The 2023 IMT Des Moines Marathon Shatters Registration Targets For All Events

October 17, 2023

Thousands of runners and spectators came to Des Moines for the iconic race weekend

Des Moines, IA /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The 2023 IMT Des Moines Marathon race weekend smashed expectations for race organizers and participants of the IMT Des Moines Marathon & Half Marathon, the Bankers Trust Marathon Relay, the Principal 5K Road Race, and the MercyOne Children’s Hospital Kids Run.

Held on Sunday, October 15, this year’s race saw a huge influx of runners who headed to Des Moines for the race weekend. Registration across all events had already increased from previous, post-pandemic years when the Twin Cities Marathon unfortunately had to cancel their event at the last minute due to Black Flag weather conditions. Knowing that runners would be looking for another event, the IMT Des Moines Marathon offered discounted entries and a special registration pathway exclusively for Twin Cities Marathon participants.

“I’m not just a race director, I’m also an athlete,” said Jake Jass, Race Director of the IMT Des Moines Marathon. “I know how hard those runners trained to perform at Twin Cities and how disappointed they were when the event was canceled. Our hearts went out to both the Twin Cities Marathon organizers and their participants and so we stepped in to do whatever we could to accommodate those runners and welcome them to Des Moines,” Jass added.

This year’s event saw an increase in registration by almost 10% from 2022. Runners of all ages participated in the IMT Des Moines Marathon & Half Marathon, the Bankers Trust Marathon Relay, the Principal 5K Road Race, and the MercyOne Children’s Hospital Kids Run. In addition, this year included a new event – the Fitness Sports Speed Zone Challenge – an exhilarating 1.5-mile sprint at the back loop of Water Works Park. The fastest runners in each age group across this zone won prizes from sponsor Fitness Sports.

2023 participants represented 45 states and 8 countries. Minnesota’s Abraham KipKemei and Leah Rotich won the IMT Des Moines Marathon in 2:25:24 and 2:42:41 respectively while Des Moines’ own Cody Baele and Emma Huston broke the tape for the IMT Half Marathon in 1:06:20 and 1:15:00. Austin O’Brien of Waukee and Anna Bergman of West Des Moines were the winners of the Principal 5K Road Race in 14:48 and 18:59.

About the IMT Des Moines Marathon

The IMT Des Moines Marathon advocates for individuals who actively participate in their health and wellness by engaging, coordinating, and providing community-related running events and initiatives. Since its inception in 2002, the IMT Des Moines Marathon has provided a positive image of Des Moines as a place to live, work, and play by offering race distances for athletes of all ages and abilities including the IMT Des Moines Marathon & Half Marathon, Bankers Trust Marathon Relay, Principal 5K Road Race, and the MercyOne Children’s Hospital Kids Run.