Kansas City Marathon and related events set for Saturday morning near the Nelson-Atkins

Normal is a relative term.

But after the successful debut of a new course and some new venues and events last year, the Garmin Kansas City Marathon, presented by PNC Bank, is starting to feel normal again.

The 2022 version of Kansas City’s biggest road race returns on Saturday, with the full and half marathons set to start at 7 a.m. in front of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

Elliot Scott, Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation director of marketing and communications, said organizers expect approximately 6,500 participants across all competitions, which include a 10k and 5k in addition to the two longer events.

“It’s up over last year. This is consistent nationally with the exception of big races,” Scott said. “We’ve seen a correction, almost like a market correction. COVID obviously changed a lot of things. Last year was our baseline, so it’s encouraging that we’ve grown from last year already.”

The Kansas City Marathon returned last year after a hiatus in 2020 with a new layout and post-race “Finish Line Festival” set in one of the city’s most picturesque locations, between the Nelson-Atkins and Brush Creek.

Some long-time race participants had to rethink their strategy over the new 23.2-mile layout. But all-in-all, Scott said the feedback for the updates was overwhelming positive.

“Knowing the course gives you a bit of advantage, especially the hill cadence. Any marathon in Kansas City is going to have hills. For a few long-time participants, the hills were in different spots. They knew how to run old course so well,” Scott said. “Where we heard the most positive feedback was the Finish Line Fest. It’s a very visually captivating setting, and we received really positive feedback about pre- and post-race experience.”

Changes for this year include a new 10k course that goes through Westport, the Country Club Plaza and Brush Creek. Participants will also have the opportunity to purchase limited-edition posters through an online portal or on-sight at the expo. The winner of the men’s and women’s marathon will receive the original artwork as a prize.

The hope is that this year’s race takes another step toward establishing new traditions that will stand the test of time.

“Our vision going forward is how do we make it bigger and better now that we’ve crossed the threshold for the pandemic,” Scott said.

In addition to elite runners, this year’s race will again feature participants running in costumes and those running to break personal barriers and set new personal records.

“I’m a runner,” Scott said. “What resonates most with me is watching people cross the finish line who have never ran that distance. You can see the level of energy exertion, but also the pride and joy that comes with doing something that you previously thought was impossible.

“I remember the first distances I’ve run in every category. Those are special memories for me and I love seeing people make those memories in Kansas City.”

It’s already been a banner 2022 for the Kansas City Sports Commission. A successful 2026 World Cup bid was announced this summer, and the spotlight will shine again on Kansas City in April when the 2023 NFL Draft comes to town.

As a privately funded non-profit organization, the KC Sports Commission relies on endurance races like the Kansas City Marathon to raise funds for keeping premiere sporting events coming to the heartland.

“These events are what allow us to keep doing what we do on behalf of Kansas City,” Scott said.

On Saturday morning, runners from around the country will gather to put themselves to the test.

This story was originally published October 12, 2022 at 11:03 AM.