16-Week Des Moines Marathon Training Plan

Des Moines, IAOctober 17, 2027

Start around June 27, 2027. The calendar below gives each phase a real date, then the course guidance shows where to make the build specific to Des Moines Marathon.

Almost 9 percent of finishers at the IMT Des Moines Marathon ran a Boston qualifying time in 2025, which is a high share for a course that climbs and drops close to 700 feet. That combination tells you what this race is. It is not flat, but the hills are small and evenly spread, never long enough to wreck a pace plan if you have trained for them.

Race day
October 17, 2027
Start window
June 27, 2027
Runway
16 weeks
Course
Rolling Hills · Loop
Plan choice
Current training

Does this window fit your starting point?

Use this window when you have a running base and want several weeks before the hardest marathon-specific work begins. The extra month over a 12-week plan creates more room for gradual long-run growth and recovery.

  • You run consistently enough that week one is a continuation, not a restart.
  • You want a distinct foundation phase before the biggest long runs.
  • You can protect your planned run days for roughly four months.
  • Your race date leaves the full window without forcing skipped weeks.

The 16-week Des Moines Marathon calendar

These dates define the job of each phase. Your current mileage, recent longest run, experience, goal, and available days still decide the actual workouts inside them.

Foundation

Weeks 1–4

Jun 28, 2027–Jul 25, 2027

Establish repeatable weeks, keep most running easy, and begin extending the long run without forcing the pace.

Build

Weeks 5–10

Jul 26, 2027–Sep 5, 2027

Increase the weekly load, preserve step-back weeks, and introduce the terrain and effort the race will require.

Peak

Weeks 11–13

Sep 6, 2027–Sep 26, 2027

Complete the biggest race-specific weeks and use long runs to lock in fueling, pacing, and equipment.

Taper

Weeks 14–16

Sep 27, 2027–Oct 17, 2027

Bring volume down while keeping the weekly rhythm familiar. Training is finished before race week begins.

Make the window specific to Des Moines Marathon.

Use the first month to establish consistency, then make long runs progressively more specific to the race's terrain and conditions. The course rehearsal should grow with the plan, not appear all at once in peak week.

Read the full race guide

How to train for Des Moines

Training for Des Moines means building a pace you can hold over rolling ground rather than flat ground. The course never gives you a long climb to break the rhythm and never gives you a long flat to settle into it, so the specific skill you need is holding steady effort while the road tilts under you every few minutes.

Two things to build in. Run your marathon-pace work on a rolling loop instead of a track or a straight bike path, so goal pace becomes an effort you recognize rather than a number you chase. And do at least three long runs starting at 8 a.m., fed the same way you plan to eat on race day, because a later start means a real breakfast and you want to know how your stomach handles it. Mid-October in Iowa is good training weather, so the last month of your build should feel better than the middle of it.

Des Moines Marathon course facts

Course
Loop · Rolling Hills · Road/Pavement
Elevation gain / loss
682 ft gain, 682 ft loss
Highest / lowest point
980 ft / 785 ft
Marathon finishers
1,889 in 2025 (mid-size field)
Boston qualifier
Certified Boston qualifying course
Finishers running a qualifying time
8.9% in 2025
Typical race morning
45°F at the start, 75% humidity, partly cloudy
Race day high / low
63°F / 42°F on average

Sources

Let your current training decide the actual plan.

Current mileage, recent longest run, marathon experience, goal, and available days determine which plans rank first. After you choose and subscribe, Stride dates every workout through October 17, 2027.

Build My Plan

16-week Des Moines Marathon plan questions, answered.

When should I start a 16-week Des Moines Marathon plan?

The 2027 Des Moines Marathon is scheduled for October 17, 2027, so the 16-week window opens around June 27, 2027. Treat that as the outside edge of the window, then line week one up with the plan's normal weekly rhythm.

Is a 16-week plan long enough for the Des Moines Marathon?

Use this window when you have a running base and want several weeks before the hardest marathon-specific work begins. The extra month over a 12-week plan creates more room for gradual long-run growth and recovery. The course does not change the opening load you can handle, so choose from your current mileage and recent longest run before adding race-specific terrain.

How should I prepare for the Des Moines Marathon course in 16 weeks?

Use the first month to establish consistency, then make long runs progressively more specific to the race's terrain and conditions. The course rehearsal should grow with the plan, not appear all at once in peak week. Training for Des Moines means building a pace you can hold over rolling ground rather than flat ground. The course never gives you a long climb to break the rhythm and never gives you a long flat to settle into it, so the specific skill you need is holding steady effort while the road tilts under you every few minutes.

What if the 16-week Des Moines Marathon window has already started?

Do not double weeks or cram missed mileage into the remaining calendar. Use your current mileage, recent longest run, experience, goal, and available days to choose a plan that can enter at an appropriate point while preserving the taper.

Is the Des Moines Marathon flat?

No, but it is close. The Des Moines Marathon rolls, with about 682 feet of total climbing spread across the course and only a 195-foot gap between its lowest and highest points. There is no single big hill. The real challenge is holding even effort while the road tilts every few minutes.

Is Des Moines a good Boston qualifier?

Yes. About 8.9 percent of Des Moines Marathon finishers ran Boston qualifying times in 2025, and the rate has run between roughly 5.5 and 10.9 percent in recent years. Cool mid-October weather, a USATF certified course and a modest rolling profile make it a realistic place to chase a time.

Put the 16-week window against your actual race.

Each page counts back from race day, maps the 4 phases to real dates, and applies the window to that course and its typical conditions.