Twin Cities Marathon: Pacing & Race-Day Strategy
“The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon” — scenic and rolling, with a tough uphill finish.
- Where:
- Minneapolis & St. Paul, Minnesota
- When:
- October
- Course:
- Rolling · uphill finish · point-to-point
- Best run as:
- Even pace
Course & elevation
Twin Cities rolls past lakes and the Mississippi from Minneapolis to St. Paul, with the defining feature a long net climb in the final 10K up Summit Avenue (roughly miles 20–23) before a downhill finish at the Capitol.
Key moments
- Mile 1–19Rolling, scenic miles past the lakes and river — controlled and steady.
- Mile 20–23The long grind up Summit Avenue — exactly where the marathon hurts most.
- Mile 24–26.2Downhill to the Capitol finish — reward for surviving Summit.
Pacing strategy
Do not spend your race before mile 20. Keep a few seconds per mile in reserve for the Summit Avenue climb, then let the downhill finish bring you home.
Plan your mile splits
Enter your goal time to get a mile-by-mile pacing band for Twin 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 2 miles with water and sports drink. Fuel well before the Summit climb so you’re not running on empty when the road tilts up.
Weather
Early-October Minnesota is usually crisp and ideal (40s–50s), with fall color along the route.
Train for Twin Cities Marathon
Build a free, personalized marathon plan that progresses you safely to race day — with paces tuned to your goal.
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