Quad Cities Marathon: Pacing & Race-Day Strategy
A flat, two-state tour that crosses the Mississippi River between Illinois and Iowa and loops around historic Arsenal Island.
Last updated
- Where:
- Moline, Illinois
- When:
- Sunday, September 27, 2026
- Course:
- Flat · river crossings
- Best run as:
- Even pace
Course & elevation
Quad Cities is flat and fast, hopping back and forth across the Mississippi River between Moline and the Iowa side, with a scenic loop around historic Arsenal Island in the middle. The bridges are the only real elevation, gentle ramps up and over the river rather than true hills, so the course stays kind to pacing. It’s a friendly, well-run PR and Boston-qualifying option with a genuinely multi-state, river-town character.
- Start → Finish
- 575 → 579 ft
- Net
- +4 ft
- Total gain
- ≈ 37 ft
The certified route
Multiple loops through the Quad Cities, starting and finishing on River Drive in Moline by the John Deere Commons, running through Bettendorf and Davenport in Iowa, crossing the Centennial Bridge to Rock Island, looping the Rock Island Arsenal, and returning along the Mississippi.
- Start
- River Drive, Moline, IL, in line with the west side of the center steps to the John Deere Commons (Johnny's Italian Steakhouse).
- Finish
- Same as the start, on River Drive in Moline by the John Deere Commons.
Underfoot
Fully paved.
Through, in order
Moline · Bettendorf · Davenport · Rock Island
What you pass
- Mile 1: the I-74 Illinois-bound bridge
- Mile 10: the Centennial Bridge to Rock Island
- Miles 13 to 16: the Rock Island Arsenal
- Miles 21 and 25: Ben Butterworth Parkway
Worth knowing
- Runners may use the entire roadway except where coned.
- Lane restrictions are given as traffic-cone placements on several sections.
Transcribed from the USATF certificate for Quad Cities Marathon (IL19003KU), measured 2019 and 14 September 2021. Where the certificate is silent, so are we.
Key moments
- Mile 1–3Out of Moline and onto the first Mississippi River bridge, a gentle ramp; ease into it.
- Mile 6–12The loop around historic Arsenal Island, flat and scenic between the states.
- Mile 18–22Another river crossing back toward Illinois, where the late bridge ramp tests tired legs.
- Mile 26Back into Moline along the riverfront for the finish.
Pacing strategy
A flat course that rewards an even effort. The only thing to manage is the handful of gentle bridge ramps, which feel bigger late in the race. Don’t surge over the early bridges, hold steady through the Arsenal Island loop, and keep a little in reserve for the final river crossing.
Pacing by goal time
Checkpoint splits for four common goals at Quad Cities 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 | 20:386:53/mi | 24:058:02/mi | 27:319:11/mi | 30:5710:20/mi |
| Mile 6.2 | 41:126:50/mi | 48:047:59/mi | 54:569:07/mi | 1:01:4810:15/mi |
| Mile 9.3 | 1:01:496:52/mi | 1:12:088:01/mi | 1:22:269:10/mi | 1:32:4410:19/mi |
| Mile 12.4 | 1:22:236:50/mi | 1:36:077:59/mi | 1:49:509:07/mi | 2:03:3410:16/mi |
| Mile 15.5 | 1:43:016:53/mi | 2:00:118:02/mi | 2:17:219:11/mi | 2:34:3110:20/mi |
| Mile 18.6 | 2:03:356:50/mi | 2:24:117:59/mi | 2:44:479:07/mi | 3:05:2210:15/mi |
| Mile 21.7 | 2:24:126:52/mi | 2:48:148:01/mi | 3:12:169:10/mi | 3:36:1810:19/mi |
| Mile 24.9 | 2:44:466:50/mi | 3:12:137:59/mi | 3:39:419:07/mi | 4:07:0810:16/mi |
| Finish | 2:58:306:52/mi | 3:28:158:01/mi | 3:58:009:10/mi | 4:27:4510:18/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 Quad Cities 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 Quad Cities Marathon splitsFueling & hydration
Aid stations roughly every 1.5–2 miles with water and sports drink. The flat profile makes a fixed gel schedule easy to keep, and the exposed bridge crossings are good landmarks to remind yourself to drink.
Weather
Late-September along the Mississippi is usually mild early-fall weather, with starts in the 50s warming into the 60s or low-70s. Generally favorable, though a warm, humid river-valley morning is possible.
What race morning has actually been like
The last 5 editions of Quad Cities Marathon, measured at the start line rather than averaged across the month. Starts have run 58–69°F, averaging 63°F.
| Year | Date | Start | Dew pt | Wind | By late morning |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Sep 26 | 60°F | 49°F | 10 mph | 73°F |
| 2022 | Sep 25 | 58°F | 51°F | 11 mph | 66°F |
| 2023 | Sep 24 | 64°F | 55°F | 12 mph | 74°F |
| 2024 | Sep 22 | 69°F | 67°F | 3 mph | 69°F |
| 2025 | Sep 28 | 63°F | 60°F | 4 mph | 75°F |
Dew point has reached 67°F (2024). Above about 60°F, sweat stops evaporating efficiently and most runners lose pace no matter what the thermometer says. It is the number to watch here, not the air temperature.
Dates derived from the race's published pattern (4th Sunday in September), observations at Moline, IL (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 Quad Cities Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Yes. The course actually finishes 4 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.
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