Heart of America Marathon
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Heart of America Marathon & Relay : Columbia, Missouri
The Columbia Track Club presents the 67th Heart of America Marathon and the 7th annual relay on September 7, 2026. The event starts and finishes at the Boone County History and Culture Center at Nifong Park and follows a 26.2 mile course that passes the Katy Trail, Cooper’s Landing, Pierpont General Store, Rock Bridge State Park, and Philips Lake.
Course details include approximately 5 to 5.5 miles on well-maintained gravel roads and trails, sections with significant inclines such as Easley Hill, and parts run along the Missouri River. The course is open to traffic in places; runners must run single file where required and follow course rules. The course is USATF certified, #MO21024MU.
Aid stations: 13 total, offering water and ice at all stations and sports drink beginning at Cooper’s Landing. No nutrition will be provided; runners must plan their own fuel. Portable toilets are located at the start and at several points along the course.
Relay teams may have 2 to 4 members covering the same marathon course in designated legs. Registration policies include no race-day registration, no refunds, and transfers to another runner allowed through September 5. Chip timing is used; official results are based on chip times while awards use gun times.
Awards are given for overall placings, masters categories, and special recognitions for most improved, first-time marathon finishers, and times closest to the mean. Packet pickup is available the day before and the morning of the race. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
