Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon 2026: Complete Guide, Course & Registration

The Twin Cities Marathon has earned its trademark of “The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America” for real reasons. Running from the shadow of U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis to the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul is a point-to-point journey unlike almost anything else in fall racing. Four lakes, dense urban forests in peak October color, two banks of the Mississippi River and a finish framed by one of the most architecturally grand state buildings in the country. It is, by any honest measure, spectacular.

But here is what the tagline does not prepare you for: this course is not flat. The Chain of Lakes section in the first half feels like a gift, and the course is going to collect on that gift between miles 21 and 23 on Summit Avenue, a long, grinding false flat that dismantles the pacing plans of recreational runners every single year. The Twin Cities Marathon asks you to hold back when you feel best and dig hardest when you feel worst. Get that wrong and the Capitol steps will feel a very long way away.

The 2026 edition carries extra weight beyond the scenery. This is the 45th anniversary of the Twin Cities Marathon and, more significantly, the final edition to be held in early October. From 2027 onward, organizers are shifting the race to mid-October after years of warming climate trends culminated in the race’s first-ever cancellation in 2023, when 92°F heat made it unsafe to continue. Runners who have been meaning to experience the traditional early-October Twin Cities finally have a definitive reason to commit. After this one, that window closes for good.

Who should run it? Runners chasing a legitimate Boston qualifier on a certified course. Destination runners who want spectacular scenery, strong organization and a meaningful post-race beer garden. First-timers who want crowd support through two cities and a finish line they will actually remember. And anyone who wants a race that demands real strategic thinking from the first mile. If you just want to run fast in a straight line, the California International Marathon is your race. If you want to feel something, come to the Twin Cities.

Race at a Glance

What Makes the Twin Cities Marathon Worth Running?

A Journey Through Two Great Cities

Most marathons start and finish in the same place. The Twin Cities is a genuine point-to-point race through two distinct cities with two very different personalities. Minneapolis gives you urban energy, the Viking stadium, university neighborhoods and lake parkways. St. Paul gives you historic Victorian boulevards, the Cathedral of Saint Paul and the Capitol finish. You earn both cities in one morning, which sounds like a tagline but actually feels true when you’re running it. There is no out-and-back monotony, no looping back through the same streets twice. Every mile is new ground.

Fall Color and Four Urban Lakes

The Chain of Lakes section from roughly miles 3 to 13 is one of the most visually extraordinary stretches of road racing in the United States. Lake of the Isles, Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet and Lake Nokomis: four urban lakes connected by tree-lined parkways that in early October explode into yellow, orange and red. It is exactly what the photos look like. The canopy overhead, the water alongside, the neighborhoods cheering from their front yards. No mile of this race will feel like a grind until Summit Avenue earns the right to make it one.

A Race That Welcomes Every Runner

The 6:30 time limit for the marathon is one of the most generous at a major US city race. Twin Cities In Motion runs a dedicated program called the Runtourage: an enthusiastic group of volunteers and pace leaders specifically assigned to support back-of-pack participants through the later miles. Kids 18 and under race free in every event. The weekend also offers the TC 5K and TC 10K on Saturday, the TC 10 Mile on Sunday and the charity-focused TC Half Marathon for More. For the truly bold, the Loony Challenge (10 Mile plus Marathon on Sunday) and the Ultra Loony (10K Saturday plus 10 Mile and Marathon Sunday) exist. This is a race weekend designed to find a distance for every human who shows up.

A Legitimate Boston Qualifier

The Twin Cities Marathon is USATF-certified and holds a World Athletics Label Road Race designation. Times run here are accepted by the BAA for Boston qualification and have been for decades. In 2025, 4.3% of finishers hit BQ times — historically the rate has been as high as 8%. The main caveat is weather: in ideal 40s-to-50s conditions this is a course where a well-prepared runner in the 3:30-4:15 range can hit their number. In a warm year (2025’s 69°F start, 2023’s canceled race), BQ chances drop sharply. Know your weather contingency before race day.

The 45th Edition and the Farewell to Early October

This is history in the making, and not in a promotional sense. After a multi-year review involving climatologists, medical partners and community stakeholders, Twin Cities In Motion announced in 2026 that starting in 2027 the marathon will move to mid-October. Average early October temperatures in the Twin Cities have warmed nearly 4°F over five decades. The 2023 race was canceled at 92°F heat. The 2025 start was 69°F. The data made the decision for them. The 2026 race is therefore the 45th edition and the final one in early October — a combination that makes it genuinely singular. Runners who have been on the fence about this race now have the clearest possible reason to move.

Community, Charity and the Post-Race Beer Garden

Twin Cities In Motion raises over $1 million annually for charity through the race weekend, with more than 54 charity partner organizations represented on course. The Diane and Alan Page Community Cheer Challenge brings neighborhoods out to support runners at designated spots throughout the route. After the finish, the Finish Festival on the Capitol grounds includes live music, food trucks and a Summit Brewing beer garden. This is a race with genuine civic identity: the streets belong to the runners for a morning and the city actually shows up.

The Twin Cities Marathon Course: Mile by Mile

Miles 1–3: Downtown Minneapolis and the Walker Hill

The race opens in the energy of downtown Minneapolis. Coming out of the U.S. Bank Stadium area through Cedar-Riverside, the streets are wide, the crowd is thick and every runner’s legs feel like they belong to someone younger and faster. Do not trust that feeling. At miles 1.6 to 2.3, the course climbs about 100 feet past the Walker Art Center. It is an unremarkable hill on fresh legs. Most runners absorb it without thinking twice. In mile 21, when the body is recounting every calorie spent since the gun, that hill will have its say. Run these opening miles conservatively. The course gives no meaningful reward for arriving at mile 5 having banked 20 extra seconds per mile.

Miles 3–13: The Chain of Lakes

This is where the Twin Cities Marathon earns its reputation. Lake of the Isles, Bde Maka Ska, Lake Harriet and Lake Nokomis appear in sequence, each framed by boulevards of maples and oaks in full October color. Crowd support from lakeside neighborhoods is consistent and enthusiastic through this entire stretch, with live bands scattered along the parkways. The terrain is rolling but friendly. This is the section where most runners float, feeling better than they should and quietly running 10–20 seconds per mile faster than their target. Enjoy the beauty. Do not enjoy it at race effort. Around mile 7 the road narrows slightly near Lake Harriet and runners bunch together — use this as a cue to settle pace rather than weave through. Mile 7.5, as the course doglegs around the lake, is the first place where runners who went out hard start fading. You will see them and your instinct will be to accelerate. Resist it.

Miles 13–18: Minnehaha Park and the Mississippi River

Mile 13.5 is where the course delivers its best-kept secret: a climb onto the Minnehaha Parkway that reads as nearly invisible on most elevation profiles but physically surprises almost every runner who has not been specifically warned about it. The rise is short and it is sharp enough to break rhythm, and at the halfway point of a marathon that is exactly what it should not do. This is the second major fallback point on the course. After Minnehaha Park, the route follows the Mississippi River Parkway south toward the Franklin Avenue Bridge. The scenery is genuinely beautiful — bluffs, river views, fall color on both banks. But crowd support thins noticeably through miles 14–17 and this is where mental discipline becomes as important as physical conditioning. A small elevation bump at mile 17 is followed by a pleasant downhill at mile 18. Do not let that downhill seduce you into running the next few miles too fast. The hardest section of the race is still ahead.

Miles 18–20: Crossing into St. Paul

The Franklin Avenue Bridge crossing is one of the course’s visual highlights: broad views of the Mississippi, fall foliage on both banks, the river city of St. Paul coming into focus ahead. After the bridge, the route moves onto East River Road, where short rolling climbs begin. These are not significant hills on their own but at mile 18–20 of a marathon, after 13 miles of flat lakeside running, they register. Legs that were coasting through the Chain of Lakes now have to work differently. The mile 20 arch reads “The Wall” and it is both a landmark and a checkpoint. Every experienced Twin Cities runner knows: the race starts here.

Miles 20–23: Summit Avenue and the Race Within the Race

This is the stretch that defines the Twin Cities Marathon for recreational runners. After the brief steep climb off the Mississippi River bluff, Summit Avenue begins its long, slow ascent. The grade is never severe. There is no single dramatic hill to crest and recover from. Instead, Summit Avenue rolls upward across miles 21 through 23 in a way that feels manageable for about three minutes and then begins to feel permanent. At mile 21 with depleted glycogen, every foot of gain costs twice what it cost at mile 5. Runners who banked time in the Chain of Lakes arrive here already deep in the red. Runners who held back arrive here tired but functional. The difference between those two outcomes is almost entirely about what happened between miles 3 and 13. Shorten your stride, drive with your arms and do not look at your GPS pace. Run by effort. The Cathedral of Saint Paul appears at approximately mile 24 and it is the last major checkpoint before the race opens up toward the finish.

Miles 23–26.2: Cathedral Hill and the Capitol

Past mile 23 the climbing relents. Not immediately, but incrementally. The Cathedral of Saint Paul at mile 24 is surrounded by some of the loudest crowd support on the entire course and if you are still running at anything resembling race pace at this point, the crowd will carry you the rest of the way. After the Cathedral, the route descends toward the Minnesota State Capitol. The Capitol dome comes into view around mile 25.5 and it is one of the most motivating pieces of architecture in American running: white marble, neoclassical columns and a finish line in the shadow of state government. The final half mile is mostly downhill on John Ireland Boulevard. The finishing straight is wide, well-lit with grandstands and exactly what this race deserves after 26 miles of work.

Registration: 2026 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend

Registration for the 2026 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend opened on March 3, 2026 at 10:00 AM CT via Race Roster. The TC 10 Mile sold out almost immediately and is no longer available through standard registration. The marathon (capped at 11,000 runners) and TC 10K remain open as of mid-2026. Entry prices increase in tiers as the race approaches and will continue to do so through the October 3 deadline. The earlier you register, the more you save. Kids 18 and under run free in all events. TCM Members receive fixed preferred pricing at all tiers — membership is available at tcmevents.org.

Race Weekend Schedule

Expo hours based on prior-year schedule. Confirm exact 2026 hours at tcmevents.org/twincitieshealthandfitnessexpo before travelling.

Race Day Weather: Twin Cities Marathon in Early October

*2026 forecast based on early racecast.io estimate. Update your gear plan in the week before the race as conditions firm up.

Early October in the Twin Cities is one of the most variable weather windows in American marathon racing. A good year gives you crisp 45–55°F mornings with dry air, ideal conditions for a personal best. A bad year — as 2023 proved — gives you 92°F heat and a canceled race. The fact that organizers analyzed five years of climate data and committed to moving the race permanently to mid-October from 2027 tells you everything about what the trend line looks like. For 2026, monitor the TCM Event Alert System: a color-coded five-level system (white through black) that communicates real-time weather risk. White and green mean ideal conditions. Red means extreme caution and certain runners should not start. Black means cancellation is possible. All alerts are communicated through the Twin Cities In Motion app (available on Apple and Google Play) and the official TCM website. Download it before race weekend. Plan your kit for a range of 45–70°F and do not commit to throwaway layers until you see the morning forecast.

Prize Money and Elite Racing

The 2026 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon features a total marathon prize purse of more than $79,000 including wheelchair. Prize money is equal across men, women and non-binary categories. The race also introduces a significant new event for 2026: the TC 10K on Saturday, October 3 serves as the USATF Men’s and Women’s 10K Championship, with a dedicated $43,000 prize purse — the first championship event of this kind at Twin Cities Marathon Weekend.

Past Results: Defending Champions

2025 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon

2025 marathon stats: 7,015 total finishers | Average time: 4:32:17 | BQ rate: 4.3% | Race conditions: 69°F at gun (warm). Exact 2nd and 3rd place times to be verified against official results at tcmevents.org.

2025 Medtronic TC 10 Mile

2024 Notable Result

In 2024, Molly Bookmyer of Ohio won the women’s marathon outright through the Best of the Midwest Invitational in a personal best 2:28:52 — a result that earned her an invitation to the TCS London Marathon, where she finished 12th overall. Her trajectory from TCM to a World Marathon Major illustrates exactly what the Best of the Midwest program is built to do.

Spectator Guide: Best Places to Watch the Twin Cities Marathon

Where to Stay for the Twin Cities Marathon

The point-to-point course creates an interesting lodging decision: stay near the start in Minneapolis and handle transportation to the St. Paul finish, or stay near the finish in St. Paul and take a shuttle or light rail to the Minneapolis start. Both work. The consensus from experienced TCM runners is that St. Paul near the finish makes the logistics easier on marathon Sunday, especially if you have family or spectators who want to be at the finish area. Minneapolis options are better if you prioritize walkability to the expo and a more vibrant pre-race restaurant scene.

Book early. Official hotel blocks at the Renaissance and Residence Inn fill quickly once word circulates about the 2026 milestone edition. The 2-night minimum on the group rate means a Friday-Sunday stay is the standard setup. If you are extending for pre-race tourism, both Minneapolis and St. Paul have strong dining and cultural scenes worth an extra day.

International Runners: Visa and Travel Guide

A Short History of the Twin Cities Marathon

The Twin Cities Marathon traces its roots to 1963, when the River Roads Marathon was first held in Minneapolis. The race evolved through several identities over the following two decades: Land of Lakes from 1964 to 1966, City of Lakes from 1967 to 1981. Across the river, St. Paul maintained its own separate marathon tradition through the same era. In 1982, the two cities merged their events into a single race that started in Minneapolis and finished in the shadow of the State Capitol in St. Paul. That merger became one of the defining decisions in American running history: a course that belonged to both cities and neither one alone, connecting two great Midwestern communities through 26.2 miles of shared civic pride.

Through the 1980s and 1990s the race grew steadily to become one of the ten largest marathons in the United States and a regular on the national calendar for serious runners. In 2006, Medtronic — one of the world’s largest medical device companies and a Twin Cities institution — became title sponsor, formalizing a partnership that gave the race its current identity and funding. The weekend expanded from a single marathon to a full multi-event festival, adding the 10 Mile, 5K, 10K, family races and the charity-focused Half Marathon for More. Twin Cities In Motion, the nonprofit organizer, channeled the expanded event into a community engine that now raises over $1 million annually for local causes.

October 1, 2023 was the darkest day in the event’s history: the first-ever cancellation in more than 40 years of running, triggered by 92°F heat that made it medically unsafe to continue. The cancellation stunned tens of thousands of runners who had trained through the summer for a race that would not happen. In 2026, Twin Cities In Motion announced that from 2027 the race would shift permanently to mid-October after a multi-year climate review confirmed what runners had felt for years: early October in the Twin Cities is no longer reliably cool. The 2026 race is therefore both the 45th anniversary edition and the farewell to the traditional October window. Forty-four years is a long tradition. The 2026 race closes that chapter.

How the Twin Cities Marathon Compares

Frequently Asked Questions: Twin Cities Marathon 2026

Is the Twin Cities Marathon a good Boston qualifier?

Yes. The Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon is USATF-certified and holds a World Athletics Label Road Race designation, making times run here fully accepted by the Boston Athletic Association. In 2025, 4.3% of finishers hit BQ times; in prior years the rate reached as high as 8%. The course is competitive for a BQ attempt in the 3:30–4:15 range. The critical variable is weather: a cool early October morning in the 40s–50s gives you a legitimate shot. A warm morning above 65°F makes it significantly harder. If BQ is your primary goal, pair your TCM registration with a backup option like the December California International Marathon in case weather does not cooperate.

What is the hardest part of the Twin Cities Marathon course?

Summit Avenue, miles 21 to 23. This is not a single dramatic hill. It is a long, rolling false flat that gently climbs for over two miles after 20 miles of largely flat lakeside running. At that point in the race, with depleted glycogen and tired legs, the grade that looks manageable on a profile chart becomes a very real test of how well you managed your pacing in the first half. The secondary difficulty that surprises most runners is the subtle rise onto the Minnehaha Parkway at mile 13.5, which barely shows up on standard elevation charts but breaks rhythm at the halfway point.

Is the TC 10 Mile sold out for 2026?

Yes. The TC 10 Mile sold out quickly after registration opened on March 3, 2026. Its cap of 12,700 participants was filled without a waitlist. If you want to run the 10 Mile distance, check the person-to-person transfer section on Race Roster after August 31, 2026 (the transfer deadline) or look for charity team spots that may include 10 Mile entry. The TC 10K on Saturday (which is the USATF 10K Championship in 2026) is still available and serves as a compelling alternative for runners who want race weekend action on Saturday.

What should I wear to run the Twin Cities Marathon in early October?

The standard kit for most runners is a lightweight moisture-wicking short sleeve or long sleeve with arm warmers, and gloves for the first few miles. A throwaway top layer for the start corral is useful since you will stand around for 30–45 minutes before the gun. Early October temperatures have historically been anywhere from 40°F to 92°F at race time — the 2023 cancellation was due to 92°F heat and 2025 started at 69°F. Check the TCM Event Alert System (white, green, yellow, red, black) in the days before the race and do not commit your final kit until the morning of. If conditions are ideal (below 55°F), race in whatever you run your long training runs in. If it is warm, go as light as possible and prioritize hydration over kit.

Can international runners participate in the Twin Cities Marathon?

Yes, the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon is open to international runners worldwide via Race Roster. Nationals of 41 Visa Waiver Program countries (including the UK, EU member states, Australia, Japan and South Korea) can enter the US for up to 90 days with an approved ESTA at esta.cbp.dhs.gov — apply at least 72 hours before travel and pay the $21 fee. Indian passport holders require a B-1/B-2 visitor visa from the US Embassy or Consulate, which requires an in-person interview; allow a minimum of 8–12 weeks for appointment and processing. Your Race Roster registration confirmation can serve as supporting documentation for your visa application.

What makes the 2026 Twin Cities Marathon different from previous years?

Three things. First, it is the 45th anniversary edition of the race. Second and more significantly, it is the final edition to be held in early October — from 2027, the race moves to mid-October due to warming climate trends and the medical concerns raised by the 2023 cancellation at 92°F. Third, the TC 10K on Saturday October 3 is hosting the USATF Men’s and Women’s 10K Championships for the first time, with a $43,000 prize purse, making this the most elite Saturday race in Twin Cities Marathon Weekend history. For runners who have been planning to run TCM at some point, 2026 is the clearest possible reason to make it this year.