Run for the Ranch Marathon, Half Marathon & Relay

Saturday, December 28, 2024 • Springfield, MO • Course Map

When the organizers of Springfield’s annual Good Samaritan Run for the Ranch Marathon & Half Marathon say the race follows a loop course through the city, they mean an unusually tight loop course — one that runners in the half marathon run four times and those in the full, 26.2-mile marathon run no fewer than eight times before reaching the finish line.

Now set for its 25th annual running, the race usually sees more than 400 runners cross the finish line in both the half and full marathon races combined, including more than 250 finishers in the half marathon.

The course for the race — which is a 5-kilometer distance course that is used for the 5K once, the 10K twice, and so on — starts and finishes on the campus of Springfield’s historic Missouri State University and includes a few rolling hills, but otherwise is mostly flat.

In a nod to the cold conditions usual on the day of the race, organizers begin both the full and the half marathon at 10:00 AM, to give the air time to warm up at least a little. By the time the full marathon participants are finishing their respective races, however, it is usually beginning to get dark, which is of course a little extra motivation to bring it on in.

Organized by the southwest Missouri’s Ozark Mountain Ridge Runners club, the race proceeds go to benefit the club programs as well as the local Trinity Lutheran Church and the nearby Good Samaritan Boys Ranch of Brighton, students from which come out each year to volunteer for the race by manning the aid stations and handing out water to participants.

Race Weather & Climate

Cold, sometimes icy weather conditions and occasional wintry precipitation are the norm in late December in the Springfield area in late December, located in the southwestern corner of Missouri.

In December, temperatures range between 26°F and 46°F, while rainfall amounts average just over 3.1 inches and snowfall amounts average about 4 inches for the month. On the day of the race (Dec. 30), the average low is 24°F and the average high is 44°F.

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the Run for the Ranch Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

10:00 AM

Fees

see event website

Registration

To reserve your spot in the 2024 running of Springfield’s Run For The Ranch Marathon or Half Marathon, register online at the event website here.

Official Race Website

run4theranch.com

Comments

Ever run in the Run for the Ranch Half Marathon? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.