Overview The Garmin Kansas City Marathon is a running tour of the city on the third Saturday in October, starting and finishing across from the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and passing the WWI Museum and Memorial, Union Station, the Kauffman Center, 18th and Vine, Westport and the Country Club Plaza, with fireworks at the start and more than 15 bands along the course. It runs a full marathon, a half, a 10K and a 5K, all USATF-certified and Boston qualifiers, and the course never leaves Missouri. The Greater Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation produces it; the Commission's roots go back to 1966, it brought the 2023 NFL Draft and the Big 12 basketball tournament to the city, and it says it has helped generate more than $500 million in revenue for the region. On site Race weekend opens with the two-day Health and Fitness Expo at Union Station, where every runner collects a bib and shirt; it is open to the public, and the Commission counts about 10,000 people through it a year. In 2026 the full and half started at 7 from Theis Park, with the 10K and 5K behind them. A quarter mile before the mile 12 flag, Garmin flags mark the Segment Challenge, a timed sprint whose fastest runners each win a Garmin device. Pace teams run the half and full, and the full closes after six hours. Finishers walk straight into the Finish Line Festival in Theis Park for free food, a beer, massages, photo booths and live music; in 2024 three bands and a DJ played it. Audience The field is mostly regional: in 2024, 84% of the 7,958 registered runners came from Kansas or Missouri, with 47 states and nine countries represented. The half is the big race, with the organizers planning for about 5,000 half marathoners against 2,000 in the full. The I-35 Challenge pairs it with the Des Moines Marathon on back-to-back weekends and drew 249 runners in 2024, and more than 1,500 volunteers work the course. Track record The 2024 race was the 38th running. That year it drew five radio interviews, three Kansas City Star articles and more than 40 TV stories. The race app tracks runners live and carries a selfie feature and partner placements. Brand presence Garmin holds the title, Blue KC presents the expo and T-Mobile presents the Finish Line Festival, with Brooks as official shoe and apparel and an official fireworks partner. Every sponsor gets a booth at the Union Station expo. The middle tier adds a footprint in the Finish Line Festival, logos on volunteer shirts and a chance for staff to volunteer in company gear. The top tier adds category exclusivity, a logo on the start and finish truss and on runner shirts, and the option to own a mile of the course with signage or an activation.