Prairie Fire Fall Marathon

Kansas’s largest city welcomes thousands of runners each year for this run along a fast, flat course that unfolds through the heart of its residential neighborhoods as well as its new, up-and-coming entertainment districts and local parks, and even features a crossing over the Arkansas River.The race follows an out-and-back 13.1-mile route that starts and finishes just across the river from Wichita’s Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, the home of the city’s Wichita Wingnuts American Association pro baseball team.

The race follows an out-and-back 13.1-mile route that starts and finishes just across the river from Wichita’s Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, the home of the city’s Wichita Wingnuts American Association pro baseball team.From there, runners follow a route that takes them first eastward through the city, across the river over the Lewis Street bridge, up McLean Boulevard for a brief stretch and then back over the river at Douglas Avenue, which runners then remain on for the next three miles.Runners encounter the first of the race’s only mild, rolling hills just after passing the mile 3 marker, as they’re entering the College Hill and Crown Heights neighborhoods. The next three miles take runners around a loop that passes College Hill Park and the Robert Dole V.A. Medical Center, and then brings them back around to Douglas Avenue via turns on 2nd Street, Oliver and English Street.Those running in the half marathon are half-way done with the race by the time they head back onto Douglas, where they’ll see the mile 7 marker shortly and then stay on Douglas for about the next mile and a half.The last four miles of the course are nearly all pancake flat as they take runners through several turns around the city’s central business and government district, where runners will run past Wichita’s City Hall on their way to the next-to-last crossing over the Arkansas River, just south of Riverside Park.The final mile of the race takes runners southward along McLean for a nice, flat stretch along the bend in the river as they make their way in to the finish line, just across the river from the baseball stadium.

The Prairie Fire Marathon is proud to serve Gatorade sports drinks at all hydration stations. Hydration stations will be operating at the 2.25, 5 mile markers and approximately every two miles after mile 5 leading up to the finish line on the course. Fully filtered water is provided by Culligan. GU will also be available at mile 12.75 and 16.5. Minor emergency supplies (i.e. band-aids, Vaseline, ice) will also be available at each station.

The Prairie Fire Marathon Race Series will be electronically bib timed to ensure that everyone receives an accurate time. Age group awards will be based on timing system time (the actual time elapsed between an athlete reaching the starting line and the finish line).