MANKATO — For avid Mankato runner Tim Tupy, it’s a no-brainer choosing between the Mankato Marathon and the Twin Cities Marathon.
Which he’ll have to do in 2027, when for the first time in both events’ histories, the two races will coincide in mid-October. Tupy said he will opt to participate in the Mankato Marathon.
“I really like the Mankato one because I feel like it just encompasses the rural, scenic vibe along with a bit of the urban city-like feel,” he said. “Taking nothing away from the Minneapolis one, because that’s a beautiful course, too.”
Earlier this week officials with the Twin Cities Marathon announced they will shift the marathon back a few weeks into mid-October starting in 2027 due to concerns about weather. Increasingly, it’s been hot and humid for the early October event, even to the point of having been canceled in 2023.
The Twin Cities Marathon will conflict every four to five years with the Mankato Marathon, starting in 2027, said Joy Leafblad of Visit Mankato, which hosts the local annual event.
“No one likes to hear another popular race will be held at the same time as yours,” she said. “But I do understand and I know they have been working hard to find a date that works among other races in the state and in the Midwest. They are willing to do what they can do to help support us. It is really nice to know they are open to working with us and open to creative ideas.”
Twin Cities in Motion hosts the Twin Cities Marathon. President Dean Orton said, “Overall we made a decision about the weather and safety of our event.”
A multi-year review of weather conditions prompted the shift, he said.
“We’ve been experiencing less-than-ideal running conditions at frequency rates that we felt we needed to do a multi-year look,” Orton said. “For us to find more ideal running conditions more consistently, we decided to move the dates back slightly to the mid-October timeframe. We want to continue to make sure that participant experience remains first class.”
Kenny Blumenfeld, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources senior climatologist, confirmed that early October, when the Twin Cities Marathon is traditionally held, is getting hotter.
“We’ve had a lot more summer-like conditions with hot and even humid weather,” he said. “It’s not unheard of to have 85- or 90-degree days at the end of September or even early October.”
Tupy said the conflicting marathon dates are a disappointment for area runners.
The Twin Cities 10-mile is pretty popular as an advance training race for the Mankato Marathon, he said. “I’ve done that quite a few times and not being able to do one or the other because it’s on the same day is a bummer.”
He also notes the Mankato Marathon might prove more popular to runners going forward because the organizers changed the race route this year and eliminated hills. Leafblad concurs.
“We’ve heard loud and clear from runners over the years that while Mankato’s hills are memorable, they aren’t always their favorite,” the Visit Mankato marathon official stated in a release. “These new routes represent months of collaboration and planning, and the result is a course that’s flatter and faster, while still highlighting the scenery, neighborhoods, and community pride that make running in Mankato such a unique experience.”
This year’s 17th annual Mankato Marathon is Oct. 16-17, with a new start line on the Minnesota State University campus and a finish on South Second Street. Post-party celebrations will return to the 500 block of South Front Street, which Leafblad said runners have come to love.
The weekend of events include the full, half, relay and 10K races as well as a 5K and a KidsK.
For a complete list of events and a glance at the new, flatter course route being unveiled for this year’s marathon, go to mankatomarathon.com.