2026 Dallas Marathon - Dec 13 Countdown

Q: When is the 2026 BMW Dallas Marathon and what time does it start?

The 2026 BMW Dallas Marathon is on Sunday, December 13, 2026, with the full marathon starting at 8:00 a.m. CT from Dallas City Hall Plaza downtown. It marks the event's 55th year, making it the oldest marathon in Texas. Packet pickup runs Friday and Saturday at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

Q: How hard is the Dallas Marathon course and is it good for a PR?

It's a rolling course, not flat. You climb gradually through the early miles to a high point near Highland Park around miles 6–7, then face a tough climb coming back out of White Rock Lake near miles 20–21. Total gain is about +843 ft (257 m). A PR is realistic in the cool December air, but run the rollers on even effort rather than expecting a pancake-flat course. Use our pace calculator to plan goal splits.

Q: Is the Dallas Marathon a Boston qualifier?

Yes. The course is USATF-certified and a Boston qualifier (BQ), so a qualifying time run here counts toward Boston Marathon registration. The rolling profile makes it slightly harder than a flat BQ course, so fit runners targeting a qualifier should bank fitness on the climbs rather than time. Check your target with our Boston qualifying calculator.

Q: What is the time limit for the Dallas Marathon?

The full marathon has a 6.5-hour course limit, equal to about a 14:50 per mile pace, because closed roads must reopen on schedule. There is also an early checkpoint: runners must reach the mile-7.8 split (Richmond & Greenville) by 10:45 a.m. Walkers and run-walkers are welcome as long as they hold the required pace.

Q: How much does it cost to register and how do I sign up?

Registration is open now (it opened May 1, 2026) at dallasmarathon.com via Race Roster. The full marathon is tier-priced by capacity — $149 (Tier 1), $169 (Tier 2), $189 (Tier 3) — rising as the field fills rather than on fixed dates, so signing up early locks the lower price (confirm the live rate on the official registration page). Proceeds benefit Scottish Rite for Children. The race typically reaches its cap, so register well ahead of the December 13 race.

Q: What is the weather like for the Dallas Marathon in December?

Mid-December in Dallas is usually cool and good for racing: an 8 a.m. start often sits in the low-40s°F (5–7°C) and warms into the upper 50s°F by midday. It can be breezy, and Dallas weather swings fast — some years bring a crisp near-freezing morning, others a mild front. Dress for the start with a layer you can shed and check the forecast in the final week.

Q: How big is the Dallas Marathon and where does the course go?

The full marathon drew about 3,847 finishers in 2025, with roughly 19,000 runners across the whole festival weekend, making it one of Texas's largest marathons. The single-loop course leaves Dallas City Hall, runs through Oak Lawn and Highland Park, circles White Rock Lake, and returns downtown to finish at City Hall Plaza in front of the skyline.

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Race Information

Race	2026 Dallas Marathon - Dec 13
City	Dallas
Date	2026-12-13 at 08:00
Field Size	~3,847 runners
Time Limit	6 hours 30 min
Cutoff pace	9:15/km
Timezone	America/Chicago
Official Site	BMW Dallas Marathon
Registration	Register

Race Day Weather

Average Temperature	8.2°C / 47°F
Humidity	75%
Wind	22.3 km/h
Rain Chance	21%
Typical Conditions	Cool, crisp mid-December Dallas morning — often the best running weather of the year

What to Prepare: An 8 a.m. start in mid-December usually means a low-40s°F / 5–7°C start that warms into the upper 50s°F by midday. Mornings can be windy off the prairie, so a long-sleeve or throwaway gloves you can shed are smart, and a light shell if a front pushes through. The full December range runs from near-freezing to the 60s°F, so check the forecast in the final week — Dallas weather swings fast.

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 22.3 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	2.1°C	7.8°C	14.9°C
Dew point	-5.2°C	2.8°C	12.5°C

Wet-day chance: 21% Runnability: 71/100

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

Course Profile

Course Type	City loop
Elevation Gain	257m
Terrain	Road (rolling downtown avenues, park-lined Highland Park streets, and the lakeside loop)
Profile	Texas's oldest marathon (since 1971) and one of its largest, the BMW Dallas Marathon starts and finishes at Dallas City Hall Plaza downtown and threads a single big loop through Oak Lawn, the leafy estates of Highland Park, and one pass around scenic White Rock Lake before returning to the skyline. It is honestly a rolling course rather than a flat PR machine: a gradual early climb builds to the high point near Monticello Avenue in Highland Park around miles 6–7 (roughly 180 ft of gain in the first four miles), and a notable grind comes climbing back out of White Rock Lake near miles 20–21 — exactly where the legs are heaviest. Total elevation gain is about +843 ft (257 m). The course is USATF-certified and a Boston qualifier, so a BQ is very achievable for fit runners who respect the hills, but plan even effort over the rollers rather than banking a flat-course PR. The 8:00 a.m. start, cool December air, and well-supported closed downtown streets make it a strong late-season goal race.
Boston Qualifier	Yes — Check your BQ time

Prepare for 2026 Dallas Marathon - Dec 13

Use our free training tools to get race-ready:

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What to Wear Running by Temperature — Clothing Guide

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

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Frequently Asked Questions

When is the 2026 BMW Dallas Marathon and what time does it start?

The 2026 BMW Dallas Marathon is on Sunday, December 13, 2026, with the full marathon starting at 8:00 a.m. CT from Dallas City Hall Plaza downtown. It marks the event's 55th year, making it the oldest marathon in Texas. Packet pickup runs Friday and Saturday at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

How hard is the Dallas Marathon course and is it good for a PR?

It's a rolling course, not flat. You climb gradually through the early miles to a high point near Highland Park around miles 6–7, then face a tough climb coming back out of White Rock Lake near miles 20–21. Total gain is about +843 ft (257 m). A PR is realistic in the cool December air, but run the rollers on even effort rather than expecting a pancake-flat course. Use our pace calculator to plan goal splits.

Is the Dallas Marathon a Boston qualifier?

Yes. The course is USATF-certified and a Boston qualifier (BQ), so a qualifying time run here counts toward Boston Marathon registration. The rolling profile makes it slightly harder than a flat BQ course, so fit runners targeting a qualifier should bank fitness on the climbs rather than time. Check your target with our Boston qualifying calculator.

What is the time limit for the Dallas Marathon?

The full marathon has a 6.5-hour course limit, equal to about a 14:50 per mile pace, because closed roads must reopen on schedule. There is also an early checkpoint: runners must reach the mile-7.8 split (Richmond & Greenville) by 10:45 a.m. Walkers and run-walkers are welcome as long as they hold the required pace.

How much does it cost to register and how do I sign up?

Registration is open now (it opened May 1, 2026) at dallasmarathon.com via Race Roster. The full marathon is tier-priced by capacity — $149 (Tier 1), $169 (Tier 2), $189 (Tier 3) — rising as the field fills rather than on fixed dates, so signing up early locks the lower price (confirm the live rate on the official registration page). Proceeds benefit Scottish Rite for Children. The race typically reaches its cap, so register well ahead of the December 13 race.

What is the weather like for the Dallas Marathon in December?

Mid-December in Dallas is usually cool and good for racing: an 8 a.m. start often sits in the low-40s°F (5–7°C) and warms into the upper 50s°F by midday. It can be breezy, and Dallas weather swings fast — some years bring a crisp near-freezing morning, others a mild front. Dress for the start with a layer you can shed and check the forecast in the final week.

How big is the Dallas Marathon and where does the course go?

The full marathon drew about 3,847 finishers in 2025, with roughly 19,000 runners across the whole festival weekend, making it one of Texas's largest marathons. The single-loop course leaves Dallas City Hall, runs through Oak Lawn and Highland Park, circles White Rock Lake, and returns downtown to finish at City Hall Plaza in front of the skyline.