Heart of America Marathon
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Heart of America Marathon & Relay
The Columbia Track Club presents the 67th Heart of America Marathon and the 7th annual relay on September 7, 2026, in Columbia, Missouri. The event is the second oldest continuously running marathon in the United States and is hosted at the Boone County History and Culture Center (Nifong Park), 3801 Ponderosa St.
The event offers two primary options:
- Marathon - 26.2 miles
- Relay (per person) - teams of two to four; legs 3.8, 7.7, 6.9, 7.8 miles
The course starts and finishes at Nifong Park and includes about 5.5 miles of well maintained gravel roads and trails. Runners pass the Katy Trail along the Missouri River, Cooper’s Landing, the historic Pierpont General Store, Easley and the famed Easley Hill, and skirt Rock Bridge State Park on the return to Columbia. The course is certified and is an open course; runners must run single file where required and follow traffic rules.
There are 13 aid stations with water and ice, and a sports drink available beginning at Cooper’s Landing; no nutrition is provided. A strict six hour time limit applies. Registration is staged with tiered fees; relay entries are limited and have registration deadlines and team change deadlines. Packet pickup and awards are provided; additional logistical details and policies are published by the organizer. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
