Des Moines Marathon training plan: course, start dates, and plan options
Des Moines, IAOctober 17, 2027
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.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
The course starts and finishes in the same place downtown, runs on certified pavement, and gives you a seven-hour limit and an 8 a.m. gun to work with. The field reached about 1,889 marathon finishers in 2025, up roughly 30 percent from 2024. You will have people around you most of the way without ever fighting for road.
388 days to race day
Des Moines Marathon · October 17, 2027 · about 55 weeks out
Your plan starts with your race and works backward. Every week lands on a real calendar, with race day at the end.
When to start training for the Des Moines Marathon 2027
Race day is October 17, 2027, which is 388 days from today. Counting back from that date, here is when each length of build starts.
- 30-week buildStart March 21, 2027
- 24-week buildStart May 2, 2027
- 18-week buildStart June 13, 2027
- 16-week buildStart June 27, 2027
- 12-week buildshortest Stride acceptsStart July 25, 2027
You have about 55 weeks until race day, so there is still room for a full build. Stride reads the runway you actually have and maps every week from today to October 17, 2027.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
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
Let’s find the plan for you.
Your race, current mileage, longest run, marathon experience, and available days decide the best fit. Stride maps the plan you choose to race day at the Des Moines Marathon.
- Stride Run-Walk FinisherThree sessions a week with planned walk breaks, cover the full distance before race day.
- Stride First MarathonThe classic four-day first-marathon build: easy running and one weekly long run, no speedwork.
- Stride First Marathon PlusA first-marathon build with a little more volume and weekly race-pace miles.
- Stride 6-Day FinisherFinish your first marathon on frequency: six easy-leaning runs a week, no monster long runs.
- Stride 5-Day Pace BuilderFive days a week with race-pace runs before your long runs, built for a mid-pack time goal.
- Stride 6-Day RhythmSix days a week with three quality sessions, steady fatigue that teaches you to finish strong.
- Stride Time-Based FoundationFive time-based runs a week, mostly easy, the injury-averse way to a strong finish.
- Stride Time-Based BuilderSix time-based runs a week at a strict 80% easy / 20% hard split, chase a time goal without breaking.
- Stride 3-Day Cross-TrainThree runs plus two cross-training days over 24 weeks, marathon fitness on a busy schedule.
- Stride 3-Day QualityExactly three hard runs plus two mandatory cross-training sessions, every workout counts.
- Stride 6-Day CumulativeThe six-day cumulative-fatigue build with quality from week two, for PR chasers with a base.
- Stride Threshold 55The serious BQ/PR build to 55 miles a week: threshold work, medium-long runs, and 20-milers.
- Stride Threshold 70The high-mileage BQ/PR build to 70 miles a week for veterans with a deep base.
- Stride 2-Quality FlexTwo fixed quality sessions a week, everything else flexible easy running, fits any schedule.
Answer a few questions, choose your plan, then create your account and subscribe to start training in Stride.
Choose your Des Moines Marathon training window.
Compare 12, 16, 18, and 20 weeks counted back from race day. The 18-week option includes the complete four-day schedule.
The course: a downtown loop with 682 feet of small climbs
The Des Moines Marathon is a loop that starts and finishes together in downtown Des Moines, staying between roughly 785 and 980 feet of elevation the whole way. Total climbing is about 682 feet, matched exactly by the same amount of descent. No single hill on the course is big. The elevation arrives in constant small doses instead.
That profile is easy to run badly. Rolling ground invites you to push the ups and float the downs, which is how a 195-foot spread between the low and high points turns into an unevenly paced marathon. Run this course on effort rather than by the watch, and expect your mile splits to move by 10 or 15 seconds without your effort changing at all.
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.
Getting in
Registration is first-come through RunSignUp, with no lottery and no qualifying time. Signing up early gets you guaranteed apparel sizing, and there is an earlier cutoff after which bibs stop carrying personalized first names. Walk-up entry at the expo only happens if bibs are left over, so do not plan around it. The field has grown quickly, up about 30 percent between 2024 and 2025, which makes earlier registration the safer habit.
Where does the Des Moines Marathon get hard?
There is no signature wall on this course, so the hard part is self-inflicted: the rolling second half punishes anyone who banked time on the early descents.
What is the weather like at the Des Moines Marathon?
Mid-October in Des Moines is close to ideal marathon weather. Race morning averages around 45 degrees at the 8 a.m. start with about 75 percent humidity and a light north wind, warming to a high near 63. You will start cold and finish warm, so dress for mile 6 rather than for the start corral, and practice peeling a layer on the move during long runs.
Is the Des Moines Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Des Moines is USATF certified and Boston eligible, and it is a legitimately good qualifier. About 8.9 percent of finishers ran qualifying times in 2025, and the rate has run between roughly 5.5 and 10.9 percent in recent years, which is strong for a rolling course. The cool October weather is doing some of that work for you.
Is the Des Moines Marathon a good first marathon?
Des Moines is a good first marathon. The seven-hour limit is generous, mid-October weather usually cooperates, the course returns you to where you started, and a field around 1,900 finishers is big enough for company and small enough to stay calm. The rolling terrain is the one thing to respect, so train hills even if they are small ones.
Des Moines Marathon questions, answered.
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.
What is the time limit for the Des Moines Marathon?
Seven hours from the 8 a.m. start, which works out to about 16 minutes per mile. That is generous enough for a walk-run finisher who has trained consistently. If you expect to be out that long, build your long runs by time on feet rather than by distance so the duration is familiar.
How cold is it at the start of the Des Moines Marathon?
Race morning averages about 45 degrees at the 8 a.m. start, warming to a high near 63 by midday. You will want a jacket in the corral and want it gone by mile 6. Practice shedding layers during long runs so the change costs you nothing on race day.
Where does the Des Moines Marathon get hard?
There is no signature wall on this course, so the hard part is self-inflicted: the rolling second half punishes anyone who banked time on the early descents.
What is the weather like at the Des Moines Marathon?
Mid-October in Des Moines is close to ideal marathon weather. Race morning averages around 45 degrees at the 8 a.m. start with about 75 percent humidity and a light north wind, warming to a high near 63. You will start cold and finish warm, so dress for mile 6 rather than for the start corral, and practice peeling a layer on the move during long runs.
Is the Des Moines Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Des Moines is USATF certified and Boston eligible, and it is a legitimately good qualifier. About 8.9 percent of finishers ran qualifying times in 2025, and the rate has run between roughly 5.5 and 10.9 percent in recent years, which is strong for a rolling course. The cool October weather is doing some of that work for you.
Is the Des Moines Marathon a good first marathon?
Des Moines is a good first marathon. The seven-hour limit is generous, mid-October weather usually cooperates, the course returns you to where you started, and a field around 1,900 finishers is big enough for company and small enough to stay calm. The rolling terrain is the one thing to respect, so train hills even if they are small ones.
When should I start training for the Des Moines Marathon 2027?
Race day is October 17, 2027. Counting back from that date, a 20-week build starts around May 30, 2027, a 16-week build around June 27, 2027, and a 12-week build around July 25, 2027. Already inside that window? Stride maps a plan from today to race day, whatever the runway.
How does Stride's Des Moines Marathon plan work?
Download the app, pick the Des Moines Marathon as your race, and answer a few questions about your recent running and your weekly schedule. Stride matches you to one of 14 marathon plans, maps every week from today to October 17, 2027, adjusts when life gets in the way, and puts you in a feed of runners training for the same race.
Choosing a training app?
A Des Moines Marathon buildup is months of your life. See how Stride compares before you commit it to an app.
Find your plan.
Your race, current mileage, recent longest run, goal, and run days determine which plans rank first. Choose one and subscribe, then open every workout in Stride.