Marathon Weekend is the one weekend a year when downtown Minneapolis sets an alarm for 5 a.m. on purpose. On Sunday, October 4, 2026, roughly 30,000 runners will move through the streets between here and the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul — and the two headline races are already gone. Both the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and the Medtronic TC 10 Mile are sold out to the general public.
Lodging tends to follow the same curve. If you are running, driving someone to the start, or flying in to watch a person you love do something hard, it is worth settling where you will sleep now rather than in late September.
What is happening October 2–4
Twin Cities In Motion spreads Marathon Weekend across three days, with Saturday’s races in St. Paul and Sunday’s races starting here in downtown Minneapolis.
- Friday, October 2 — the Health & Fitness Expo at Saint Paul RiverCentre, 175 Kellogg Blvd, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Packets are picked up here, so build it into the travel plan.
- Saturday, October 3 — the Expo continues, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On the State Capitol grounds: the TC 10K at 7:30 a.m. (this year it hosts the 2026 USATF 10K Championships), the TC 5K at 9 a.m., and free Family Events at 10 a.m.
- Sunday, October 4 — the TC 10 Mile at 7 a.m., the TC Half Marathon for More at 7:40 a.m. (listed as subject to change), and the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon at 8 a.m.
One note if you would still like a bib of your own: Saturday’s TC 10K is open as of this writing, even though Sunday’s two big races are not. Kids 18 and under run free at every Twin Cities In Motion event.
The start line is about a half-mile from our front door
The marathon and the 10 Mile both start on South 6th Street, right beside U.S. Bank Stadium. From our door at 215 South 9th Street, that is roughly a half-mile — call it a ten-minute walk. You can make it in a throwaway sweatshirt at 6:30 in the morning without moving a car or waiting on a rideshare that cannot get through the closures anyway.
It is the same short walk our guests already take for Vikings games at the stadium. If you are driving in, our guide to overnight parking downtown covers the nearby lots, and the skyway is worth knowing about if early October decides to be cold.
Why a furnished studio helps on race weekend
A hotel room is fine. A studio with a kitchen is better when the day starts at 5 a.m.
Every studio at Oaklands on 9th is fully furnished and includes WiFi, all utilities, heat, free laundry, and a full kitchen. That means the pre-race breakfast you actually trained on, at the hour you actually want it, instead of hoping the lobby coffee is running yet. It means the pasta the night before without a forty-five-minute wait for a table. And it means free laundry for everything you wore afterward, before you fly home. (Here is the longer list of what comes with a studio.)
There are no contracts — stay a night, a week, or a month — so a family can book Thursday through Monday without signing anything. Three tiers, Good, Better and Best, let you match the room to the trip, and some units are pet friendly if the dog is part of the cheering section.
If you are here to cheer
The finish line is at the Minnesota State Capitol, and the simplest way over is the METRO Green Line from downtown Minneapolis to the Capitol/Rice Street Station. Give yourself extra time either way; with the course closing streets in both cities, driving is the slowest option of the day.
The rest of the weekend is a fine excuse to be a tourist. Minneapolis Trolley Tours is an easy way for out-of-town family to see the city while the runner naps, and if someone in your group wants a night somewhere with a different character, 300 Clifton and the Pillsbury Club are both a short ride from downtown.
Book your race-weekend stay
October books early here, and this year a little earlier than usual: starting in 2027 Marathon Weekend moves to mid-October, which makes 2026 the last early-October running. Reserve a studio online or call us at (612) 314-5124 and we will help you pick the right one. We will leave the porch light on for the 6 a.m. walk.
Keep reading: ever wondered why every studio here has a full kitchen? The answer is a $10,000 permit from 1960 — here’s the story.