History of The Pony Express Run – St. Joseph, MO

In 2012, the Junior League of St. Joseph worked to bring the St. Joseph community the Pony Express 5K and 10K Run. In 2014, we expanded the race by adding a half-marathon, which brought a mix of people from both inside and outside of our community. Since then, we have had roughly 250 runners participate in the Pony Express Run each year.

The race was held each year in the morning of the last Saturday of September, with the start and finish line being at the Pony Express Museum. The route took the runners through the historic downtown of Saint Joseph and on a portion of the 26-mile long, beautiful parkway system.

In 2012, we established a partnership with the United Way of Greater St. Joseph, who was a major charitable partner of the race. Because of this partnership, the Junior League was able to further its mission of positively impacting the lives of women and children in our community.

In 2023, the Junior League partnered with the St. Joseph Sports Commission to transform the Pony Express Run into the St. Joseph, Missouri Marathon. The Marathon will continue to support the Junior League of St. Joseph and our programs.

We would like to thank each of our sponsors that have helped in making The Pony Express Run a success throughout the years.