IMT Des Moines Marathon

Experience the fun & excitement of the IMT Des Moines Marathon series of races. Experience a run through the heart of a city that’s in the midst of a revitalization and resurgence when you run the 13.1-mile course at the annual fall IMT Des Moines Marathon, which in addition to its half-marathon race, also includes a 5K run and a five-person relay for the 26.2-mile full marathon. One aspect of the race that helps to attract a larger number of both participants and spectators is the race’s seven-hour time limit, which makes it possible for walkers as well as runners and wheelchair participants to compete in any of the day’s races. Considered an excellent half-marathon (as well as full marathon) for first-time participants, the Des Moines race features an out-and-back course that starts and finishes at downtown’s Nollen Plaza, on Locust Street. Thanks in part to its downtown location and the stretches of the race that wind through the city’s parkland areas, the course is largely fast and flat, with plenty of urban scenery as well as tree-lined park roads and open green spaces to fill your field of vision as you make your way to the finish. The race also is made up of paved surfaces throughout.