PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONUS / RACE GUIDE

Garmin Kansas City Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Kansas City
US

pasa47 · flickr (CC BY)The original uploader was Americasroof at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 3.0formulanone · CC BY-SA 2.0Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.5)

Race date in 6 days: Oct 17, 2026 Sat
City · Distance: Kansas City · 42.195km · 21.1km · 10km +1 more events
Entry fee: $155Varies by event and entry period
Status: OpenTBD ~ Fri, October 16, 2026See how to enter ↗

Official website ↗

Instagram

D-day as of Oct 11, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

Start line is located in Frank A. Tice Park, across from the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Course passes through the World War I Memorial, Union Station, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts,

Country Club Plaza, Westport, and the 18th Street and Vine districts.

On the same morning, full marathon, half marathon, 10K, and 5K start in order.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 3

Reddit r/Marathon_TrainingRan in 2024 · Finish time 4:12:xx

“I am glad to have finished.”

On the hilly Kansas City course, the runner held back early to avoid a late-race collapse, finishing in the 4:12 range and cutting seven minutes off their 2015 time.

Read the original on Reddit r/Marathon_Training

AlmostSunTzuRan in 2023 · Finish time 02:59:54

“Great first marathon experience.”

The runner went sub-3 in their first marathon at the 2023 Garmin Kansas City Marathon, finishing in 2:59:54. After starting too fast and fading hard in the second half, they sprinted the final half-mile on the encouragement of the 3-hour pacer to hold on to the goal. The hilly course made for a rough day, but they called it a great first-marathon experience and a lesson in pacing.

Read the original on Reddit

MortisSafetyTortoiseRan in 2022 · Finish time 03:52:25

“KC Marathon is a gorgeous race, with tons of awesome people supporting, great people running it and I had the time of my life.”

MortisSafetyTortoise finished the 2022 Garmin Kansas City Marathon in 3:52:25. They reached their goal of breaking four hours, and were struck by the quiet morning scenery downtown, the cheering along the way, and the aid-station support. The final stretch was tough, but they rated the race a beautiful, enjoyable experience.

Read the original on Reddit

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

2025 Garmin Kansas City Marathon brings out 10,000 runners

FOX4 News Kansas City

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

Marathon

Entry cost $155

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Half

Entry cost $135

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

10K

Entry cost $75

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

5K

Entry cost $60

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 42.195km

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 07:00

Event	Start	Time limit
Marathon42.195km	07:00	6h
Half21.0975km	07:00	—
10K10km	07:30	—
5K5km	07:45	—

START

Frank A. Theis Park, Kansas City, MO

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

Theis Park

Finish · Google Maps

The start area is Frank A. Theis Park, opposite the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

According to the official information, course passes the National World War I Museum and Memorial, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art,

the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Union Station,

Country Club Plaza and T-Mobile Center before continuing through Waldo and Westport and the 18th and Vine district.

The course details vary from year to year.

The event was first held in 1979 as the Macy’s Marathon.

The first race under the name Kansas City Marathon took place on May 6, 1984, with John Case winning in 2:35:01 and Connie Burrows winning in 3:19:57.

The in-person 2020 race was canceled because of the spread of COVID-19.

Registered runners could transfer their entry to the 2021 event or join a charity-running programme and receive a partial refund.

Typical race-season temperature: around 13°C (55°F): Short sleeves or light long sleeves + arm warmers

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Finisher medal

Event T-shirt

Bag drop

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2025 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

Anyone who did not purchase the packet mail delivery option when registering must pick it up at the Expo.
10/15 (Thursday) ~ 10/16 (Friday) Health & Fitness Expo — 🔴 No pickup on the day of the competition, no exceptions

Union Station, 30 W Pershing Rd, Kansas City, MO

Google Maps Directions

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startKC Streetcar — Plaza stop (free to ride), then ~1
Getting to the finishSame KC Streetcar Plaza stop for departure after the race

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

KC Streetcar — Plaza stop (free to ride), then ~1/4 mile walk east to the start

Start/finish is Frank A. Theis Park, across from the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Country Club Plaza, Kansas City, MO.

Free KC Streetcar starts service 5am race morning, every 10-18 min. Free parking also at UMKC Volker Campus garages (~3,000 spaces).

Course closures affect downtown/midtown streets roughly 7am-2pm on race day (Oct 17, 2026).

Map

Getting to the finish

Same KC Streetcar Plaza stop for departure after the race

Finish is at the same Frank A. Theis Park / Plaza area as the start.

Map

Start shuttle

RideKC/KCATA reroutes local buses and runs shuttles across the closed race area: one between Crown Center and 11th & Wyandotte, another between Waldo and The Plaza.

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

The 2026 race will be held on Saturday, October 17.

The race takes place on the third Saturday of October each year.

Full marathon and half marathon start at 7:00 AM, the 10K at 7:30 AM, and the 5K at 7:45 AM.

The start area is Frank A. Theis Park.

Entry fee prices increase on September 28.

The race's official results can be used as a Boston Marathon qualifying time.

Participants receive a race-branded shirt, a finisher's finisher medal, and race photos available to download for free.

Food, beer, and massages are provided free of charge at the finish festival.

If you select VIP registration, you can use dedicated parking, restrooms, and an exclusive area.

Completing the Kansas City full marathon or half marathon together with the Des Moines Marathon full marathon or half marathon counts as the I-35 Challenge.

In addition to the participant items from both races, you receive exclusive challenge merchandise and a separate finisher's finisher medal.

Times are local to Kansas City. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Cascade Hotel, Kansas City, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel

Hotel · 759m

9.1/10(80)

View on Booking.com

Kansas City｜Private Airport Pickup/Drop-off Service at Kansas City International Airport

$181

View on Klook

Kansas City Half-Day Walking Food Tour with 5 Tastings & Secret Dish

$120

View on Klook

Kansas City Outlaws and Legends Tour

$30

Garmin Kansas City Marathon

About Garmin Kansas City Marathon — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run