Des Moines Marathon: Pacing & Race-Day Strategy
A rolling city tour past the Iowa Capitol, Drake University and Gray’s Lake, with enough roll to demand pacing by effort.
Last updated
- Where:
- Des Moines, Iowa
- When:
- Sunday, October 18, 2026
- Course:
- Rolling · urban
- Best run as:
- Even pace
Course & elevation
Des Moines is gently rolling rather than flat, touring the heart of the city past the gold-domed Iowa State Capitol, the Drake University campus and the loop around Gray’s Lake. There’s no single big climb, but a steady accumulation of moderate ups and downs gives the course more character than a pancake-flat PR route. It’s a well-organized, scenic course that runs best when paced by effort over the rollers.
- Start → Finish
- 810 → 845 ft
- Net
- +35 ft
- Total gain
- ≈ 285 ft
The certified route
A loop through Des Moines, starting and finishing on Court Ave downtown in front of Court Ave Brewing Co, heading out Grand Ave and Kingman Blvd past Drake Stadium, onto the Levee and Bill Riley trails, looping Waterworks Park, and returning via Grays Lake and MLK Pkwy.
- Start
- Court Ave, 13 ft 1 in east of lightpole c305 and 33 ft west of lightpole c303, directly in front of the door to Court Ave Brewing Co.
- Finish
- Same as the start, on Court Ave in front of Court Ave Brewing Co.
Underfoot
Almost entirely paved, with about 1 percent track.
Through, in order
Des Moines
What you pass
- Miles 8 to 10: Drake Stadium
- Miles 15 to 17: the Levee Trail and Bill Riley Trail
- Miles 18 to 21: Waterworks Park, with a marathon-only turnaround at mile 19
- Mile 23: Grays Lake
Transcribed from the USATF certificate for Des Moines Marathon (IA25004MF), measured 4 and 25 August and 1 September 2024, 24 August 2025. Where the certificate is silent, so are we.
Key moments
- Mile 1–4Out past the gold-domed Iowa State Capitol, rolling from the start; hold a conservative effort.
- Mile 8–12Through the Drake University campus and surrounding neighborhoods, with steady ups and downs.
- Mile 16–20The scenic loop around Gray’s Lake, a chance to settle your rhythm on calmer terrain.
- Mile 24–26.2Rolling closing miles back toward downtown where the cumulative climb is felt.
Pacing strategy
Run the rollers by effort rather than chasing even splits, since the moderate ups and downs add up over 26 miles. Stay disciplined through the early hills, use the flatter Gray’s Lake stretch to recover your rhythm, and keep a little in reserve for the rolling return to downtown.
Pacing by goal time
Checkpoint splits for four common goals at Des Moines Marathon. These are effort-even rather than pace-even: the paces shift with the course profile, so climbs are slower and descents faster by the amount the grade actually costs. For any other goal time, use the planner below.
| Checkpoint | Sub-3:00 | Sub-3:30 | Sub-4:00 | Sub-4:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mile 3.1 | 20:486:46/mi | 24:167:54/mi | 27:449:02/mi | 31:1210:09/mi |
| Mile 6.2 | 41:377:02/mi | 48:338:12/mi | 55:309:22/mi | 1:02:2610:33/mi |
| Mile 9.3 | 1:01:486:42/mi | 1:12:067:49/mi | 1:22:248:56/mi | 1:32:4210:03/mi |
| Mile 12.4 | 1:22:367:04/mi | 1:36:228:15/mi | 1:50:089:25/mi | 2:03:5410:36/mi |
| Mile 15.5 | 1:43:056:59/mi | 2:00:168:09/mi | 2:17:279:18/mi | 2:34:3810:28/mi |
| Mile 18.6 | 2:03:386:45/mi | 2:24:147:53/mi | 2:44:519:00/mi | 3:05:2710:08/mi |
| Mile 21.7 | 2:24:236:44/mi | 2:48:277:51/mi | 3:12:308:58/mi | 3:36:3410:05/mi |
| Mile 24.9 | 2:44:346:46/mi | 3:11:597:54/mi | 3:39:259:01/mi | 4:06:5010:09/mi |
| Finish | 2:58:286:59/mi | 3:28:138:08/mi | 3:57:589:18/mi | 4:27:4310:28/mi |
Splits assume even effort and are adjusted for this course's climbs and descents, which cost more than they give back. A model, not a promise: wind and heat move real splits around. See how the pacing model works.
Plan your mile splits
Turn your goal time into a mile-by-mile plan for Des Moines Marathon, built from this course's elevation. The even pace approach comes pre-selected, and grade-adjusted pacing evens out your effort across the climbs and descents.
Plan Des Moines Marathon splitsFueling & hydration
Aid stations roughly every 1.5–2 miles with water and sports drink. Because the rollers raise the workload slightly, fuel before the climbing sections rather than during, and keep gels on a steady schedule throughout.
Weather
Mid-October Des Moines is typically crisp fall racing weather. Starts land in the upper 30s to mid-40s and warm into the 50s or low-60s, usually dry, with the occasional wind across the open Iowa landscape.
What race morning has actually been like
The last 5 editions of Des Moines Marathon, measured at the start line rather than averaged across the month. Starts have run 41–59°F, averaging 47°F.
| Year | Date | Start | Dew pt | Wind | By late morning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Oct 17 | 44°F | 41°F | 4 mph | 57°F |
| 2022 | Oct 16 | 41°F | 34°F | 6 mph | 51°F |
| 2023 | Oct 15 | 47°F | 41°F | 10 mph | 50°F |
| 2024 | Oct 20 | 59°F | 45°F | 7 mph | 70°F |
| 2025 | Oct 19 | 44°F | 38°F | 11 mph | 51°F |
Dates derived from the race's published pattern (3rd Sunday in October), observations at Des Moines, IA (start). Source: Open-Meteo historical reanalysis (ERA5), 7-11am local at the start line. Reanalysis is modelled from station observations, so treat it as a close record rather than an official one. See how race-morning weather is built.
Is Des Moines Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Yes. The course actually finishes 35 ft higher than it starts, so no downhill adjustment applies, and nobody can accuse the time of being gravity-assisted.
This drop is our estimate rather than a figure from the course's certificate. If it sits near a threshold, confirm with the organizer.
Compare every course, how the downhill bands work, or work out your own target.
Dial in your pacing & fueling
New to how training builds toward a race like this? Start with Anatomy of a Running Plan, find your zones with the pace calculator, and plan race-day nutrition with the fueling calculator.
Related marathon guides
- Quad Cities MarathonMoline, Illinois · Sep 27, 2026In neighboring Illinois
- Chicago MarathonChicago, Illinois · Oct 11, 2026In neighboring Illinois
- Twin Cities MarathonMinneapolis & St. Paul, Minnesota · Oct 4, 2026In neighboring Minnesota
- Sydney MarathonSydney, Australia · Aug 29, 2027Another flat course
Train for Des Moines Marathon
Build a free, personalized marathon plan that progresses you safely to race day, with paces tuned to your goal.
Create your free plan