Races
Experience the IMT Des Moines Marathon on Sunday, October 21, 2012. Register Now!
Click the one of the race divisions to learn more about your race of interest:
Marathon Half Marathon Marathon Relay 5K Road Race Kids Run
Have a comment or question? You may want to visit our Frequently Asked Questions page first. Please feel free to Contact Us if you are not finding the specific event information that you are looking for.
Race Day
All races take place on Sunday, October 21, 2012.
The IMT Des Moines Marathon & Half Marathon and Bankers Trust Marathon Relay start at 8 a.m.
The Principal Financial Group 5K Road Race starts at 8:30 a.m.
The Kids Run Presented by Iowa Kidstrong starts at the corner of 4th and Locust Street at 1 p.m.
All races start and finish at Nollen Plaza | 400 Locust Street | Des Moines, IA 50309
Race Day Street Closures Combined Course Map Race Day Information
Weather
October tends to be a fairly dry month in Iowa. You will likely experience a bit of a chill to the early morning air on race day. Average lows are in the lower 50's and highs in the upper 60's. We rely on the weather team at ABC 5 for up to the minute weather updates when making our final contingency plans for race weekend.
Old race shirts, a sweatshirt or a pair of gloves are a great examples of ways to stay warm while awaiting the start of the race. Your body will begin to warm up after the first couple miles of the race and you will want to shed layers. Volunteers from the Iowa Homeless Youth Center will pick up any discarded clothing that you leave behind. We also donate all of the food that is leftover from the finish line festivities to this important nonprofit organization in our community.
Locker Rooms and Showers
The Riverfront YMCA opens their doors at 6:00 a.m. You will have access to the main gym for stretching. The Riverfront YMCA has also offered use of their locker rooms as a place for you to secure your valuables and take a post race shower. Please remember to bring your own lock, as they will not be responsible for lost or stolen items. The Riverfront YMCA is located two blocks east of the start/finish line at Nollen Plaza.
Riverfront YMCA | 101 Locust Street | Des Moines, IA 50309
Baggage Claim/Information
The Lint Van Lines Baggage Claim and an information booth will be available at the back of the start line at 5th Street and Locust Street on the west end of Capital Square. You may want to use your bag from athlete packet pick up to store your personal items during the race. Simply return with your race number/bib to claim your belongings. The IMT Des Moines Marathon is not responsible for any lost, stolen or unclaimed bags from the baggage claim.
Nondenominational Service
Stephen Taylor, Pastor of the Monroe United Methodist Church in Monroe, Iowa will lead a brief nondenominational service at 7:15 a.m. inside Capital Square, which is the white office building with windows on the west end of Nollen Plaza. Anyone and everyone who would like to attend the nondenominational service is welcome.
Stretching
Gigi's Pilates Studio personal fitness instructors will lead a series of group warm up and stretching exercises before the start of the IMT Des Moines Marathon races from 7:15 to 7:45 a.m. and again from 8:00 to 8:15 a.m. Look for them on the entertainment stage at Nollen Plaza and get loose.
Parking
There are a variety of parking options in downtown Des Moines. You do not have to put money in the parking meters on the street at any time on Saturday or Sunday.
We invite you to take advantage of parking at many of the downtown parking ramps on Saturday and Sunday. City of Des Moines parking ramps are located at 4th Street/Grand Avenue, 5th Street/George Watson Powell Parkway, 5th Street/Locust Avenue, and 7th Street/Locust Avenue.
Do not attempt to park in the 3rd Street/Court Avenue parking ramp on race morning.
Parking is also available at Principal Park, home of the Iowa Cubs, six blocks south of Nollen Plaza.
Principal Park | One Line Drive | Des Moines, IA 50309
Please be respectful of No Parking signs in the downtown area, especially on race day. Chances are likely that the No Parking signs are posted on our behalf. Your vehicle will be towed.
Ride Share
Interested in ridesharing to the IMT Des Moines Marathon? Sign up here for an account and become members of a growing and dynamic community. It is free to join and PickupPals can track the number of rides they have given or taken, the number of km they have traveled via ride sharing and we can as an IMT Des Moines Marathon group keep track of the amount of emissions we have reduced as a result!"
Contact Us
We want to hear from you. Every athlete has a story to tell. Share your story with us and we may post it on our website. Your story should be from 500 to 1,000 words in length. Be sure to include your name and where you are from. Be creative, descriptive and don't forget to create a title for your story. When you are done click here to submit to the IMT Des Moines Marathon to share with others!
Athletes Speak
Jack's Story - I'm one of many wheeler /hand cyclists who have "run" the course since 2003. I have won 3 out of those four years and was beaten by a good racer one of those years. Each year I'm greeted by cheers, supportive greetings, hoots, whistles etc for encouragement while giving out my own "keep up the good work" or nice job etc. I enjoy the camaraderie. I try to do several 5k-marathons each year to keep in shape and keep a competitive edge, no matter the finish. But I really race for a bigger picture than just for myself. I have 4 boys, 2 with disabilities. One races shorter races with me on a hand cycle. Click Here to read more.
Brenda's Story - Brenda Schwartztrauber
Go Woman Heart!!! - Terry Harris
Prevention Magazine article - Family loses 191 lbs. walking half marathon
Rob Gillum plans to run state to state from Missouri to Minnesota.
   
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