of people struggling with no shade and it wasn’t even vey hot. Not one I’d repeat but I got SD done.
Worth Running - Scenic, Easy Logistics
Well organized event. Airport close to town and city easy to navigate. Sioux Falls is a worthwhile destination where the downtown has parks, art installations, multiple restaurants and state parks … MORE
Well organized event. Airport close to town and city easy to navigate. Sioux Falls is a worthwhile destination where the downtown has parks, art installations, multiple restaurants and state parks nearby.
In terms of the race, very small expo, the long sleeve shirt option was nice. The marathon course is a scenic loop starting with a section through the downtown, past the falls, then out on a bike path to leafy, suburban neighborhoods and then back on a backpath for a long stretch ending in a stadium. Great support on course with regular stations providing water and electrolytes, some offered gels and other food. Spectators at multiple sections throughout the course. Pacers offered many time options with 15 minute increments. The elevation is pretty flat and course was not crowded.
Stayed at the Sheraton which was directly adjacent the the start line and the stadium where the race finished.
All in all a great race experience. The only downside was no real post race celebration. You received a ticket for one local beer and a bottle of water was handed out but food options at the finish line were very limited and most folks just headed out after the race.
Awesome Race! Loved the first half
Amazing run! Beautiful race. Miles 5-10 were my favorite. Kinda demoralizing after hittting the split for the half marathoners and the full, but overall, nice run. The expo was nothing … MORE
Amazing run! Beautiful race. Miles 5-10 were my favorite. Kinda demoralizing after hittting the split for the half marathoners and the full, but overall, nice run. The expo was nothing special. Crowd support was “ok” at best. Water stations were great with lots of poweraid. Overall, nice run, nothing special but very scenic. Note, if staying in downtown Sioux Falls, its tough to get an uber pre-run because of road closures, so plan ahead
Beautiful course
Marathon had great aid support and scenic course! spectators were scattered around but in areas where you needed it most expo was underwhelming, nothing very exciting other than getting your … MORE
Marathon had great aid support and scenic course!
spectators were scattered around but in areas where you needed it most
expo was underwhelming, nothing very exciting other than getting your race packet and shirt
Very Average Half Marathon Experience
ND was state #27 on my 50 state half marathon experience. While it wasn't as warm as I thought it would be, it wasn't ideal race weather, either. There were … MORE
ND was state #27 on my 50 state half marathon experience.
While it wasn’t as warm as I thought it would be, it wasn’t ideal race weather, either. There were more turns and elevation than I expected.
One mishap: I was given a full marathon bib instead of a full, and that caused some confusion which cost me a few seconds. I am not sure how that happened. Please double check your registration. The organizers did respond to me with my concerns in a reasonable time, and my half time was recorded properly despite me wearing a full bib.
Ok experience. I am glad I got to visit Sioux Falls, but I wouldn’t run this race again.
Gorgeous Half, Meh Full.
Finally got to run this one! It was great to start and finish at the stadium. The communication before the race was a little lax- I didn't know if there … MORE
Finally got to run this one!
It was great to start and finish at the stadium. The communication before the race was a little lax- I didn’t know if there were rules about bag check, for example- but luckily they were cool with the backpack I brought. That’s also pretty standard for smaller races.
The first half was incredibly gorgeous. The falls are amazing, and the town is so cute! Yes, there are hills, but they pay off with equal downhills and great views. However, the back half was a slog. Miles 14-25 are on an unshaded greenway that, according to Strava, was a false flat uphill almost the entire way. This was where my race died. I had banked 12 minutes in the first 13, and ended up 13 minutes over pace at the end. I wish the full almost ran opposite. Let’s start with the greenway and end in town. There would be more spectators and shade.
Medal is a little generic. If it had even been in the shape of South Dakota, that would have added a lot. The falls being pictured on it would have been even better!
Kudos to Severance Brewery for being out there until after the course closed! I hate when I can’t get my finisher beer, and they gave me two! Then, a BOGO deal at the brewery was an amazing finishing touch.
Overall, I would recommend this for fifty staters. I would recommend that the race directors figure out a solution to the greenway issue (because clearly that’s why it was canceled last year- that would have been deadly hot!), and to add some pizazz and local flair to the medal.
Great race
I really enjoyed this race. The course was nice and scenic. The spectators and race volunteers and law enforcement presence was great. I thought it was well organized and the … MORE
I really enjoyed this race. The course was nice and scenic. The spectators and race volunteers and law enforcement presence was great. I thought it was well organized and the swag was good. This was one of my favorite races so far.
Recommend the Half not the Full
I chose this race for South Dakota just due to convenience. I was initially hoping to do a race in the beautiful black hills of South Dakota. However when I … MORE
I chose this race for South Dakota just due to convenience. I was initially hoping to do a race in the beautiful black hills of South Dakota. However when I looked into the logistics with my limited funds and vacations dates this year with the Antarctica Half, I realized flights to Sioux Falls were much cheaper and had more convenient times than Rapid City and I could do this as a double with Nebraska State Fair. While Sioux Falls isn’t as majestic as the Black Hills it was a nice race. For the most part pre-race communication was good and I had all the info I needed. The biggest pre race issue was the cancelled the marathon only a few days in advance due to heat. This made me a bit nervous they may cancel the half but luckily that happened. While I completely understand why a race company would cancel a marathon due to the heat, this is an August race! I feel like you should expect the possibility of heat in August. This was also the second time in 4 years they canceled the full marathon. I think they need to change the race to a later date if they are going to have a low threshold to cancel the race due to heat. As a result, I definitely do not recommend signing up for the full unless you don’t mind being forced to drop down to the half. Otherwise everything went smooth. One thing I wish was different is the expo closes at 4pm on Saturday and I wish it went later. The 4pm closing makes it a bit tighter to make it to the expo if flying Saturday morning or driving from Grand Island Nebraska. It is about a 4 hour drive from Grand Island so definitely not an issue for half marathoners but it did mean I could only visit the state fair for about an hour before I had to leave for South Dakota to make it on time and it may be an issue for full marathoners doing the double. Expo was small but had a few booths and the essentials. Packet included bib and a nice half zip pullover but again a bit of a hot swag item for a summer race. For hotels do NOT stay at the Holiday Inn in Downtown Sioux Fall. I initially had reservations there but it was super loud as there was some banquet with loud music going on until midnight and I ended up having to change hotels as I couldn’t sleep. I ended up staying at the Holiday Inn Express by the Airport. It was a bit more expensive but much quieter and actually closer to the race. Race morning was pretty smooth. They had a map where to park. Start pretty well organized but the start area was a bit underwhelming with just a timing mat and a banner that said start. There were a lot of porta potties and pacers up to 3 hours. I didn’t really stick with the pacer since I wanted to do run walk intervals and she wasn’t doing them but I used the 3 hour pacer as a guide to make sure I could keep her in my eye sight as this had a 3:15 time limit. The race started on time. The weather was very very humid but I didn’t think it was that hot. It was in the 70s, there was also a cool breeze and a mist. I mean it was hotter than ideal for a full marathon but I’ve done much hotter races this summer. I liked the course a lot. The start is at a sports complex and the first mile or so it flat. Then it is hillier and goes through downtown. None of the hills are bad. It is just rolling hills. The miles downtown are nice with interesting architecture and lots of spectators. The best part of the course is around mile 5 when you run past the falls that Sioux Falls is named after. After you out and back along a river path which is peaceful and very flat and then you are back to a few hills in town and then back to the sports complex where you finish on a track. In terms of difficulty there is about 300 feet of elevation gain and it’s a mix of flat sections and rolling hills. I would saw the course is below average in difficult but the heat made it a bit tougher. I was able to keep an under 3 hour pace until about mile 8-9 when I started to feel a bit overheated and decided to slow it down as I banked plenty of time to finish in 3:15 and it was more important to finish healthy than finish under 3 hours. Production was good and the course was well marked and had plenty of police and volunteer support. It was either on closed roads or public paths so no issues with traffic. There are about 1000 participants so it is a nice size race. There would be the right amount of aid stations in usual weather but as they felt it was hot enough to cancel the full I feel like they should have added a few more. Mile markers were also a little bit off in some sections. The finish line was also lack luster with just a timing mat and no finish arch. These are all very little production details that didn’t ruin the race but there was enough little things that could have been improved to make this a 4 sneaker not 5 sneaker race. I was happy I finished well under 3:15. I didn’t make under 3 hours but it was still my second fastest half this year. Though the race did not seem strict with the time limit but I couldn’t risk it as I am so close to 50 and it would be hard to redo South Dakota. I had no issues with anything at my pace. The medal is nice with the skyline of Sioux Falls. There was plenty of snacks and drinks including sodas at the end. Overall I thought this was a very nice race. There was a few things that could be fixed to make it a great race. If you have the time and money try to do a race in the Black Hills as they are gorgeous (I’ve been there before on vacation) but if you are looking for a convenient half is South Dakota this is a good choice especially as a double with Nebraska State Fair. However I would be very cautious signing up for the full marathon if they do not move the race date.
Nice course, terrible weather
Very well supported, challenging course with several rolling hills, and great crowd support. Weather was 75 degrees with 98% humidity. This made for tough racing conditions but there were plenty … MORE
Very well supported, challenging course with several rolling hills, and great crowd support. Weather was 75 degrees with 98% humidity. This made for tough racing conditions but there were plenty of water stops with awesome volunteers.
Solid and enjoyable race
Nice race that covered a lot of the highlights of Sioux Falls. Race was well run and I really like the 1/4 zip long sleeve they gave out. MORE
Nice race that covered a lot of the highlights of Sioux Falls. Race was well run and I really like the 1/4 zip long sleeve they gave out.
Beware of bad weather
I was supposed to run the marathon, but it got cancelled so I ran the half. Going into the race I was so excited to cross of South Dakota as … MORE
I was supposed to run the marathon, but it got cancelled so I ran the half.
Going into the race I was so excited to cross of South Dakota as state #7. However, due to inclement weather (which this race has a history of), the organizers emailed participants three days before the race (race was on Sunday and we got the email on Thursday). I don’t know who I wanted to blame more: the organizers for scheduling a marathon in late August or myself for knowing this race has a history of bad weather and signing up for it anyway. On race day, conditions were 75 degrees with 95% humidity and completely overcast. It had been years since I had been training for a 3:55 marathon, so I was proud of myself for my PR, considering the less than ideal conditions. I’m going to cross off South Dakota next year, but I will not be returning to this race.
The course itself was alright. We ran on sidewalks when we got to the falls area, which I didn’t love. I also heard there was a shortage of bathrooms during the race. I heard from a friend afterwards that he didn’t see a bathroom for a really long time and had to go in the woods. One think that I did like was the medal. I thought it was really well designed, and I’m proud to display it with my half medals. There was no issue with parking and the post race food was alright. There was no sports drink available after the race, which was surprising. Overall, this race is a hit or miss, so if you sign up for the full, don’t be shocked if it gets cancelled.
13.1 Hot and Humid Miles
Typically, the Sioux Falls race offers runners both a full and a half marathon. Fortunately for me, I had registered for the half because this year, the race organizers cancelled … MORE
Typically, the Sioux Falls race offers runners both a full and a half marathon.
Fortunately for me, I had registered for the half because this year, the race organizers cancelled the Full Marathon due to the extreme heat and humidity. But the Half Marathon went on as planned! South Dakota doesn’t normally experience temperatures in the high 90’s this late in August, but the humidity was out in full force for this race morning. My sweat had nowhere to go! Anyway…. we all know that race organizers can not control the weather, so that’s all I’ll say about the conditions.
The loop course was quite nice. It starts out near the airport (at the Convention Center) and takes runners into downtown Sioux Falls, routing through Falls Park along the bike path. There was a lot of crowd support in Falls Park. The volunteers at all of the water stops were extremely nice, and there were numerous race marshalls cheering us along throughout the course. There are a few hills, but nothing too terrible. The last part of the race is a bit tough… runners are routed in to the far side of the Howard Wood Field track. You run the final leg of the race in full view of the spectators. In more ideal race conditions, this could be an inspiring way to finish a race, but on this hot and humid day, it was kind of torturous.
But, I am thankful to the kind people of South Dakota for putting on a nice race.
Better Half than Full
Ran the Half in '23 after running the full in '22 and 10K in '21. I like the half's course better than the brutal ending slog on the northwestern bike … MORE
Ran the Half in ’23 after running the full in ’22 and 10K in ’21. I like the half’s course better than the brutal ending slog on the northwestern bike path in the marathon. You get a blend of downtown, Falls Park, and the shady NE bike path before winding back up to the stadium.
Fun!
-easy packet pick up -great course! You get to run through downtown Sioux Falls, Falls Park and some cute bike trails -there are a lot of rolling hills. I would … MORE
-easy packet pick up
-great course! You get to run through downtown Sioux Falls, Falls Park and some cute bike trails
-there are a lot of rolling hills. I would not describe the course as hilly, but it is definitely not flat.
Long
Longest half ever! My Garmin had it at 13.48 miles. All the mile markers matched my Garmin until the mile 12 marker…watch said 12.2 and the rest was long as … MORE
Longest half ever! My Garmin had it at 13.48 miles. All the mile markers matched my Garmin until the mile 12 marker…watch said 12.2 and the rest was long as well. Finished on the track.
Great race!
This was a great race! The weather was perfect for the 13.1 miles. There is not a ton of course support, but there was some, which was nice. The start … MORE
This was a great race! The weather was perfect for the 13.1 miles. There is not a ton of course support, but there was some, which was nice. The start area was great, plenty of portapotties for everyone. The finish was fun into the stadium as well. The course had some great scenic areas in the town of Sioux Falls. The packet pickup and expo were pretty small and had limited vendors. Overall this was a decent race.
OK - but could be so much better
Overall an OK race - but there's room for lots of improvement. First negative - the packet pickup was over at 4:00 pm. I arrived about this time (Sioux Falls … MORE
Overall an OK race – but there’s room for lots of improvement. First negative – the packet pickup was over at 4:00 pm. I arrived about this time (Sioux Falls is not easy to get to) and by the time I drove to the site – it was shut down – which meant that I had to arrive at the race start by 5:30 am (race started at 7:00) to pick up my bib and shirt. Also I had to tie my shirt around my waist which I hate doing. Stayed at the nearest hotel – the Sheraton which was in walking distance to the start and finish. There was also a “pasta” buffet the night before at this hotel (nice idea – but there was no selection). The course was scenic in the beginning but very boring at the end – it was like they were trying to desperately add miles. Also the race was 13.5 miles long – not 13.1. My biggest complaint about the coaurse was that it was terribly marked at the end – I had no idea of where I was going because it was not clear. In all the pictures – I have this stupid look on my face because I had no idea if I was going the right way or not. Good points – the course finished inside a stadium – that’s always fun and the people were very nice all over. the medal was just ok and the shirt was a long sleeve which I love. Since there are not many choices for South Dakota – I would recommend this one.
Needs a Bit More Polish
Sioux Falls Marathon is a fine race, but I would suggest looking at all SD options before committing to this race. The organizers provide adequate communication about the race, and … MORE
Sioux Falls Marathon is a fine race, but I would suggest looking at all SD options before committing to this race. The organizers provide adequate communication about the race, and the expo and finish line are no frills. My family commented that it was difficult to know where the race finished from across the track and with no signage.
My primary disappointment was the mile marker accuracy. I ran with the 4-hour pace group. The mile markers were spot with all our watches ticking off at each marker – until Mile 20. The mile 20 marker was a quarter mile long and the additional distance wasn’t absorbed in the last 6 miles. We tracked just ahead of our goal only to realize that we were actually one minute behind pace. I finished with 26.63 miles.
Be prepared for direct sun exposure from mile 18 to the end with too few aid stations from mile 22 to the finish.
Good, but room for improvement
The 2023 edition of this race shows a good race that can be great with a little more work. Bare bones expo - no additional swap available Minimal water stations, … MORE
The 2023 edition of this race shows a good race that can be great with a little more work.
Bare bones expo – no additional swap available
Minimal water stations, pre and post race experience
Both the half and full were reported long by some participants
Great crowd support
Responsive race team
Scenic route.
Nice race to complete South Dakota.
Lots of river path running and a lot of turns. Smooth overall race in a nice welcoming community. I loved the support by people coming out of their homes to … MORE
Lots of river path running and a lot of turns. Smooth overall race in a nice welcoming community. I loved the support by people coming out of their homes to cheer through the neighborhoods.