Saint Louis Track Club Half Marathon & 5K
returns to Forest Park on Nov. 8, 2026!
The Saint Louis Track Club Half Marathon and 5K returns for its 47th year on Sunday, November 8, 2026. First run in 1980, this event holds the title of the longest-running half marathon in the St. Louis region, offering runners a classic road race experience through the historic and scenic setting of Forest Park.
2026 COURSE INFORMATION
Both the St. Louis Track Club Half Marathon and the 5K routes start and finish at the Muny Festival Grounds in Forest Park. The 5K remains within Forest Park, the Half Marathon travels out of the park through The Grove neighborhood as well. See maps below.
START TIMES
We use an Open Start format, meaning there will be a formal half marathon gun-start at 7:30 AM, but you may start your half marathon race any time between 7:30 and 7:40 AM. For the 5K, there will be a formal gun-start at 8:00 AM, but you may start your 5K race any time between 8:00 and 8:10 AM. Award winners will be based on the gun-start time only.
EARLY START AVAILABLE! Half Marathon walkers and slower runners: you can start your race early at 7 a.m.! No need to check in, we'll have the start ready at that time and you can just go. *7 a.m. early starts are not eligible for awards.
CUTOFF
In keeping with our mission of providing a community for walkers and runners of all abilities, there is no official cutoff for these races. However, we do begin removing the street blockades by about noon on race day. The finish will remain open until all participants are accounted for.
2026 ST. LOUIS TRACK CLUB HALF MARATHON COURSE
2026 HALF MARATHON
COURSE CHANGES
The 2026 Half Marathon course is very similar to previous years, with the biggest change being that participants will travel from Clayton Ave. down S. Newstead Avenue in the Grove (previous routes took S. Taylor Avenue).
2026 ST. LOUIS TRACK CLUB 5K COURSE
PRIZES
The Saint Louis Track Club Half Marathon is happy to award cash prizes for the top three males and females, as well as awards for the top three males and females in each age group.
Half Marathon: Prize money awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place male and female overall finishers.*
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1st place: $500
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2nd place: $250
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3rd place: $100
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Age Group Awards: Recognizing the top 3 finishers in each age group, male and female. Age groups are: 19 & under, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+.*
5K: Overall awards for the top 3 male and female finishers only.
*Non-binary cash awards for the Half Marathon are available if there is a competition pool of at least 10 runners. Non-binary age group awards and overall 5K awards are available for registrations made before Oct. 8.
PACKET PICKUP
For your convenience we offer multiple packet pickups before the race. We highly encourage attending one of these to avoid delays on race morning. You may pick up the packet of a friend or family member.
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Friday, Nov. 6, 1- 6 PM: Running Niche (1601 Tower Grove Ave.) – Pick up your bib, shirt, and any other race supplies and fuel you need. Running Niche is also a sponsor of this year’s Half Marathon and 5K so please give them your support.
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Saturday, Nov. 7, 10 AM-4 PM: Forest Park Visitor's Center – We’ll be set up in the Voyager room, so swing on by and grab your gear. You can even get a little shakeout run in at the park while you’re at it.
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Race day, Sunday, Nov. 8, 6-8 AM: Packet pickup will begin on race morning at 6 AM and will end at 8 AM (ends at 7:20AM for the Half Marathon). No race day registration will be allowed. Participants must pick up their own packet on race morning.
Note: Virtual race packets can be picked up in person before the race, and will be mailed if they are not.
SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER
The Saint Louis Track Club is happy to announce that author and certified running, cycling and triathlon coach Jeff Horowitz will be giving a talk on Saturday, Nov. 6 in the Trolley Room of the Forest Park Visitor Center. Jeff has completed more than 175 marathons and ultramarathons across six continents. Jeff will give a presentation on how to do a structured post-race performance evaluation to help guide runners on figuring out how much recovery they would need and when they could expect to race again. He will have copies of his books Think Like a Runner and The Runner's Bucket List
2026 SPONSORS
Get 10% off your stay at Drury Inns & Suites at Union Station for race weekend using code STLRUN. Click here to book: Drury Inns & Suites
Running Niche is a locally-owned and operated specialty run retail store serving the St. Louis area since 2018. Located in the Botanical Heights neighborhood of St. Louis, they strive to be the go-to resource for running, walking, and connecting with others in St. Louis. www.runningniche.com
