Med-City Marathon
The Med City Marathon is a 26.2-mile road-and-trail race in Rochester, Minnesota, held annually since 1996. Its USATF-certified course allows finishers to qualify for the Boston Marathon. By big-city standards, it is a smaller marathon with about 350 participants, and it is part of a larger race weekend. The Mayo Civic Center hosts the Med City Fitness Expo, and other events include a 5K, a 1.8-mile family walk, kids races, a 20-mile race, a half marathon, and a marathon relay, offering multiple options for runners and families. The course has been modified multiple times, contributing to the race’s history. For many years, it followed a point-to-point route from near Rochester International Airport to downtown. This route led runners north through rural farmland, then along the Zumbro River, paved trails, Soldiers Field Golf Course, Mayo Park, Quarry Hill Nature Center, Silver Creek, Silver Lake, and Cascade Lake before ending at the Mayo Civic Center. The current course is a two-loop city route. Local residents Wally and Peggy Arnold founded and directed the race for many years. Later, the event had various managers and sponsors, including Mayo Clinic, Scheels, and Active Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine. Southern Minnesota's heat has also influenced the race; organizers have shortened, closed, or canceled parts of the marathon due to hot weather, and the start time was moved earlier after heat-related issues occurred.
