Your plan in four answers
Des Moines Marathon has not announced its next date, so we have estimated October. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- 5K, 10K, Half marathon, Marathon
- Terrain
- Rolling
Course
The Des Moines Marathon course
All races start and finish downtown at 212 Raccoon Street, a new start and finish area for 2026, the race's 25th year. The marathon crosses the Des Moines River toward the State Capitol, runs west past the Pappajohn Sculpture Park to Drake Stadium, then follows historic Kingman Boulevard and Grand Avenue into West Des Moines and right through Valley Junction at mile 15.
Read the full course notes
The return to downtown runs through the city's parks, neighborhoods and university campuses. The whole course sits within a 220-foot band (762 to 982 feet, with start and finish at 802 feet), and the 2024 redesign deliberately cut hills and added spectator areas, so the climbs are gentle and gradual. Expect lively neighborhood crowds and a big downtown finish.
- Terrain
- Rolling
- Distances
- 5K, 10K, Half marathon, Marathon
- Weather on race day
- Mid-October in Des Moines usually starts in the 40s °F and warms into the low 60s °F (normals of about 43 °F and 63 °F). Wind on open stretches and the occasional cold front are the main variables, so check the forecast late in race week. Cool air suits steady pacing: dress for the middle miles, not the corral.
What to train for
This is a mostly gentle course with a few long, gradual rises, so it rewards rhythm more than raw strength.
Make your long runs include a 6 to 8 mile block at goal pace in the second half to rehearse holding pace from Valley Junction back downtown.
One weekly session of rolling tempo (20 to 30 minutes on gentle hills) covers the climbing. If you expect to finish near the 7-hour limit, note that runners must clear Valley Junction (mile 15) by 12:45 PM and plan your pacing around it.
Sample week
A sample Des Moines Marathon training week
A week from the middle of the build, about six weeks out. Your plan sets the real distances and paces from your own fitness and adjusts them every week as you train.
- Monday
- Rest, or 20 minutes of mobility
- Tuesday Key session
- Intervals: 5 × 1 mile at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 6–7 mi
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 10 mi with 6 mi at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 4 mi, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 16–18 mi, the last 4 mi at race pace
- Sunday
- Easy run, 4 mi, then 6 relaxed strides
Taper
Tapering for the Des Moines Marathon
Start the taper two to three weeks before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course rolls, so keep one short session on undulating ground in the first taper week.
Also in Claude
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Build me a training plan for the IMT Des Moines Marathon in October. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Des Moines Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Des Moines Marathon?
Most runners give a marathon sixteen to twenty weeks of focused training on top of an existing base. The plan above counts back from your actual race date, so if you have less time than that it builds the best plan the remaining weeks allow rather than pretending you have longer.
Is the Des Moines Marathon course hilly?
Rolling. All races start and finish downtown at 212 Raccoon Street, a new start and finish area for 2026, the race's 25th year.
What is the weather usually like at the Des Moines Marathon?
Mid-October in Des Moines usually starts in the 40s °F and warms into the low 60s °F (normals of about 43 °F and 63 °F). Wind on open stretches and the occasional cold front are the main variables, so check the forecast late in race week. Cool air suits steady pacing: dress for the middle miles, not the corral.
When should I start tapering for the Des Moines Marathon?
Start the taper two to three weeks before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course rolls, so keep one short session on undulating ground in the first taper week.
Do I need an account to get a Des Moines Marathon training plan?
No. The plan above builds in your browser with no account, no email, and no card. Make a free account only if you want to keep it, log your runs against it, and have the coach keep adapting it as your training goes.