IronHorse Marathon

Riceville, IA, USA · May 1, 2027·
partly-cloudy-day47°·54° high·Breezy·Dry
9
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IronHorse Marathon race day weather

partly-cloudy-day
47°at start
59° high
Breezy
Dry
Your goal
0:00:00

Cool morning, headwinds ahead

Runners will face a temperature rise from 47°F at the start to 54°F by the finish, with average humidity at 65%. A steady headwind will challenge performance from miles 3-8 and 20-21, while a tailwind will provide relief from miles 13-19. Adjusting pace early to conserve energy in the headwinds will be crucial for maintaining stamina throughout the race.

Race day forecast available in 158 days
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Pace Calculator

26.2mi
0:00:00
HH:MM:SS
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Common Goals:

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IronHorse Marathon route and elevation

The IronHorse Marathon course has about 386 ft (118 m) of climbing and 441 ft (134 m) of descent, a net drop of about 55 ft (17 m). It is flatter than 80% of the marathon courses racecast.io has mapped, measured by what the hills cost in time. The hardest mile is mile 3, with 58 ft (18 m) of climbing.

Biggest climbs

  • Miles 0.8 to 1.6: climbs about 50 ft (16 m).
  • Miles 5 to 7.3: climbs about 55 ft (17 m).
  • Miles 21.2 to 22.9: climbs about 55 ft (16 m).

What the hills cost

The hills change finish times by less than 0.2% here, under half a minute for a 4:00 runner.

Hills only, priced mile by mile on the course map. The pace calculator above adds the race-day weather.

Even-effort splits for a 3:30, 4:00 or 4:30 finish
The IronHorse Marathon mile splits at even effort for three finish times, with each mile's climb and descent
MileClimbDescent3:304:004:30
135 ft40 ft7:589:0710:15
251 ft42 ft8:059:1310:23
358 ft51 ft8:039:1210:21
412 ft10 ft8:019:1010:18
517 ft25 ft7:579:0610:15
626 ft9 ft8:099:1810:27
718 ft6 ft8:059:1510:24
829 ft17 ft8:069:1510:25
94 ft11 ft7:589:0610:15
100 ft3 ft7:599:0810:16
110 ft3 ft7:599:0710:16
120 ft3 ft7:599:0810:16
136 ft7 ft8:009:0810:16
143 ft21 ft7:559:0310:11
158 ft21 ft7:579:0510:13
1621 ft19 ft8:019:0910:18
1717 ft29 ft7:579:0610:14
1828 ft31 ft7:599:0710:15
1923 ft13 ft8:049:1310:23
2025 ft59 ft7:518:5910:06
2152 ft58 ft7:599:0710:15
2246 ft20 ft8:129:2310:34
2327 ft14 ft8:079:1610:25
246 ft28 ft7:549:0210:10
250 ft14 ft7:579:0510:13
2613 ft34 ft7:549:0210:10
Last 0.221 ft5 ft1:542:102:26

Explore the IronHorse Marathon course with the weather and your pace along the route, or compare it with other races.

Race Plan

Get your personalized IronHorse Marathon race plan

A mile-by-mile breakdown of where your time goes, weather-adjusted splits, fueling timeline with aid stations, packing checklist, carb tracker, spectator guide, all built around your goal and race-day conditions.

Race Pace
Weather Splits
Nutrition
Gear & Packing
T-Minus
Carb Tracker
Spectator Guide
Race Band

About the IronHorse Marathon

The IronHorse Races include a Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K and 5K Run. All are USATF Sanctioned. The Full Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K are USATF Certified. The Full Marathon takes place on the Wapsi-Great Western Line (WGWL) Trail located in Riceville, Iowa and the Shooting Star Trail in Minnesota. The Half Marathon, 10K and 5K take place on the WGWL Trail. The WGWL Trail has a Northern Branch and a Southern Branch. The races take place on the Rails-to-Trails recognized paved and concrete laid Northern Branch. The Iowan WGWL Trail is the first and official interstate trail connecting to Minnesota’s Shooting Star Trail. Source

Race weekend

Saturday, May 1
6:30 AMMarathon (26.2 mi)
7:15 AMHalf Marathon (13.1 mi)7:30 AM10K (6.2 mi)
7:45 AM5K (3.1 mi)

IronHorse Marathon FAQ

When is the 2027 IronHorse Marathon?

The 2027 IronHorse Marathon will be held on Saturday May 1, 2027.

Is the IronHorse Marathon a Boston Marathon Qualifier?

Yes, the IronHorse Marathon is an official Boston Marathon qualifier.

What is the time limit for the IronHorse Marathon?

The time limit for the IronHorse Marathon is 6 hours.

What will the weather be like for the 2027 IronHorse Marathon?

The forecast calls for a high of 64°F and a low of 45°F with a 14% chance of rain. Check our detailed hourly forecast above for the best marathon race plan.

What is the elevation gain of the IronHorse Marathon?

The IronHorse Marathon course has about 386 ft (118 m) of climbing and 441 ft (134 m) of descent, a net drop of about 55 ft (17 m).

Is the IronHorse Marathon flat?

Yes. It has about 15 ft (4 m) of climbing per mile. The hills change finish times by less than 0.2% here, under half a minute for a 4:00 runner. It is flatter than 80% of the marathon courses racecast.io has mapped, measured by what the hills cost in time.

What is the weather usually like for the IronHorse Marathon?

Over the 6 years racecast.io has race-day weather for (2021 to 2026), it averaged 47°F at the start and 58°F by a typical finish. Rain fell during race hours in 2 of those years (2023 and 2024).

What was the hottest IronHorse Marathon?

Of the 6 years on record, 2021 was the warmest, reaching 74°F during race hours. The coldest start was 2026, at 35°F.

What was the windiest IronHorse Marathon?

Of the 6 years on record, 2021 was the windiest, with wind averaging 17 mph during race hours. The calmest was 2022, at 6 mph.

IronHorse Marathon weather history

Based on 6 years of data
Avg Temp
51°F
L:46° H:58°
RunScore
8
Conditions
Rain Freq
33%
2 of 6 yrs
Wind10mph
Dew41°F

Temperature History

Range of temperatures during race hours for each year.

Detailed History

YearConditionsLow / HighRainScoreResults
2026
clear-night
35°/52°-
9
2025
cloudy
43°/50°-
10
2024
partly-cloudy-day
47°/52°Light
8
2023
cloudy
56°/60°Light
7
2022
clear-day
43°/59°-
9
2021
clear-night
52°/74°-
7