Sioux Falls Marathon

The Sioux Falls Marathon features a fast, mostly flat mixed-surface course that provides an tour of South Dakota’s largest city. The route features a modest total elevation gain and loss of roughly 600 feet. The main challenges of the day stem from a few brief, rolling hills from miles 8.5 to 14.

The course is a large loop that runs on both town streets and paved recreational pathways. The course starts at the parking lot just east of Howard Wood Field. From there, the course run through the downtown core, circles several regional city parks, and transitions onto the paved regional bike trail system alongside the Big Sioux River before returning to finish directly on the stadium track inside Howard Wood Field.

The first half of the race contains gentle rolling terrain through Terrace Park and the historic downtown commercial district. Runners pass major regional landmarks, including Covell Lake, St. Joseph's Cathedral, and the iconic pink quartzite ledges at Falls Park. In the second half, the course shifts onto the paved Big Sioux River greenway trail network. While this long, park-lined path is nearly flat, it presents a very subtle, continuous false-flat incline on the return stretch, and the open riverside environment leaves participants exposed to late-morning sun and prairie breezes.

A successful racing plan depends on maintaining smooth, relaxed pace over the early rolling road miles through the city parks. Saving energy during the first half allows runners to lock into a steady, even pace once they transition onto the long, flat greenway path for the final ten miles.