Dallas Marathon 2026 fueling guide: aid stations, course map, the 8:00 start, and a plan for every finish time

The BMW Dallas Marathon is on Sunday, December 13, 2026, with the first corral starting at 8:00 from Dallas City Hall Plaza and a 6.5-hour time limit. The organizer lists 16 aid stations on the marathon course, from mile 2.1 to mile 24.6 (3.4 to 39.6 km), and every one has water and Gatorade Endurance Formula. There are no gels or food on the official list. So the sports drink is the only carbohydrate the course gives you, and the rest has to come with you. This guide sets out what the organizer has published, where the stations sit on the course map, when you will reach them at your pace, and three plans to choose from.

Two things make Dallas different from a flat city marathon. First, the course climbs. The official elevation map rises about 150 ft (45 m) from downtown to Lakewood in the first 7 miles, stays flat around White Rock Lake, then climbs again by about the same amount from mile 18 to mile 20 as you leave the lake. Second, December mornings in Dallas are cold at the start and mild by noon, so a 3:00 runner and a 6:00 runner race in different weather. The 2026 station list below comes from the organizer’s race weekend page. It matches the list published for the 2025 race, so recheck it in race week.

Dallas Marathon 2026: the confirmed race facts

The mile 7.8 cut-off is where the half marathon turns back toward downtown. It applies to every Sunday runner. From the 8:30 corral, 10:45 gives you 2 hours 15 minutes for 7.8 miles, about 17:18 per mile (10:45 per km), so it only matters for walkers and runners who start very slowly. The 6.5-hour limit is an average of about 14:52 per mile (9:15 per km). If your plan is close to that, start eating on schedule from the first station, because a bad patch late in the race is what pushes runners past the limit.

Dallas Marathon aid stations on the course map

The organizer calls them hydration stations and lists them by mile. Each one serves water and Gatorade Endurance Formula. The official course map shows mile markers but not the stations, so the areas below are approximate, read from the mile markers on the 2026 graphical map and the turn-by-turn directions. Stations 8.9 and 9.3 are only 0.4 miles apart as published; the longest gap is 2.2 miles, from 9.3 to 11.5.

Gatorade Endurance Formula is a real source of carbohydrate. Gatorade lists the single-serve stick at 42 g of carbohydrate and 600 mg of sodium per 24 oz (710 ml), about 6 g of carbohydrate and 85 mg of sodium per 100 ml, and the organizer describes it as a 2:1 glucose to fructose blend. If the course mix is made to label strength, a 150 ml cup gives about 9 g of carbohydrate. You will spill some, so count 5 to 8 g per cup. The organizer’s own training tips also suggest training with it on long runs, and taking gels with water rather than sports drink.

When you will reach each station at your pace

The table shows elapsed time at an even pace from when you cross the start line. Add your corral start (8:00 to 8:30) for the clock time. Sunrise on race day is 7:21, so everyone starts in daylight. A 3:00 runner finishes about 11:00, and a 6:00 runner from corral D reaches mile 24.6 around 14:08, in the mildest part of the day.

Stations come about every 1.5 miles (2.5 km) on average. A 3:00 runner passes one about every 10 minutes, a 4:00 runner every 14, and a 6:00 runner every 21. That makes it easy to tie each gel to a station, which is simpler than watching your watch. Even pace is a simplification here: expect to lose a little time on the two climbs and gain it back on the descents.

Pick your plan: three runner profiles

World Athletics’ consensus statement gives 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate per hour as the usual marathon range, and its companion paper on distance runners suggests trained runners try up to 90 g per hour in events longer than about two and a half hours. Research on multiple transportable carbohydrates shows that intakes above 60 g per hour are only absorbed well when the product mixes glucose and fructose and the gut has been trained for it. The organizer’s training tips suggest a gel every 45 to 60 minutes from about mile 4 or 5. With 25 g gels, that is only 25 to 33 g per hour, the bottom of the range, so most runners will want to add Gatorade Endurance at the stations, take gels more often, or both.

Racing it: you will pass a station about every 10 to 11 minutes, so you can grab a cup without slowing much. At 75 g per hour, a 3:00 race needs nine 25 g gels if you take nothing from the course, or about seven if a cup of Gatorade Endurance at every other station is part of your rehearsed plan. Build your number over eight to ten weeks of long runs, starting at 60 g and adding 10 to 15 g every second week while your stomach stays quiet. Take the first gel at the 4.2-mile station and the last around mile 23.

Steady marathon: think in grams. A 4:00 race at 60 g per hour is 240 g. If you take about 100 to 150 ml of Gatorade Endurance at eight stations, that adds roughly 50 to 70 g, which leaves about 170 to 190 g, or seven to eight 25 g gels. The Dallas Running Club pace teams run from 3:15 to 5:15, and they keep an even pace, so fix your gels to the stations rather than to the group. Write the grams next to each item and total each hour.

Long day: five to six and a half hours on your feet changes the math. Fifty grams per hour over six hours is 300 g. Gatorade Endurance at most of the 16 stations might give 80 to 120 g of that, so you still need about seven or eight gels, or chews and sweets you have tested. Your second half runs into the early afternoon, when it is milder and you are more likely to want water than sugar, so keep eating on a rhythm even when you are not hungry.

Caffeine, sodium, and Gatorade Endurance

• Caffeine: the ISSN position stand supports 3 to 6 mg per kg taken about 60 minutes before exercise. For a 70 kg runner, 3 mg per kg is 210 mg. With an 8:00 to 8:30 corral start, that means around 7:00 to 7:30.
• Caffeinated gels late in the race are fine if you have tested them; count their caffeine toward your total.
• Sodium: Gatorade Endurance has about 85 mg of sodium per 100 ml, or 200 mg per 8 oz as the organizer puts it. ACSM’s fluid position stand suggests drinks with about 20 to 30 mmol of sodium per litre (about 460 to 690 mg) during long exercise, so the course drink already sits above that range.
• In cool December conditions most runners will not need a salt product on top of the course drink. Heavy or salty sweaters, or anyone racing on a warm day, can use a tested electrolyte product.
• If you prefer to take gels with water, as the organizer suggests, you can still use Gatorade Endurance at the stations in between.
• In the cold, gels thicken. Keep the ones you will take first in an inside pocket and tear the top before each station.

Hydration for a December morning in Dallas

NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals for Dallas/Fort Worth give December 13 a high of 58 °F (15 °C) and a low of 39 °F (4 °C). The hourly normals are about 43 °F (6 °C) at 8:00, 48 °F (9 °C) at 10:00, 53 °F (12 °C) at noon, and 56 °F (13 °C) at 14:00, with a dew point near 36 °F (2 °C), so the air is dry. Normals are averages: the organizer described the 2026 race as run in frigid temperatures, and the 2024 race in rain. The race is held rain or shine, and visible lightning delays the start. ACSM’s fluid guidance says to drink enough to avoid losing more than 2 percent of body weight, and suggests 0.4 to 0.8 litres an hour as a starting point for most runners. World Athletics also warns against drinking more than you sweat; finishing heavier than you started is a sign of overdrinking.

• Test your sweat rate in one cold and one mild long run. Weigh yourself before and after, without clothes, and account for what you drank.
• With 16 stations, you do not need a full cup at each one. A few swallows at most of them adds up quickly.
• Pick your priority stations now: the ones where your gels fall, plus the ones you will use for Gatorade Endurance.
• Seek medical help on the course for confusion, severe headache, repeated vomiting, or collapse, whatever the clock says.

Breakfast and timing for an 8:00 start

A familiar carbohydrate-rich meal one to four hours before racing is the standard framework, and ACSM gives 1 to 4 g of carbohydrate per kg in that window. An 8:00 start is kinder than most. Gear check opens at 6:30, and the corrals open at 6:30 according to the FAQ or 7:00 according to the race weekend page, so plan to be downtown by about 7:00. Your corral and its start time are printed on your bib. Choose one of two breakfasts and practise it.

• Option A, about 5:00 to 5:30, 2.5 to 3 hours before: a practised breakfast such as white bread or a bagel with jam or honey, a banana and juice, about 1.5 to 2.5 g of carbohydrate per kg.
• Option B, about 6:00, 2 hours before, for more sleep: a smaller meal of about 1 g per kg, such as a white roll with honey and a sports drink. Make dinner the night before your bigger carbohydrate meal.
• 6:30 to 7:30: sip a sports drink you know while you wait, in small amounts, so you are not queuing for a toilet at the gun. Wear a throwaway layer; the normal for that hour is about 42 °F (6 °C).
• Around 7:00 to 7:30: caffeine, at the dose and timing you have practised.
• 10 to 15 minutes before your corral starts: an optional gel, only if used in training.
• Collect your bib in person at the expo by 18:00 on Saturday, December 12. There is no race-day pickup, and no one can collect it for you.

Course tactics: where Dallas tempts you

The organizer’s 2026 graphical map and turn-by-turn directions show the course below, and the organizer reserves the right to change it before race day. Climb and distance figures are approximate, read from the official elevation map.

• 0 to 4 miles (0 to 6.4 km): west from City Hall Plaza through the west end of downtown, past Victory Park on Nowitzki Way, then Harry Hines Blvd, Harwood St and Cedar Springs Rd to Turtle Creek. It is cold and the crowd is fast. Hold your goal pace and take the first gel at the 4.2-mile station.
• 4 to 7.8 miles (6.4 to 12.6 km): Turtle Creek Blvd, Avondale Ave, Fitzhugh Ave, Cole Ave, Monticello Ave and Greenville Ave. The profile climbs from about 440 ft to about 590 ft (135 to 180 m) by about 7 miles. Ease up on the climb rather than pushing to hold pace, and keep eating. The half marathon turns off at 7.8 miles.
• 7.8 to 10 miles (12.6 to 16 km): Richmond Ave and Gaston Ave, then White Rock Rd down to the lake. Two stations come close together at 8.9 and 9.3, then there is a 2.2-mile gap, so take your gel at 9.3.
• 10 to 18.6 miles (16 to 30 km): one full loop of White Rock Lake on West Lawther Dr, the lake trail and East Lawther Dr. It is flat on the official profile and has five stations. This is the easiest place to take in carbohydrate, and the place runners most often stop doing it.
• 18.6 to 20 miles (30 to 32 km): leaving the lake by Winsted Dr, White Rock Rd and West Shore Dr to Gaston Ave, the profile climbs about 150 ft (45 m). Take a gel at the 18.6 station before it starts, and sports drink at the top, at mile 20.
• 20 to 26.2 miles (32 to 42.2 km): Gaston Ave, Richmond Ave, Greenville Ave and Ross Ave back to downtown, mostly downhill on the profile, then a loop around the west end of downtown to the finish on Marilla St. Your last carbohydrate should be in by about mile 23.

The long-run rehearsal that makes the plan real

Dallas asks you to fuel through two climbs on cold legs, and to decide how much of your carbohydrate comes from cups. Rehearse both. In November, schedule two or three long runs that start at 8:00 on a cool morning. Eat the same breakfast at the same time, carry the gels you will race with, and drink Gatorade Endurance from a bottle at the same points you plan to take it on the course. If you can, put the last climb of the run at about mile 18 to 20.

The later rehearsals are where you simplify. If carrying eight gels is awkward, lean more on the course drink, which is at every station. If a gel every 25 minutes feels stressful, link your gels to the stations: one at every second station is about every 3 miles. The best plan is the one you can still follow on Gaston Ave at mile 20.

Race-week Dallas checklist

• Recheck the official race weekend page and the race-week email for station positions, corral times, and any course changes.
• In the 36 to 48 hours before the race, eat a high-carbohydrate diet. ACSM’s joint position statement sets carbohydrate loading at 10 to 12 g per kg per day for events longer than 90 minutes.
• Lay out every carried item, add one backup, and write grams and timing on one card, counting the Gatorade Endurance cups you plan to take.
• Plan your morning backward from your corral start: breakfast, parking or DART, gear check from 6:30, corral before it closes.
• Collect your bib at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on Friday or Saturday. There is no race-day pickup.
• Check the forecast 48 hours out and adjust layers, fluid and sodium, not the whole plan.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and update notes

1. 1Sunday EventsBMW Dallas Marathon (official site)Accessed November 2, 2026; date, 8:00 start at Dallas City Hall Plaza, course map downloads, 6.5-hour limit, mile 7.8 cut-off at 10:45, expo hours
2. 2Race Weekend InformationBMW Dallas Marathon (official site)Accessed November 2, 2026; aid station miles, water and Gatorade Endurance Formula at every station, start and finish location, corral times, gear check from 6:30, pace teams. The station list matches the version archived in December 2025
3. 3Frequently Asked QuestionsBMW Dallas Marathon (official site)Accessed November 2, 2026; start times, corral waves, bad-weather policy, expo location, no race-day or proxy bib pickup
4. 42026 Graphical Map and Turn-by-Turn Directions, SundayBMW Dallas Marathon (linked from the official Sunday events page)Mile markers, route, and elevation map; turn-by-turn directions at https://res.cloudinary.com/enlightenment/image/upload/v1792549402/dallas-marathon/maps/2026/2026_DM_-_Turn-by-Turn_-_SUNDAY.pdf
5. 5Training TipsBMW Dallas Marathon (official site)Gatorade Endurance at every water stop, 200 mg sodium per 8 oz, the organizer’s gel timing advice
6. 6Media CenterBMW Dallas Marathon (official site)2026 as the 55th year; 2025 race run in frigid temperatures; 2024 race in rain
7. 7Gatorade Endurance Formula Lemon-Lime Single-Serve SticksGatorade (PepsiCo)42 g carbohydrate, 600 mg sodium and 280 mg potassium per stick, mixed to 24 oz
8. 8U.S. Climate Normals 1991 to 2020: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (USW00003927)NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationDaily normals for December 13 (high 58.2 °F, low 38.6 °F) and hourly temperature and dew point normals
9. 9Sun and Moon Data for One DayU.S. Naval ObservatoryDallas, December 13, 2026: sunrise 7:21 CST
10. 10International Association of Athletics Federations Consensus Statement 2019: Nutrition for AthleticsInternational Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (Burke et al., 2019), PMID 30952204Carbohydrate ranges, pre-race meal, and hydration guidance
11. 11Contemporary Nutrition Strategies to Optimize Performance in Distance Runners and Race WalkersInternational Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (Burke et al., 2019), PMID 30747558Marathon carbohydrate intake, including up to 90 g per hour for trained runners in longer events
12. 12Nutrition and Athletic Performance: Joint Position StatementAmerican College of Sports Medicine (Thomas et al., 2016), PMID 268911661 to 4 g per kg carbohydrate 1 to 4 hours before exercise; carbohydrate loading at 10 to 12 g per kg for 36 to 48 hours
13. 13Exercise and Fluid Replacement: Position StandAmerican College of Sports Medicine (Sawka et al., 2007), PMID 17277604Avoid more than 2 percent body weight loss; 0.4 to 0.8 litres per hour starting point; 20 to 30 mmol sodium per litre
14. 14A Step Towards Personalized Sports Nutrition: Carbohydrate Intake During ExerciseSports Medicine (Jeukendrup, 2014), PMID 24791914Multiple transportable carbohydrates and intakes above 60 g per hour
15. 15International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Caffeine and Exercise PerformanceJISSN (Guest et al., 2021), PMID 333880793 to 6 mg per kg, about 60 minutes before exercise