Salina Crossroads Marathon
Salina, United States · November · Independent
Why people love it
- RaceRaves rates it 4.6 out of 5 from 113 ratings, top of the Kansas marathons it lists.
- Aid tables carry pickle juice, bananas, gels and Coke.
- All fees fund local youth sports; the finish party serves pie, pizza and beer.
- About 46 m (150 ft) of gain and a Boston qualifier.
- Two laps of the half course, so friends can see you twice.
Watch out for
- Wind of 39 to 48 km (29.8 mi)/h (24 to 30 mph) hit in 2025, the top complaint.
- .
- Same-day packet pickup had long lines and a small expo.
- Course crowds are thin and there is no live runner tracking.
- Race-day temperatures swing from 4 °C (40 °F) to 24 °C (75 °F); rain is possible.
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: Moderate
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.3
RaceRaves 4.6 out of 5 from 113 ratings. Praise for volunteers, aid and the finish party; wind is the main complaint. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationWell run4.4
RaceRaves production 4.7 out of 5; more than 125 volunteers ran the 2022 debut. Dings: long same-day packet pickup lines, no live tracking. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.9
Mostly flat with about 46 m (150 ft) of gain, pace groups and a small-town feel. Cutoff unpublished; 2025 wind would test a beginner. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast3.8
Several reviewers report PRs and winners ran about 2:39. A steep hill near miles 7 and 19 and wind can spoil a day. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryPleasant3.3
RaceRaves scenery is 3.7 out of 5. Route passes downtown murals, four parks and an elevator mural. Plains town, not a scenic showpiece. · Medium confidence
- Room to runRoomy3.5
The marathon is two laps of the half loop and starts with the half and 10K, so second-lap traffic mixes. The marathon field is small. · Low confidence
- Road surfaceMixed3.4
Reviewers mention concrete, some brick and asphalt on a fully paved course. No potholes reported, but it is not uniformly smooth. · Low confidence
- Road closuresPartly closed3.4
Organisers use course monitors and describe 7 activation points, but no source says whether roads are fully closed. Assumed partly closed for a small-city race. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessMostly flat4.2
Listed gain and loss are about 46 m (150 ft), under the 60 m (200 ft) pancake mark, but runners report a steep hill. · Medium confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Loop starting and finishing downtown, so no net drop. Boston qualifier. · High confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSmooth3.6
All distances start downtown at 8:00. Same-day packet pickup drew long lines and a small expo; no complaints about the start itself. · Low confidence
- Pacers and timingSome pace groups3.4
Pace groups are offered and one runner praised the pacers. One runner missed live tracking, and free race photos were a plus. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportDecent3.0
Reviewers describe friendly residents, bagpipers on one hill and honking drivers, but also sparse crowds on the course. Strong volunteers, thin spectators. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsGood4.2
Reviewers praise stocked stations with pickle juice, bananas, gels and Coke, plus self-serve tables. Wind forced organisers to space some stations in 2025. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindWindy2.3
Wind is the most common complaint: one 2025 runner called it the worst wind of a mainland course. Other years were calmer. · Medium confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant4.0
Race-date highs run 15 to 17 °C (59 to 62 °F) with lows near 4 °C (39 °F), though 2023 reached 24 °C (75 °F). · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable2.8
Editions ranged from 4 °C (40 °F) starts to 24 °C (75 °F) highs, with steady rain in 2024 and strong wind in 2025. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy3.6
Two laps of a downtown-based loop with 7 activation points let friends see runners more than once. Crowd sizes are modest. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeLow4.3
Salina sits at roughly 390 m (1,280 ft) on the Kansas plains, which has little effect on pace. · Medium confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityBook early3.0
One reviewer had reservation problems. Over 5,200 registered in 2024 for a small city, so rooms tighten on race weekend. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal3.4
No price evidence found. Small-city hotels are usually fair value but fill early. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable3.5
Start and finish are both in downtown Salina, so downtown hotels are walkable. No shuttle information found. · Low confidence
- Travel easeOne connection2.7
Salina is a small plains city. Most visitors drive or fly into Wichita, about 150 km (95 mi) south, or Kansas City. · Low confidence
- LogisticsSome complexity3.3
Single downtown hub for start and finish, but same-day pickup had long lines and a limited expo. · Low confidence
- Town and foodGood3.5
Downtown murals, a historic theatre district and local restaurants. Modest but friendly. · 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 inOpen entry4.6
Open registration through Race Roster, no qualifier. It grew to over 5,200 entrants across all distances without a reported sell-out. · Medium confidence
- Value for moneyGood value4.1
Reviewers paid about $5 to $20, likely discounted, so the standard fee is unknown. Heavy medal, pie, pizza and beer; fees fund youth sports. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Salina, Central Kansas, United States
- Typical month
- November
- Latest or next date
- 7 November 2026
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 550 athletes
- First held
- 2022
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- laps
- Climbing
- 46 m (150 ft)
- Descent
- 46 m (150 ft)
- Start time
- 08:00
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Paved: concrete, some brick and asphalt
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Rarely
- Air temperature
- 4–17 °C (39–63 °F)
- Humidity
- Dry to moderate
- Altitude
- 390 m (1,280 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower (ICT)
- Where to stay
- Downtown Salina
- Booking
- Book early; one runner reported reservation problems. Salina Regional (SLN) is local with limited service; most visitors drive in.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRaves Salina Crossroads reviews (113 ratings, 4.6)Raced 2025 · aggregator · Positive
Runners agree it is a well-run small-town race with excellent aid (pickle juice, Coke, bananas), many friendly volunteers and a standout finish party with pie, pizza and beer. Common complaints are strong wind in 2025, long same-day packet pickup lines, sparse crowds and a mixed view of the shirt. Two reporters set PRs despite hills and wind.
“Kansas isn't completely flat.”
- RaceRaves Kansas marathons rankingRaced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
Salina holds 4.6 out of 5 from 113 ratings, the highest rated Kansas marathon with a large review base. Olathe scores 3.8 from 88 ratings.
- KSAL inaugural race coverageRaced 2022 · article · Positive
Reports over 800 runners from 30 states on a cold morning in the upper 30s °F (about 3 to 4 °C (39 °F)) with a light breeze. Co-race director says runners complimented how smoothly it went; 125 volunteers worked the stations.
“We received many great complements from runners”
- Salina Post inaugural race recapRaced 2022 · article · Positive
Calls the first marathon a success with a start in the upper 30s °F (about 3 to 4 °C (39 °F)). Winners ran 2:38:39 and 3:17:35.
- Salina 311 2023 recapRaced 2023 · article · Positive
Over 3,600 entrants and mild mid-50s °F (about 13 °C (55 °F)) weather. Second-year growth shows steady demand.
Show 2 more
- KSAL 2024 race-day reportRaced 2024 · article · Positive
Over 5,200 registered from all 50 states. Steady rain and 50s °F (about 10 to 15 °C (59 °F)) fell all day, yet hundreds of volunteers kept stations running and crowds still cheered at several points.
- Salina Post 2023 course photos and half runnerRaced 2023 · article · mixed-positive
A half marathon runner called the course fairly flat with a couple of challenging hill areas, matching RaceRaves comments.
Raced Salina Crossroads Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
Training for Salina Crossroads Marathon? Moku Coach builds your plan around race day.