St. Joseph Marathon Returns Sept. 26 With Five Race Options Through the City

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — Runners will once again take over streets across St. Joseph this fall when the city’s marathon returns for its fourth year.

The 2026 St. Joseph, Missouri Marathon is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, beginning and ending near Civic Center Park in downtown St. Joseph. Participants can choose from five options: a full 26.2-mile marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K or a five-person relay covering the full marathon route.

The St. Joseph Sports Commission says the event has grown to nearly 700 runners through its first three years. The full marathon, half marathon and relay are scheduled to start at 7 a.m., with the 10K and 5K beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Routes will take runners through several parts of St. Joseph and incorporate local landmarks, historic streets and sections of the city’s parkway system. The full and half marathon courses are certified for Boston Marathon qualifying purposes.

Race weekend will also include packet pickup and a health and fitness vendor fair on Friday, Sept. 25, at the St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau. After the race, participants will be invited to a post-race gathering at Civic Center Park.

Registration remains open through the day before the race, according to the Sports Commission. Proceeds help support Sports Commission programming and Junior League of St. Joseph initiatives.