Twin Cities Marathon

Location: Minneapolis to Saint Paul, MN
Country: United States
Website: https://www.tcmevents.org/alleventsandraces/medtronic-twin-cities-marathon
2025 Marathon Date: 05/10/2025
2026 Marathon Date: TBC
Winning Time 2025: 02:15:39
% Sub-3s: 2–5%
# Sub-3s: 100–499
Total Runners: 3k–10k

The Twin Cities Marathon is often called “The Most Beautiful Urban Marathon in America,” and it earns the title with a route that threads between Minneapolis and Saint Paul, gliding along lakes, tree-lined parkways, and the Mississippi River. It blends big-city organisation with a natural, neighbourhood warmth that makes the effort feel communal rather than anonymous. For runners targeting sub-3, Twin Cities is a course that rewards steady execution and emotional calm — a place where patience early and strength late are the defining traits of success.

The opening miles through Minneapolis' lakes district are smooth and rolling, offering both space and scenery to find controlled pace without strain. The mid-race miles hug the river, providing long, even stretches ideal for maintaining marathon rhythm. Pacing groups are typically strong and well-structured, giving sub-3 athletes a stable platform to settle into stride. But the course saves its challenge for the final 10K: gentle, progressive climbing toward Saint Paul, where form discipline and controlled breathing matter more than bravado.

Weather in early October tends to sit in the “ideal marathon” bracket — crisp, dry and cool enough to sustain effort. On calm years, it feels almost engineered for marathon performance. Breezes along the river corridor can occasionally demand focus, but nothing about this race feels random or hostile to preparation. Aid delivery is excellent and evenly spaced, a reflection of an event run by a city that understands both endurance culture and community involvement.

Crowds line much of the course, with enthusiastic neighbourhood support and a palpable Midwestern kindness — supportive, genuine, and knowledgeable. The final miles into Saint Paul gain emotional weight as the course climbs gradually toward the Capitol building, the finish arch rising in view like a quiet, steady promise. Runners who have paced with discipline find energy here; those who gamble early tend to feel the course's honesty.

Twin Cities is a marathon for strategic runners — athletes who trust aerobic conditioning, embrace even effort, and relish the satisfaction of closing strong rather than fighting collapse. Execute with restraint early, stay compact on the late inclines, and this course offers one of the most satisfying, well-earned sub-3 opportunities in North America.