Boulevard beer, Jack Stack BBQ & more await finishers of Saturday’s Garmin KC Marathon
The work on the following year’s Garmin Kansas City Marathon begins as soon as the feedback surveys from runners start to trickle in.
The good news as the 2023 version arrives on Saturday: The biggest elements — like the date and the course that starts and finishes in front of Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art — are a big hit among participants.
The focus now is fine-tuning the experience as much as possible, with the goal to get registration back to pre-pandemic levels. To keep from getting stuck in a rut, enhancing pre- and post-race experiences is one of the top priorities.
“The big finish-line festival in Tice Park is back. We’ll have Jack Stack barbecue, Boulevard beer and live music,” Dave Borchardt, race director for the Garmin Kansas City Marathon, said. “This is also the 100-year anniversary of Russell Stover, and they’ll be giving out a free finisher chocolate. We’ll also have fireworks at the start of race, down toward the Plaza, to have that memorable moment.”
Registrations will continue to trickle in throughout the week, but Borchardt expects the final number for all races (the 5K, 10K, half-marathon and full marathon) to be somewhere around 7,000-7,500, an improvement over last year’s 6,500 runners. In addition to the experience, improving the gift bag for those competing in the bigger races is a priority. This year they’ll receive running gloves
“We’ve got the course in a pretty good spot, and we’re fine-tuning the little things to make the race as good as possible,” Borchardt said.
The Kansas City Marathon is also the largest fundraiser for the Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation, the nonprofit organization that has spearheaded the efforts to bring premiere sporting events to town, such as the 2023 NFL Draft, 2026 World Cup and Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
Runners of all levels will be challenging themselves on Saturday. Borchardt’s favorite moments are found in the pre-dawn darkness, when the Nelson-Atkins isn’t yet visible, and in that same spot a few hours later when runners drive for the finish.
“There’s a nervous energy in the hour leading up to the race. Runners are walking around, stretching. We try to think through the pre-race experience in terms of pump-up music, the national anthem, fireworks and the opening horn,” Borchardt said. “The finish-line experience is great. Even if it’s just a 5K, they’re finishing a goal. Or maybe they have a new personal best (or) qualified for the Boston Marathon. That’s my favorite thing on race day.”
The festivities start Thursday and Friday with a two-day Health and Fitness Expo presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City at Union Station. Garmin-sponsored athletes and Olympians Courtney Frerichs and Cory McGee will be signing autographs at Union Station on Friday from 12:30-1 p.m. Half-marathon participants will also have the opportunity to run with Frerichs. She’ll be helping pace the 1 hour, 30-minute group.
The competition begins on Saturday morning at 7 a.m., with the full and half-marathons. The 10K gets underway at 7:30 a.m., followed by the 5K at 7:45 a.m.
Before planning for the 2024 race begins, runners from around the Midwest will have the opportunity to challenge themselves in the premiere event on the Kansas City running calendar.
