Saturday, September 30, 2023 • Columbia, MO • Course Map
Columbia’s Roots & Blues & BBQ Festival Half Marathon & 10K sees more than 1,000 runners cross the finish line in both races combined each year, including just over 800 finishers in the half marathon alone, for a race that’s filled with numerous rolling hills and took the place of the old Columbia Half Marathon Challenge that was run in past years.
The course for the half marathon race starts at Columbia’s Stephens Lake Park, near the corner of 5th Street and Elm Street, on the edge of the campus of the University of Missouri.
From there, runners begin a route that takes them along a combination of paved city streets as well as sections of the Katy Trail, which winds more than 220 miles across the state from Clinton in the western part of the state all the way east to St. Louis.
Situated on what was once a railroad, the trail features fast, flat groomed natural surfaces that will be a welcome respite from the sometime challenging hills on other portions of the race course.
The rest of the course will take runners through downtown Columbia, along streets on the campus of the University of Missouri and through parts of the city’s southwestern neighborhoods.
Once they’re finished, runners and their friends and family can enjoy the Roots & Blues Barbecue Festival, which will kick off following the race at Flat Branch Park, where the race will finish.
Race Weather & Climate
Located near the banks of the Missouri River near the center of the state, along Interstate 70 about half-way between Kansas City to the west and St. Louis to the east, Columbia typically sees some of its mildest weather of the year in September, which has brought record temperatures here as low as 26°F (in 1895) and as high as 104°F (in 1893).
On race day (Sep. 30), the average low is 50ºF and the average high is 74ºF.
Past Results
- 2022 Results
- 2016 Roots N Blues N BBQ Half Marathon Results
- 2015 Roots N Blues N BBQ Half Marathon Results
Course Map
See the race route map for the Roots & Blues BBQ Festival Half Marathon here.
Starting Time
- 7:00 AM – half marathon
- 7:30 AM – 10K
Fees
- $50 – $70 for the half marathon
- $40 – $60 for the 10K
Registration
To reserve your spot in the 2023 running of Columbia’s Roots & Blues BBQ Festival Half Marathon or 10K race, register online at the official race website below.
Official Race Website
Facebook Conversations
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