TBK Bank Quad Cities Marathon
Moline, United States · September · Independent
Why people love it
- Mississippi River views and five bridges across four cities.
- Certified, Boston-qualifying course with 158 m (518 ft) of gain.
- Big post-race party with food, drink and music.
- Plentiful aid, plus extra cooling stops in heat.
Watch out for
- Bridge ramps and a hill near mile 2 (3 km) are tougher than the flat label.
- A freight train can stop runners; organisers adjust times.
- Warm days reached 27 to 30 °C (80 to 86 °F) in 2024 and 2025.
- The last 10 km (6 mi) on Arsenal Island have no spectators.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Tough
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.2
RaceRaves gives 4.6 from 122 ratings, MarathonGuide 4.2 from 2. River views and the party earn praise; 2025 heat and the lonely island do not. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run4.1
RaceRaves production 4.7. Marks off for heavy traffic and parking, confusing half marathon drink stations and signs, and train crossings that stop runners. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.6
Mostly flat with 158 m (518 ft) of gain and strong aid. Bridge ramps, September heat and possible train stops hurt; cutoff not found. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast3.8
Certified Boston qualifier with BQ rates of 4.6% to 9.2%. Bridge ramps, a freight train that held 200 runners, and heat cost time. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryBeautiful4.0
RaceRaves scenery 4.4: Mississippi views, bridges and Rock Island Arsenal. The Arsenal Island stretch near the end is quiet and plain. · Medium confidence
- Room to runRoomy3.5
Wide streets and river paths, but bridge ramps, a rail crossing and a quiet island loop interrupt rhythm. Half marathon turns confused some. · Low confidence
- Road surfaceGood3.7
Asphalt with bridge decks and ramps; MarathonGuide's 'gravel' surface tag looks unreliable and was not confirmed by any runner. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed3.8
Major bridges and roads close for the race, but a rail crossing stays open to trains. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessRolling3.3
Find My Marathon shows 158 m (518 ft) of gain and loss: rolling-flat, at the easy end of the rolling band. · Medium confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Net change is zero: about 158 m (518 ft) up and down on a loop with bridge climbs. · Medium confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSmooth3.5
Heavy traffic and parking near the start; arrive early. Weekend events are well organised but start details are not covered in depth by reviewers. · Low confidence
- Pacers and timingGood3.5
Chip timing and USATF certification; pace groups not confirmed in reviews. Train stops are handled by adjusting times. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportStrong3.5
Entertainers and local crowds in the four cities, but the Arsenal Island miles 20 to 26 (32 to 42 km) have no spectators. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsGood4.1
Plentiful aid and volunteers; cooling stations were added in the last 8 km (5 mi) in the 2025 heat. Half marathon stations were spread out. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindMostly calm3.6
East wind of 6 mph (10 km/h) at the 2026 start; no wind complaints found, but river bridges are exposed. · Low confidence
- Air temperatureWarm or cool3.1
16-year average of 12 to 24 °C (54 to 75 °F) with humid starts. 2025 reached 30 °C (86 °F); 2022 and 2026 were mild. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
Highs on race date swung from 19 °C (66 °F) to 30 °C (86 °F) over 2022 to 2026, so heat is a real risk. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints3.4
Spectators in the four city sections and at the finish; the Arsenal Island miles are closed to the public, which makes seeing runners hard late. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.8
Course elevation is 170 to 210 m (558 to 689 ft). · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood4.0
Four-city metro with plenty of hotels; no complaints found. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.8
Mid-size Midwest hotel market; no pricing data found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable3.5
Start and finish downtown Moline; hotels nearby but parking and traffic were heavy per RaceRaves. · Low confidence
- Travel easeEasy3.9
Quad City International airport is in Moline; Chicago is about a 3 hour drive. Distances not verified. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.6
Expo and packet pickup run through the organiser; traffic and parking add friction. Little first-hand detail. · Low confidence
- Town and foodFine3.4
A reviewer noted limited activities outside race weekend; the post-race party is rated 'next to none'. · Low confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inEasy4.3
Open registration and a field of about 560 marathoners; no sell-out reports found. · Low confidence
- Value for moneyGood value4.1
Reviewers liked shirt and medal and a strong party with food, drink and music, plus free race photos; some found shirts small. Fee not found. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Moline, Quad Cities (Illinois and Iowa), United States
- Typical month
- September
- Latest or next date
- 27 September 2026
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 576 athletes
- First held
- 1998
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- loop
- Climbing
- 158 m (520 ft)
- Descent
- 158 m (520 ft)
- Start time
- 07:00
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Asphalt road with bridge decks and ramps
- How to get in
- open
- Air temperature
- 12–24 °C (54–75 °F)
- Humidity
- Often humid; 84% at the 2026 start
- Altitude
- 190 m (625 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Quad City International (MLI), Moline
- Where to stay
- Downtown Moline, Davenport, Bettendorf
- Booking
- Four-city metro with plenty of hotels; book early for race weekend.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRaves (122 ratings, 4.6)Raced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
Runners like the river, bridge and Rock Island Arsenal views, the aid, volunteers and the big party. Scores: difficulty 2.7, scenery 4.4, production 4.7, swag 4.3. Cons: heat in 2025, bridge ramps tougher than 'flat', a lonely last 6 miles (10 km) on Arsenal Island, heavy traffic and parking.
“Last 6 miles on the Arsenal Island are pretty lonely.”
- MarathonGuide reviews (2 reviews, 4.2)Raced 2025 · aggregator · Positive
A five- or six-time runner scored it 4.7 and called it a well-organised, medium-sized race with lots of river views. A 2023 half runner scored 3.7 and warned about steep bridge hills and a train that stopped him for about 7 minutes.
“Great medium sized race!”
- WQAD (train delay coverage)Raced 2023 · article · Mixed
About 200 runners were held by a freight train in Davenport; Canadian Pacific says it cannot slow or stop trains, so organisers adjust times at the crossing. Some runners likely lost PB chances.
“CP is unable to slow or stop trains”
- KWQC (2022 route article)Raced 2022 · article · Positive
Local coverage of the 25th-year route change after the I-74 bridge opened, bringing the finish right off the island. Confirms the bridges, four-city route and Arsenal Island section.
“finish is right there”
- Find My MarathonRaced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
No reviews yet; course is mostly flat with 518 ft (158 m) gain and loss, 576 finishers in 2026 and BQ rates of 4.6% to 9.2%. A fast course for its size.
“Mostly Flat profile”
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Sources
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