Kansas City Marathon

Kansas City, United States of America 18 Oct, 2025

The Kansas City Marathon is an annual road race held each October in Kansas City, Missouri. Its course is known for considerable elevation changes, including a total elevation gain and loss of approximately 1,200 feet (365 meters), which contributes to its reputation as a challenging marathon with multiple hilly sections. The race starts and finishes at Crown Center, a central district recognized for its distinctive fountains, shopping, and entertainment.

The route takes participants through various notable neighborhoods and landmarks such as Westport, the Country Club Plaza, Liberty Memorial with a significant mid-race climb offering views of the city and Loose Park, a prominent green space celebrated for autumn foliage. Runners encounter rolling hills in several areas, with the most demanding uphill stretches typically in the early and middle portions of the race.

Temperatures and humidity during the event are generally conducive to marathon running performance, though the course’s hilly profile lowers its overall speed ranking compared to other U.S. marathons. It is recognized as a Boston Marathon qualifier, but has a relatively modest percentage of participants achieving the qualifying times due to the course difficulty; for instance, it ranked 338th in Boston qualifier percentage among U.S. marathons in 2023, and 7th fastest within Missouri.

Participants see a variety of local features, including up to 15 of the city’s renowned fountains and other historic sites along the looped course. The marathon weekend includes additional race options such as a half marathon, 10K, and 5K, making it accessible to a wide range of runners. The event is also supported by local volunteers and spectators, contributing to a lively atmosphere at both the race and post-finish celebrations.

Course surface is paved throughout, and there is a six-hour time limit for the full marathon. In summary, the Kansas City Marathon offers a scenic but difficult course that highlights the city’s architecture, fountains, and parks, and regularly draws runners seeking both a physical challenge and an opportunity to experience the distinctive features of Kansas City.

Generic Marathon Time This represents the time you would expect to run a "generic" marathon in. This is a marathon with around 250 m (800 ft) of elevation gain and a temperature around 10°C (50°F). For best results, use our Race Predictor.

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Kansas City Marathon Time


Statistics

Elevation
Elevation Gain 358 m 1175 ft
Elevation Low 231 m 758 ft
Elevation High 298 m 978 ft
Weather
Expected Temperature (Low) 12°C 54°F
Expected Temperature (High) 24°C 75°F
Chance of Rain 57%

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The Kansas City Marathon is an annual road race held each October in Kansas City, Missouri. Its course is known for considerable elevation changes, including a total elevation gain and loss of approximately 1,200 feet (365 meters), which contributes to its reputation as a challenging marathon with multiple hilly sections. The race starts and finishes at Crown Center, a central district recognized for its distinctive fountains, shopping, and entertainment.

The route takes participants through various notable neighborhoods and landmarks such as Westport, the Country Club Plaza, Liberty Memorial with a significant mid-race climb offering views of the city and Loose Park, a prominent green space celebrated for autumn foliage. Runners encounter rolling hills in several areas, with the most demanding uphill stretches typically in the early and middle portions of the race.

Temperatures and humidity during the event are generally conducive to marathon running performance, though the course’s hilly profile lowers its overall speed ranking compared to other U.S. marathons. It is recognized as a Boston Marathon qualifier, but has a relatively modest percentage of participants achieving the qualifying times due to the course difficulty; for instance, it ranked 338th in Boston qualifier percentage among U.S. marathons in 2023, and 7th fastest within Missouri.

Participants see a variety of local features, including up to 15 of the city’s renowned fountains and other historic sites along the looped course. The marathon weekend includes additional race options such as a half marathon, 10K, and 5K, making it accessible to a wide range of runners. The event is also supported by local volunteers and spectators, contributing to a lively atmosphere at both the race and post-finish celebrations.

Course surface is paved throughout, and there is a six-hour time limit for the full marathon. In summary, the Kansas City Marathon offers a scenic but difficult course that highlights the city’s architecture, fountains, and parks, and regularly draws runners seeking both a physical challenge and an opportunity to experience the distinctive features of Kansas City.

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