(Radio Iowa) – A race that could be a new staple for runners in eastern Iowa will debut next summer. The city-wide event in Cedar Rapids will feature multiple races, including a free kids’ run, a team relay, and a full marathon. It’s the first time Cedar Rapids will host a marathon since the CRANDIC run between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City shut down three years ago. Laura Jass is with Endurance Sports Marketing, which will produce the weekend-long event.

“With CRANDIC not being here anymore, we feel like there’s a hole, and we know people in eastern Iowa are running, so we’re trying to fill that hole,” Jass says. “Also, we produce the Iowa Trail Run series — it’s nine trails across the state — our two largest are in the eastern Iowa corridor.” The full marathon will be a Boston-qualifier, meaning runners who meet a certain time will qualify for entry into the famed East Coast race. Jass says the Cedar Rapids weekend will have events for runners of all types.

“Most of our runners are a mom who just wants an excuse to get out the door without the kids hanging on them, somebody who maybe lost a lot of weight over the last year and this is a big goal,” she says, “but in the running world, being a Boston qualifier, people are looking at that on the calendar of events to do.” The new race is being planned for a debut in June of 2026. CRANDIC shut down in 2022, after being held virtually for two years during the pandemic.