5K Road Race

Experience the IMT Des Moines Marathon on Sunday, October 21, 2012. Register Now!

The Principal Financial Group 5K Road Race starts at 8:30 a.m.

The race starts and finishes at Nollen Plaza | 400 Locust Street | Des Moines, IA 50309

Race Day Street Closures Combined Course Map Race Day Information

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.

Packet Pick Up

All registered athletes will complete the race registration process by attending the Scheels Sports & Fitness Expo on Friday, October 19, from 3:00 - 8:00 p.m. or Saturday, October 20, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Make sure you don't leave the Scheels Sports & Fitness Expo without your race number/bib, Sportag timing device, athlete packet, and race shirt. Please note that athlete registration and/or athlete packet pick up is NOT offered on race day.

Veterans Memorial Auditorium | 833 5th Avenue | Des Moines, IA 50309

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 after 6:00 p.m. on Friday, or 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!"

Start

The Principal Financial Group 5K Road Race starts in downtown Des Moines at Nollen Plaza and crosses the Principal Riverwalk Bridge before heading east towards the Iowa State Capitol along Locust Street. Athletes will pass through the East Village and Court Avenue Districts while running on the downtown streets of Des Moines for the race.

Start/Finish Line Map     Course Information     Course Maps

Please self select your starting point, or where you line up, at the start line based on your predicted finish time. A general rule of thumb to follow for first-timers is to let faster runners to the front followed by slower runners and then walkers to the back of the pack.

It is not always easy to determine who is a faster runner and who is a walker before the race has begun. Don't be afraid to ask an IMT Des Moines Marathon Race Committee member for assistance in determining where to line up at the start. You can also stop by the Race Information, Volunteers, or Lint Van Lines Baggage Claim booth located at the south end of Nollen Plaza along Walnut Street.

Bicycles, inline skates, roller skates, baby strollers, scooters, wheeled vehicles (except event registered wheelchairs), and dogs/pets are not allowed on the Principal Financial Group 5K Road Race course.

Finish

The Principal Financial Group 5K Road Race finishes back at Nollen Plaza. Athletes crossing the finish line will be greeted by key volunteers from the Mercy Medical Center First Aid Station. You will be assisted in the removal of the Sportag™ timing device from your shoe .

The first 1,000 finishers in The Principal Financial Group 5K Road Race will receive a finisher medal.

MarathonFoto will also be on hand to take post race photos. You can click here to be notified when your photos are available for purchase following the race.

Race To The ULTRA
Michelob ULTRA supports golf, running, and cycling events across the country, encouraging adults to "Live life to the ULTRA" by leading active lifestyles. The "Race To The ULTRA" extravaganza at the Post Race Party offers runners of legal age with ID the opportunity to sample a refreshing, ice cold ULTRA (while supplies last).

A superior low-carbohydrate light beer, Michelob ULTRA has 95 calories, 2.6g carbs, 0.6g protein and 0.0g fat per 12 oz. serving. Visit www.michelobultra.com for access to the Michelob ULTRA Pathfinder running application on Facebook. This application provides mapped running routes in more than 50 U.S. cities, allowing users to share routes, photos and experiences with friends.

Post Race Party
Celebrate your accomplishment with family, friends and other athletes at the official post race party hosted by El Bait Shop from 2 to 5 p.m.

El Bait Shop has more than 100 beers on tap and features American made micro-brew beers. El Bait shop will offer a free taco bar for IMT Des Moines Marathon athletes on race day as well as free beer samples from the Iowa Brewers Association and Belgium Wheat Fat Tire.

El Bait Shop | 200 SW 2nd Street |Des Moines, IA 50309