To Grandmother's House We Go

To Grandmother's House We Go is held in West Des Moines, Iowa, on October 31, 2026. Three road distances share a 9 a.m. start: a 5K, a 10K and a 15K (9.3 miles), so runners with very different backgrounds line up at the same time.

The jump from 5K to 15K is a real one. The shortest option works as a hard, honest effort you can recover from the same day; the 10K asks for steadier pacing; and the 15K sits in useful territory if you are building toward a half marathon later in the season. For that longest distance, plan on eight to ten weeks with a weekly long run of 8 to 10 miles, and practice taking fluids on the move rather than waiting until you need them.