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Kansas City Marathon
Race Details:
- Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
- Race Date: 10/17/2026
- Race Distances: Full Marathon, Half Marathon
What This Race Counts Toward:
Boston: Yes
World Marathon Majors: Yes
Kansas City Marathon Description
The Kansas City Marathon starts and finishes at Crown Center, taking runners on a scenic loop through the city’s most iconic neighborhoods. The course winds through Westport and the Country Club Plaza before a signature climb toward the Liberty Memorial, rewarding runners with sweeping skyline views near the finish. Rolling hills add a fair challenge throughout, balanced by enthusiastic crowd support and shaded stretches along tree-lined streets. A half marathon, 10K, and 5K run alongside on race weekend, making this a lively fall celebration of Kansas City’s neighborhoods, history, and community spirit.
Always check the official race website for the most accurate and up-to-date race information and logistics.
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Kansas City Marathon Additional Details:
Kansas City earns its “City of Fountains” nickname on race day, with runners passing roughly 15 of the city’s 200-plus fountains along the course, a detail longtime finishers say makes the miles fly by. Aid stations show up every mile and a half to two miles, well-stocked with water and sports drink, plus Gu and bananas in the later miles and, for runners needing something different by mile 24, a pickle juice and chicken broth station to fight off cramps. The finisher medal itself has become a collector’s item, with recent designs featuring a spinning fountain logo set inside a watch-face style frame. It’s a race that rewards paying attention to the details, not just the finish line.
Course Information
Profile: Hilly
Type: Loop
Surface: Road/Pavement
Pace Groups: Yes
Time Limit: 6 hours (full)
# of Finishers
Half Marathon: 4,006
Marathon: 1,538
Elevation Details
Elevation Gain: 1,200 ft (365 m)
Elevation Loss: 1,200 ft (365 m)
Average Temperature
- Low: 47°F
- High: 69°F
Train Smarter for Race Day
A great race starts long before the starting line. Whether you’re chasing your first finish or hunting a new PR, a structured training plan takes the guesswork out of race prep — building your fitness, your confidence, and your mileage at the right pace for you.
Explore plans for every distance and experience level, from your first 5K to your next ultra.
Beginner, intermediate, and advanced plans to get you to the start line ready.
Your bridge into marathons, with a plan built for stepping up the distance.
Structured plans for every experience level, first finish to chasing a new PR.
Things to Do in Kansas City, MO, USA
Make the most of race weekend — here’s how to fill the time before and after you cross the finish line.
Museums & History
National WWI Museum and Memorial
Explore the National WWI Museum and Memorial, the country’s official museum dedicated to World War I — an easy, indoor, low-impact stop after race day.
Zoos, Aquariums & Gardens
Kansas City Zoo
See polar bears and the Helzberg Penguin Plaza at the Kansas City Zoo in Swope Park — a flat, self-paced walk that’s gentle on recovering legs.
Shopping
Country Club Plaza
Browse boutiques and dine amid fountains and Spanish Revival architecture at the Country Club Plaza — an easy, flat, walkable stroll for a post-race souvenir.
Arts & Culture
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
See more than 40,000 works of art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, from ancient ceramics to modern masterpieces — a relaxed, indoor way to spend a taper day.
Outdoors & Trails
Swope Park
Hike the wooded trails of Swope Park, one of the largest municipal parks in the country at more than 1,800 acres — an easy option for tapering or recovering legs.
Landmark
Union Station
Explore Kansas City’s Union Station, a Beaux-Arts landmark now home to museums, shops, and a model train exhibit — an easy, indoor, low-impact stop after race weekend.
Scenic Drives & Viewpoints
Mill Creek Fountain
See the Mill Creek Fountain, built in Paris in 1910 and now Kansas City’s most photographed fountain, near the Country Club Plaza — a relaxed, low-impact stop after race day.
Hotels & Lodging Near the Kansas City Marathon
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