Cowtown Marathon

Cowtown Marathon fills the weekend of February 27 and 28, 2027, in Fort Worth, Texas, and counts among the largest running events in the state, with some 28,000 participants. Saturday brings a 5K (3.1 miles), a kids' 5K and a 10K (6.2 miles); Sunday brings the half marathon (13.1 miles), the marathon (26.2 miles) and a 50K ultra (31 miles), all starting at 7:00 a.m. from the city's cultural district.

The course takes in the Stockyards, downtown, the Texas Christian University campus and the banks of the Trinity River, with rolling ground and a well-known climb around mile nine. Both the marathon and the 50K are Boston qualifiers, so a 16-week build with hill repeats and a weekly long run is the right frame if you are chasing a time. Race proceeds fund the C.A.L.F. program, which introduces schoolchildren to running and provides new shoes to students from lower-income families.