Austin Marathon

I moved to Austin 8 months ago and was destined to run this marathon. The packet pickup and website were well organized and prepped you for race day. It was a Sunday so finding free parking all over was pretty amazing. While there were many more half-marathoners, than full, I'd encourage folks pursuing their PR to wait 15 minutes to allow the majority of runners to spread out and start running before you follow, otherwise they may slow you down. Outside of the starting block, the race was smooth, relatively flat with a modest hill between 10/11 and then a massive one within the final mile that takes every ounce of your tank out of you. The fans were awesome, so many non-race locals providing oreos, oranges, beer, champagne, gu, waters, high fives and support at every turn. I enjoyed the run and look forward to doing it again.

I traveled from PA for my first time in Austin. I had a lot of fun exploring the city as there is a lot to see and do. The race overall was extremely well organized. The Expo was very nice with a lot of vendors. They gave us shirts, mugs, hats, and a scarf in our swag bag. The race has a terrific website that gives plentiful information. There were plenty of hotels in walking distance but prices are high so weigh your options. There are more half marathoners so you are running together and the first half is very hilly. Once they break off, the course is rolling with some flatter stretches. Like a lot of combo races there are a lot of spectators for the half and at the finish but as not many in the second half. There are many aid stations with ample opportunities for hydration or to grab a gel. I didn't think the hills were too bad overall but in the last mile there is a huge uphill that despite my hillwork slowed me down so be prepared, but then you cruise downhill to the finish. The medals are beautiful and also belt buckles and they gave us Under Armour long sleeved finisher shirts. The food bag contained a granola bar, fruit cup with no spoon, and a bag of popcorn, so bring something with you since it's not much. The after party has live music and beverages if you choose to stick around. Overall I think this is a fun race worth doing!

As many have said, the focus here is on the half. The energy immediately dropped after the first half, and the course didn't have full roads blocked off at that point. I still had a great race and PR'ed. I also barely noticed the hills.