21 May Market to Market Relay 2026
Each year, a team from MODUS joins hundreds of runners for the Market to Market Relay Iowa, a one-day team relay from Jefferson to Des Moines. What started as a fun race has become a staple event for our firm. It gives our people a chance to step away from the normal workday, compete together, support each other, and build relationships in a different setting.
This year, the MODUS team delivered one of its strongest performances yet.
Together, our runners covered 71.4 miles at a 7:09 per mile pace, finishing 16th overall out of 186 teams and 2nd place in the corporate category.
The course began at the Bell Tower in Jefferson and followed a route through central Iowa, moving through communities and trail sections including Cooper, Herndon, Yale, Panora, Redfield, Adel, Waukee, Clive, Windsor Heights, Gray’s Lake, and downtown Des Moines. Much of the race followed the Raccoon River Valley Trail before bringing teams into the Des Moines metro, where it finished on Market Street.
Like any good relay, the race was about more than pace.
It was about van rides, handoffs, timing, logistics, encouragement, and teammates pushing through their individual legs for the group. Some runners took on flat and fast stretches. Others handled longer, hillier, or more scenic sections. Each leg mattered, and each person had a role in moving the team closer to the finish.
That is part of what makes Market to Market such a good fit for MODUS.
Our work depends on coordination. It requires trust between disciplines, clear communication, and people who understand how their individual effort supports the larger team. The relay mirrors that in a simple way. One runner takes the road, the rest of the team prepares, supports, waits, and gets ready for the next exchange.
By the time the team reached downtown Des Moines, they had put together an impressive result. But the bigger win was the shared experience. Events like this strengthen the culture we are building inside MODUS. They create stories, relationships, and momentum that carry back into our offices and project teams.
Congratulations to the MODUS Market to Market team on a great race and an outstanding finish.
Listen to the full song Running Across Iowa below: