Des Moines Women's Half Marathon

Events and distances

The Des Moines Women’s Race takes place May 2-3, 2026 in Des Moines, IA (2400 George Flagg Pkwy). Event options include:

• 13.1 miles (half marathon)
• 10K (6.2 miles)
• 5K
• 3-person half marathon team relay
• Virtual race options for each distance
• Double entries pairing the 5K with either the half marathon or the 10K

Published entry prices include a current half marathon fee of $65, a 3-person relay fee of $150, a 10K fee of $55, and a 5K fee of $40. Virtual event fees are shown in a range of $40 - $65. A City of Des Moines trail use fee of $1.00 applies.

Course and logistics

The half marathon and 10K routes start through downtown high-rise areas, cross bridges inside Gray’s Lake, include a loop around the lake, and finish with a loop through the Arie den Boer Arboretum. The course is described as flat and includes multiple staffed aid stations at specified mile markers (examples: mile 1.6, mile 2.1/3, mile 4.5 relay exchange, miles 5.8 and 8.6, mile 7.2, mile 10.1, mile 11.5). The team relay divides the half marathon into three legs of about 4-5 miles each; relay teams receive full half marathon swag and are assigned special parking near Jasper Winery. Packet pick-up is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday (hours TBD). Volunteer roles include packet pick-up, aid stations, course marshals, cycling support, shuttle/valet, finish-line crew, and teardown. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.

Events nearby