The IronHorse represents the abandoned railway corridor preserved by the WGWL. May you feel that frontier spirit as you “lap the miles and lick the valleys up…” Emily Dickenson’s The Railway Train.
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Contents
Race Info
The race is located largely on a dedicated recreational trail. Shuttles provide full- and half-marathon racers transportation to the starting points.
Full and half marathon courses are point-to-point. 10K and 5K courses are out-and-back. Aid stations and port-a-potties are located along the race route. The finish line for all races is at the WGWL Trailhead Welcome Center in Riceville.
Awards are given to the first three finishers in each gender in each race. Awards are not given out by age category. All full and half marathon registrants who finish will receive a finishers award.
Race Date
May 3, 2025.
Location
Wapsi-Great Western Line Welcome Center
110 East Main Street
Riceville, IA 50466 US
Directions
Distances
- Marathon (26.2 miles)
- Half marathon (13.1 miles)
- 10K
- 5K
Starting Time
- 6:30 AM – full marathon
- 7:15 AM – half marathon
- 7:30 AM – 10K
- 7:45 AM – 5K
Entry Fees
- $65 and up – full marathon
- $55 and up – half marathon
- $25 and up – 10K
- $15 and up – 5K
Course Map
The courses have the USA Track & Field (USATF) Course Certification.
The Full Marathon takes place on the Wapsi-Great Western Line (WGWL) Trail located in Riceville, Iowa, and the Shooting Star Trail in Minnesota. The half marathon, 10K, and 5K take place on the WGWL Trail. The WGWL Trail has a northern branch and a southern branch.
The races take place on the Rails-to-Trails recognized, paved, and concrete-layed Northern Branch. The Iowa WGWL Trail is the first and official interstate trail connecting to Minnesota’s Shooting Star Trail.
5K and 10K runners will experience railroad-level grades on a paved trail out-and-back course. Full and half runners will experience winding woodlands and railroad-level grades on a paved trail from point-to-point. Full marathon runners will also experience a four-mile section on crushed rock at the midway point.
You can find the course map and description here: runsignup.com.
Registration
Sign up for the IronHorse event at runsignup.com.
Official Race Website
Additional race information can be found at ironhorse.wgwltrail.com.
Social Media
If you are looking for more information about the race, follow it on Facebook.
Related Events
If you’re looking for more races like this, have a look at our Half Marathons Calendar. You may also like to participate in other races in May.
More races in Iowa: 5K, 10K, Half Marathons, Marathons, Ultra Marathons, 50K, 50M, 100K, 100M.
