Nicknamed the “grandfather of all Kansas City road races” by race organizers and the local community, the hilly and challenging Hospital Hill Run offers runners a choice of running in a half-marathon, a 10K or a 5K, the latter of which is sponsored by the University of Missouri-Kansas City Medical School.
Hospital Hill Run Half Marathon 10K & 5K
Date
May 31, 2025
Starting Time
6:55 AM
Course
Road
Fees
$37+
Location
Kansas City
Participants
1,000-10,000
Terrain
Challenging
Environment
Park Run
Temperature
High: 83°
/ Low: 64°
Overview
Course Description
Now set for its 51st annual running, the race follows a long, narrow loop course on a mostly north-south route through the city’s downtown streets and tree-lined park areas, starting and finishing at Kansas City’s Crown Center.
Because it’s Kansas City, the course is hilly — the race features an overall elevation change of just over 180 feet, rising from a low of 812 feet above sea level between the start and the first mile marker, and a high of 995 feet between miles 11 and 12.
Run entirely on paved surfaces through the city, the course features few flat stretches to speak of, and features uphills and downhills throughout, some of which — like the famous Hospital Hill, Broadway Hill and Rockhill Hill — are seriously challenging, past participants say.
Runners will get to run past and through a number of the city’s more scenic areas along the race course, perhaps to reward participants for chugging up and down all those hills! Along the way, runners traverse through Hyde Park, Gillham Park, Brookside Park and Penn Valley Park, home to Kansas City’s Liberty Museum and World War I memorial.
Past Results
