Heart of America Marathon
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Heart of America Marathon & Relay
The Heart of America Marathon is a 26.2 mile road and trail race held in Columbia, Missouri at the Boone County History and Culture Center in Nifong Park on September 7, 2026. The event includes an individual marathon and a relay option where teams of two to four runners complete the full marathon course.
Distances
- 26.2 miles Marathon
- 26.2 miles Relay per person
The course starts and finishes at Nifong Park and passes rural roads, the Katy Trail alongside the Missouri River, Cooper’s Landing, the historic Pierpont General Store, Easley and Easley Hill, Rock Bridge State Park, and Philips Lake. Approximately 5.5 miles of the route are on well maintained gravel roads and trails. The course is open to traffic in places and runners must run single file where required.
Thirteen aid stations provide water and ice at all locations, with sports drink available beginning at Cooper’s Landing; no nutrition is provided at aid stations. A six hour time limit is strictly enforced. Chip timing is used for official results while awards are based on gun times. Relay teams register individually, and awards include overall places for marathon and relay and category awards for age groups such as masters, super masters, and grand masters. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
