Races Marathon · Rochester, USA
Med City Marathon
Med City Marathon is a rolling marathon in Rochester, USA, held each May. Starts at the airport on county roads through farmland on a gentle downgrade, then joins the Zumbro River trails and rolls through Rochester parks and neighbourhoods to a downtown finish. Mid-May mornings in southern Minnesota are usually cool to mild, around 8 to 20°C, with a chance of rain or storms. The rises around Rochester are small but relentless — train on similar terrain and race by effort, not pace.
Page rebuilt 2026-11-14 · race facts not independently verified — confirm dates and entries on the official race site
When
May
every year
Course
rolling
Marathon
Conditions
Mid-May mornings in southern Minnesota are usually cool to mild, around 8 to 20°C, with a chance of rain or storms.
Racing this course well
Starts at the airport on county roads through farmland on a gentle downgrade, then joins the Zumbro River trails and rolls through Rochester parks and neighbourhoods to a downtown finish.
The rises around Rochester are small but relentless — train on similar terrain and race by effort, not pace.
Getting a place
- How you get in
- Open entry: first come, first served
- Entries open
- Entries for 2027 opened on 1 October 2026
- Price
- From $80 early bird, rising to $145 on race day (2027 race)
Official Med City Marathon site →Checked November 2026
Race day
- Start time
- 07:00
- Time limit
- 6 hours
- Also on the day
- half-marathon, 20 mile, 5k
The course in numbers
The opening miles drop gently from the airport, then the route switches to river trails and city streets with small rolling rises before the downtown finish.
- Layout
- Point-to-point
- Surface
- Paved county roads and paved river trails
- Course status
- USATF certified
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
Worth knowing
- First run in 1996.
- The race weekend also includes a 20 mile race, a half marathon, relays and an evening 5K.
- Shuttles run from downtown Rochester to the start on race morning.
Pick your goal for Rochester
Pace charts, weekly structure and timelines for the most common marathon goals:
We don’t hold a confirmed date for this edition, so any countdown comes from the date you enter here.
Build your training around Med City Marathon.
RunV works backwards from race day to today. Your plan adapts when life interrupts, and you approve every change. It does not adapt to this specific course — the pacing guidance above is where the course knowledge is.
Everything above stays free and complete — this is an optional next step, not a paywall.
Asked often
- When is the Med City Marathon?
- It is held each May in Rochester, USA. Check the official Med City Marathon site for the exact date and entry windows.
- Is the Med City Marathon course flat?
- Starts at the airport on county roads through farmland on a gentle downgrade, then joins the Zumbro River trails and rolls through Rochester parks and neighbourhoods to a downtown finish.
- How do I enter the Med City Marathon?
- Open entry: first come, first served. Entries for 2027 opened on 1 October 2026. Price: From $80 early bird, rising to $145 on race day (2027 race).
- Is the Med City Marathon a Boston qualifier?
- Yes. The Med City Marathon is run on a certified course, so a time set here can be used to apply for the Boston Marathon.
- How should I train for the Med City Marathon?
- Build for the course you'll actually race at the Med City Marathon: rolling terrain, May conditions. RunV Premium builds a training plan around your goal time and race date, and lets you adapt it when life interrupts the Rochester build.
Not sure what to target? Predict your marathon time from a recent race →
More marathon races
Supplements research for this distance
Build for Rochester — around your actual life
RunV engineers your block backwards from race day in May — and adapts it when training doesn't go to script. You approve every change.
