City of Roses Half Marathon & 5K
- Date
- September 27, 2026
- Distance
- Half Marathon · 5K · VIRTUAL OPTION - City of Roses Half Marathon & more
From the Organizer
Must register by September 13 to be guaranteed a 5K T-Shirt or Half Marathon Long Sleeve Tech Shirt. SIGN UP NOW! We will not be ordering surplus shirts.
Race Day Registration is available during packet pickup Saturday & Sunday. Online registration closes Friday at midnight.
46th Annual City of Roses Half Marathon and 5K Weekend. The 5K Race and the Half Marathon will be held Sunday, September 27th. 5K will start at 7AM, Half Marathon 7:10AM (6:30 Non-competitive early start available for Half Marathon)
HALF MARATHON PRIZES! Overall Male & Female - $300 Overall Masters Male & Female - $200
Relay Option - Get a team of 3 and have a great time!
Join the fun by running Missouri’s premium, long-standing City of Roses Half Marathon. This course takes you along a paved trail through residential Cape Girardeau and out into the beautiful county. The course is well supported with volunteers to keep you safe as you wind around, up and down paved roads, past horse farms, tree-filled woods and beautiful homes. You will loop back to the Osage Center to find a cheering crowd and lots of good food, water, Gatorade and locally brewed beer. There will be pancakes & coffee along with traditional post-race snacks. This race is in its 46th consecutive year. Water stops are available every 2 miles in the beginning, then every mile from mile 8 on. Gatorade will be available at the water stops from mile 6 through the end of the race. The Water Stops are manned by some really happy people, ready to encourage you on your journey. We offer an early start for those who feel they may take longer than 3 hours to complete the course.
Our City of Roses 5K is a flat, fast USATF Certified Course on a paved trail. There will be lots of cheering and snacks at the finish.
Virtual Option - Run your best between September 1 and September 30, 2026.
AWARDS -
Half Marathon Awards will be recognized for Overall Male, Overall Female, Overall Masters Male & Female, and 5 year age divisions - 0-19, 20-24, 25-29, through 65-69, 70 +.
5K Awards will be recognized for Overall Male, Overall Female, and 5 year age divisions - 0-19, 20-24, 25-29, through 65-69, 70 +
Saturday September 26th, 2026:
3:00-6:00 Packet pick up at the Osage Center
Sunday September 27th, 2026
5:30-6:30 AM Half Marathon & 5K Packet Pickup
6:30 AM Walkers & Non-Competitive Runners Start*
7:00 AM 5K Start
7:10 AM Half Marathon Start
7:45 AM Awards Ceremony for 5K
9::40 AM Awards Ceremony for Half Marathon
*There are no awards for those runners that start at 6:30, but they are eligible for finishers metals.
Events
Weather
Typical Conditions
It's too far out for a forecast, so here's what weather on this date is normally like in the area. A race day forecast will replace this as race week approaches.
Typical High
78°
Typical Low
53°
Chance of Rain
25%
Based on US Climate Normals data from Cape Girardeau Muni Ap, 7 mi from the venue.
Host City
About Cape Girardeau, MO
Population
40,047
as of 2023
Elevation
364 ft
Nearest Airport
CGI
Cape Girardeau Regional Airport · 7 mi
Major Hub
STL
St. Louis Lambert International Airport · 109 mi
Time Zone
Central Time
From Endurance Grid
A mid-size host city. Enough lodging and amenities to keep race weekend easy, without big-city sprawl.
Race Location
Your Next Start Line
What Are You
Waiting For?
Every finish line starts with a single decision. Claim your spot at City of Roses Half Marathon & 5K, put it on the calendar, and turn “someday” into a start date.
111
Days to train
- Race
- City of Roses Half Marathon & 5K
- Date
- September 27, 2026
Coming Up
More Running races near Cape Girardeau, MO
Zonta 5K, 10K and 1 Mile Fun Run
10K · 5K
Less than a mile away
Chafin' at the Aid Station Ice Cream Run in partnership with Fitz's Sodas
27 miles away
Mercy Southeast Health point 5k Run / Walk and one mile fun run
5K
8 miles away
Feather Hills Double Barrel 5K/10K
10K · 5K
27 miles away
From Endurance Grid
About This Sport
Endurance Grid is here to help you understand the sport, decide if it's the right fit, and learn how to prepare. For course distances, logistics, and race-day specifics, always defer to the race organizer's event page.
The half marathon is the distance where you find out what you're actually made of. Long enough to demand real preparation. Short enough that it doesn't consume your life to train for it. Most people who run their first half describe it as the race that changed their relationship with what they're capable of. Once you cross this finish line, the bar moves. That's not a warning — that's the point.
Race day energy varies by event size, but the finish line feeling is the same regardless. Big races keep the noise going the whole way. Smaller races give you stretches where it's just you and the miles — and that solitude becomes its own kind of fuel.
The half marathon rewards people who show up for the boring training miles.
How long to train: 10–14 weeks. If you're already running consistently, 10 weeks of structured buildup is enough. If you're building from a casual base, give yourself 14.
Running
From 5K to marathon, running races are the most accessible entry point into endurance sport. There's a distance for every fitness level and a community at every start line.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What is the City of Roses Half Marathon & 5K?
- City of Roses Half Marathon & 5K is a running race held in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on September 27, 2026. It is one of the many endurance events listed on Endurance Grid, a multi-sport endurance event calendar covering running races, triathlons, HYROX, and more endurance sports across the United States. Find more running races near you or explore our sports guides to learn what race day actually feels like.
- When and where is the City of Roses Half Marathon & 5K?
- Sunday, September 27, 2026 in Cape Girardeau, Missouri at 1625 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, MO. Check the event page for exact start times and wave schedules.
- How do I register for the City of Roses Half Marathon & 5K?
- Registration is handled through the event's registration page. Confirm pricing and distances there, and sign up.
City of Roses Half Marathon & 5K
Sep 27, 2026