Mon, Sep 7, 2026

Heart of America Marathon & Relay

Columbia, MO

Registration openAnnual since at least 2019

Marathon

About the Heart of America Marathon & Relay

The Heart of America Marathon starts and finishes at Nifong Park, running out through Columbia neighborhoods before dropping down to the Katy Trail along the Missouri River. The course passes Cooper's Landing and winds through rural landscape on gravel roads before hitting Easley Hill, a long uphill grind on Route N that the race is quietly famous for. Expect heat and humidity.

The course is open to traffic on several stretches, so runners stay single file on those roads. A portion of the route is on well-maintained gravel, including trail sections and rural church roads. The finish area closes strictly at midday, with no extensions, so the cutoff is real and worth planning around.

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Finish-Time Stats

Going by the 2025 results, this is a small, friendly field, with a competitive front end and a big recreational middle.

26.2 Miles · 2025 results

106finishers

2:53:57winner

4:32:43median

6:37:32cutoff

Top 3: Ben Eiffert (2:53:57) · Caleb Termorshuizen (2:57:18) · Glen Feller (3:01:22)

The Heart of America Marathon & Relay has been held every year since at least 2019. That is as far back as RunSignup's records for this race go, so it may well be older.

Where Would You Finish?

Enter a finish time to see where it lands against the most recent 26.2 Miles results.

Median

See how your time stacks up nationally →

How we calculate these stats: RunSesh calculates these figures from the most recent published results of past editions, sourced from RunSignup. We show aggregates only: field size, winning and median times, and the cutoff. We never publish individual finisher tables. Last updated Jul 27, 2026.

Distances & Start Times

26.2 Miles9/7/2026 06:00$95

26.2 Miles9/7/2026 06:00$80

Going for a Time?

Set a goal and get a pace band: every mile split on a card sized for your phone lock screen, so race morning needs no math.

Plan Your Trip

Where to Stay

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Common Questions About the Heart of America Marathon & Relay

Will I finish last at the Heart of America Marathon & Relay?

Almost certainly not. Half the 26.2 Miles field finished slower than 4:32:43, and the last recorded finisher came in around 6:37:32, so there is a long tail of runners behind the middle of the pack. Most fields are far slower than people expect.

Is the Heart of America Marathon & Relay a good first 26.2 Miles?

It is a small race (106 finishers), which is friendlier and less intimidating than a big-city event, though the field thins out. There is no qualifying time, and the finish-time spread above shows how varied the field really is. If it is your first 26.2 Miles, that spread matters more than the winner's time.

How competitive is the Heart of America Marathon & Relay?

The 26.2 Miles winner ran 2:53:57 while the median finisher took 4:32:43. That spread points to a mixed field, with a competitive front and a big recreational middle.