Twin Cities Marathon Uproots Starting Dates To Escape Hotter October Weather

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Twin Cities In Motion announced this week that Marathon Weekend will move from its longtime early October dates to a new mid-October window beginning in 2027.

Future race weekends will fall between Oct. 10 and Oct. 17. TCM said the change will not affect the 2026 Marathon Weekend.

TCM said a multi-year review showed that mid-October offers a more stable and safer weather profile. Charts TCM shared show average high and overnight low temperatures running noticeably warmer around Oct. 3 than around Oct. 16, both over the past five years and the past 10 years.

"Our responsibility is to continually evaluate conditions and plan for the future so we can deliver the safest, strongest race experience possible," TCM President Dean Orton said in a statement. "Across medical, public safety, and community partners, the alignment around mid-October was clear."

"We made this move with our runners and local resources in mind," said Race Director Ed Whetham. TCM noted that 40 to 45 percent of its marathoners are first-time finishers each year, and Whetham said shifting the date "gives us a much better shot at ideal weather, which keeps participants safe."

Whetham also said a hot, humid race day puts "a massive strain on local medical and public safety resources," adding that the date shift "is the right move for everyone involved in this event."

"Moving to mid-October meaningfully improves those outcomes," TCM Co-Medical Directors Dr. Jacob Kastner and Dr. David Supik said, adding that even modest cooling "can significantly reduce physiological strain" and lower the risk of serious medical events.

Marathon Weekend includes the 5K, 10K, Twin Cities 10 Mile, half marathon, and marathon races. The 2027 race weekend will fall on Oct. 17.