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.
- 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
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 |
Grade adjustment is a model, not a promise. It assumes even effort and ignores wind, heat, and how well your legs handle sustained descent — which on a steep course is often the deciding factor.
Plan your mile splits
Enter your goal time to get a mile-by-mile pacing band for Quad Cities Marathon. The even pace option is pre-selected to suit this course.
| Mile | Pace | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:09/mi | 9:09 |
| 2 | 9:09/mi | 18:18 |
| 3 | 9:09/mi | 27:28 |
| 4 | 9:09/mi | 36:37 |
| 5 | 9:09/mi | 45:46 |
| 6 | 9:09/mi | 54:55 |
| 7 | 9:09/mi | 1:04:05 |
| 8 | 9:09/mi | 1:13:14 |
| 9 | 9:09/mi | 1:22:23 |
| 10 | 9:09/mi | 1:31:32 |
| 11 | 9:09/mi | 1:40:41 |
| 12 | 9:09/mi | 1:49:51 |
| 13 | 9:09/mi | 1:59:00 |
| 14 | 9:09/mi | 2:08:09 |
| 15 | 9:09/mi | 2:17:18 |
| 16 | 9:09/mi | 2:26:28 |
| 17 | 9:09/mi | 2:35:37 |
| 18 | 9:09/mi | 2:44:46 |
| 19 | 9:09/mi | 2:53:55 |
| 20 | 9:09/mi | 3:03:05 |
| 21 | 9:09/mi | 3:12:14 |
| 22 | 9:09/mi | 3:21:23 |
| 23 | 9:09/mi | 3:30:32 |
| 24 | 9:09/mi | 3:39:41 |
| 25 | 9:09/mi | 3:48:51 |
| 26 | 9:09/mi | 3:58:00 |
| 26.22 | 9:09/mi | 4:00:00 |
Fueling & 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.
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.
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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