2027 Cowtown Marathon - Feb 28 Countdown

Q: When is the 2027 Cowtown Marathon and what time does the full marathon start?

The Cowtown is held on the last weekend of February in Fort Worth, Texas. For 2027 the in-person weekend runs February 27 to 28: the 5K and 10K races are on Saturday, February 27, and the half marathon, full marathon and ultra are on Sunday, February 28, 2027. The full marathon starts at 7:00 a.m. Central Time from the Cultural District on Gendy Street.

Q: Where does the Cowtown Marathon course go?

The full marathon starts and finishes in Fort Worth's Cultural District, near the museums on Gendy Street. From there it heads north through the historic Stockyards — the old cattle district that gives the race its 'Cowtown' name — then loops through downtown and around TCU and the southside neighborhoods before returning to the finish. The course is reworked and resigned periodically, so check the official turn-by-turn map for the current 2027 layout.

Q: Is the Cowtown Marathon course flat or hilly?

It is best described as rolling, not flat and not mountainous. The route has a steady series of slopes and grade changes through the Stockyards, downtown and the southside, and late-February wind across the open sections can add to the effort. There is no single brutal climb, but the cumulative undulation makes it a course to pace evenly rather than attack from the gun. Use the pace calculator to plan splits that leave something for the rolling back half.

Q: Is the Cowtown Marathon a Boston qualifier?

Yes. The full marathon and the ultra are USATF-certified Boston-qualifying courses, so a qualifying time here counts toward Boston Marathon entry. Because the course rolls and the wind can be a factor, it is a legitimate BQ attempt for runners who pace well on undulating terrain rather than a soft net-downhill course. Check your target time on the Boston qualifying calculator.

Q: What is the time limit for the Cowtown full marathon?

The full marathon has a 7.5-hour course time limit, timed from when the last full and ultra corral crosses the start line. That is a generous cutoff that works out to roughly 17:09 per mile (10:40 per km), making the Cowtown a realistic target for first-timers and walk-run finishers as well as competitive runners. Confirm the latest corral and cutoff details on the official race site before race day.

Q: How do I register for the Cowtown Marathon, and how big is it?

Registration is handled online through Race Roster; there is no lottery — entry is first-come, first-served, and prices rise as the tiers fill, so registering early saves money. The 2026 weekend set a registration record of more than 29,000 runners across all distances, but that headline is driven by the half marathon, 10K and 5K. The full marathon itself is far smaller — a focused field in the low thousands — so you get the energy of North Texas' biggest race weekend with a more serious, less crowded 26.2-mile experience.

Q: What makes the Cowtown different from the Dallas-area marathons?

The Cowtown is Fort Worth's flagship race and fills the calendar gap on the west side of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Its identity is built on Western heritage — the route through the working Stockyards, a Texas-sized finish festival, and a collectible multi-year medal series. It is a late-February race, so it suits runners building toward a spring goal, and the rolling, wind-exposed course gives it a tougher, more characterful feel than a pancake-flat PR track.

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Race Information

Race	2027 Cowtown Marathon - Feb 28
City	Fort Worth
Date	2027-02-28 at 07:00
Field Size	~2,134 runners
Time Limit	7 hours 30 min
Cutoff pace	10:40/km
Timezone	America/Chicago
Official Site	The Cowtown Marathon

Race Day Weather

Average Temperature	10.6°C / 51°F
Humidity	69%
Wind	26.8 km/h
Rain Chance	20%
Typical Conditions	Cool, often-breezy late-February Fort Worth morning — typically around 46 degrees F (8 degrees C) at the 7:00 a.m. start, with a real chance of a gusty North Texas wind and big day-to-day swings

What to Prepare: Late February in Fort Worth is a coin-flip month: a 7:00 a.m. start can be near-freezing one year and mild the next, with wind the most reliable variable on the open Stockyards and southside stretches. Dress for a cool start with throwaway layers, gloves and arm sleeves you can shed, and check the forecast the week before — a stiff north wind on the back half is the local hazard to plan around.

Based on historical averages for race week. Use our Weather Score Calculator and What to Wear Guide for personalized advice.

Wind Impact on Race Day

Wind at 26.8 km/h can affect your marathon pace by 5-15 seconds per kilometer. Headwinds slow you down exponentially — a 20 km/h wind costs more than twice a 10 km/h wind.

Calculate your wind-adjusted pace →

Race-Week Climate

Based on 20 years of race-week weather (2005-2024), MERRA-2 reanalysis

	Cooler	Typical	Warmer
Temperature	2.9°C	10.9°C	17.7°C
Dew point	-4.3°C	4.1°C	13.2°C

Wet-day chance: 20% Runnability: 73/100

Data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), NASA Langley Research Center

Course Profile

Course Type	City heritage tour
Elevation Gain	224m
Terrain	Road (paved city streets through the Stockyards, downtown and southside, rolling)
Profile	The Cowtown is a city tour with real character rather than a flat time trial. The full marathon, half, and ultra all start and finish in Fort Worth's Cultural District, on Gendy Street near the museums. From there the route runs north into the historic Stockyards — the old cattle-drive district that gives the race its name — then swings through downtown before circling TCU and the city's southside neighborhoods. It is a rolling course: not mountainous, but with a steady series of slopes and grade changes (commonly cited in the 150 to 250 ft of net elevation change range, with several hundred feet of cumulative climbing depending on the measurement). The full marathon and ultra are USATF-certified and Boston qualifiers, but between the rolling terrain and a late-February wind that can blow hard across the open sections, it rewards even pacing over an aggressive PR gamble. The marathon is the smaller, more serious distance inside a record-setting 29,000-runner weekend whose headline draw is the half, 10K and 5K — so expect a tight, focused full-marathon field rather than a wall-to-wall crowd for all 26.2 miles.
Boston Qualifier	Yes — Check your BQ time

Prepare for 2027 Cowtown Marathon - Feb 28

Use our free training tools to get race-ready:

Running Pace Calculator — Min/km, Finish Time & Pace Chart

Free running pace calculator for 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon. Get min/km or min/mile, your ...

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Free Pace Band Generator — Printable Race Day Wristband

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Marathon Wake-Up Time Calculator — Race Morning Timeline

7 AM race, wake at 3:45 AM? Enter the gun time; we work backward through meal, gear, bathroom, warm-...

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What to Wear Running by Temperature — Clothing Guide

Enter temperature, wind, and rain to get specific clothing picks for head, torso, legs, hands, and f...

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Wind Effect on Running — How Much Does Wind Slow You?

How much does a headwind actually slow you down? This free calculator turns wind speed and direction...

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Elevation Gain/Loss Impact Calculator

How much will hills slow you down? Enter elevation gain, loss, and distance to see adjusted pace, di...

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Frequently Asked Questions

When is the 2027 Cowtown Marathon and what time does the full marathon start?

The Cowtown is held on the last weekend of February in Fort Worth, Texas. For 2027 the in-person weekend runs February 27 to 28: the 5K and 10K races are on Saturday, February 27, and the half marathon, full marathon and ultra are on Sunday, February 28, 2027. The full marathon starts at 7:00 a.m. Central Time from the Cultural District on Gendy Street.

Where does the Cowtown Marathon course go?

The full marathon starts and finishes in Fort Worth's Cultural District, near the museums on Gendy Street. From there it heads north through the historic Stockyards — the old cattle district that gives the race its 'Cowtown' name — then loops through downtown and around TCU and the southside neighborhoods before returning to the finish. The course is reworked and resigned periodically, so check the official turn-by-turn map for the current 2027 layout.

Is the Cowtown Marathon course flat or hilly?

It is best described as rolling, not flat and not mountainous. The route has a steady series of slopes and grade changes through the Stockyards, downtown and the southside, and late-February wind across the open sections can add to the effort. There is no single brutal climb, but the cumulative undulation makes it a course to pace evenly rather than attack from the gun. Use the pace calculator to plan splits that leave something for the rolling back half.

Is the Cowtown Marathon a Boston qualifier?

Yes. The full marathon and the ultra are USATF-certified Boston-qualifying courses, so a qualifying time here counts toward Boston Marathon entry. Because the course rolls and the wind can be a factor, it is a legitimate BQ attempt for runners who pace well on undulating terrain rather than a soft net-downhill course. Check your target time on the Boston qualifying calculator.

What is the time limit for the Cowtown full marathon?

The full marathon has a 7.5-hour course time limit, timed from when the last full and ultra corral crosses the start line. That is a generous cutoff that works out to roughly 17:09 per mile (10:40 per km), making the Cowtown a realistic target for first-timers and walk-run finishers as well as competitive runners. Confirm the latest corral and cutoff details on the official race site before race day.

How do I register for the Cowtown Marathon, and how big is it?

Registration is handled online through Race Roster; there is no lottery — entry is first-come, first-served, and prices rise as the tiers fill, so registering early saves money. The 2026 weekend set a registration record of more than 29,000 runners across all distances, but that headline is driven by the half marathon, 10K and 5K. The full marathon itself is far smaller — a focused field in the low thousands — so you get the energy of North Texas' biggest race weekend with a more serious, less crowded 26.2-mile experience.

What makes the Cowtown different from the Dallas-area marathons?

The Cowtown is Fort Worth's flagship race and fills the calendar gap on the west side of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Its identity is built on Western heritage — the route through the working Stockyards, a Texas-sized finish festival, and a collectible multi-year medal series. It is a late-February race, so it suits runners building toward a spring goal, and the rolling, wind-exposed course gives it a tougher, more characterful feel than a pancake-flat PR track.