Austin Marathon and Half Marathon FAQ
Yes. Times run in one year can be used for qualifying for the Boston Marathon in the same year, provided they have not reached their cap after the conclusion of the Austin Marathon. Times run in one year can also be used for the following year's Boston Marathon.
Visit the Boston Marathon website at www.baa.org for more information.
No. You must be registered for either the marathon OR the half marathon. Yes, walkers are encouraged as long as they are able to complete the course within the cutoff time. The marathon course will remain open and completely supported for seven hours. That's a 16 minute per mile pace. The half marathon course will remain open and completely supported for four hours. That's a 19 minute per mile pace. Hours for the expo are Friday, February 18, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, February 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Expo is located at the Palmer Events Center, 900 Barton Springs Rd. in Austin, TX. Parking at the Palmer Events Center is $7 so we highly recommend carpooling or public transportation. Yes. USA TRACK & FIELD, the governing body of running events, amended the rule prohibiting headphones to allow them in non-championship events. Average Temperature Range: 44 - 65 Date
| | Low (Farenheit) | | High (Farenheit) | | 2/14/10 | | 35 | | 69
| | 2/15/09 | | 50 | | 67 | | 2/17/08 | | 39 | | 71 | | 2/18/07 | | 34 | | 66 | | 2/19/06 | | 28 | | 37 | | 2/13/05 | | 59 | | 78 | | 2/15/04 | | 33 | | 59 | | 2/16/03 | | 37 | | 53 | | 2/17/02 | | 37 | | 66 | | 2/18/01 | | 33 | | 59 | | 2/20/00 | | 48 | | 66 | The average elevation in Austin is 597 feet. No, however, there are lots of great places to carb up in the Austin area. Go to the RACE WEEKEND tab to see a list of suggested restaurants. Remember to make your reservations early! Registration is non-refundable and non-transferable, even in the event that you are injured, sick or otherwise unable to participate. The only discount available is for active duty military. Please email us (
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) from your military email address for the code. The marathon is limited to 6,000 registrants and the half marathon is limited to 12,000 registrants. If we anticipate reaching either cap, we will notify people on the website. Both events sold out in 2009 and in 2010. Switches into either the Marathon or the Half Marathon will be accepted until registration closes for the event you would like to switch into. Once an event closes you will no longer be able to switch into that race. Instructions on how to switch will be posted at the opening of registration. Event switching is available between the Marathon and Half Marathon only. You cannot switch into or out of the Break-a-Leg 5K. No. For liability reasons we cannot transfer registrations from person to person. Yes, beginning January 1st, for a service fee you will be able to defer your registration to the following year. Note that once you have deferred you will not be considered a participant in the 2011 Austin Marathon and Half Marathon and cannot regain that status without purchasing a new entry at the current price. You can find out if you are registered on the Active site. Many registrants have reported that the confirmation email has ended up in their spam folder. If you do need another email sent you can request one on the Active website. Yes, you can either have a friend pick up your packet for you, or if you are staying in the Austin area you can have our courier pick it up and deliver it to you. There is a $40 fee and the number of packets the courier can pick up is limited. Proceeds of this service go directly to the Dick Beardsley Foundation. For more information contact Jill Beardsley (
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). Parking in the downtown area within walking distance of the start and finish-lines is plentiful. There are numerous free and paid parking garages and surface lots as well as free on-street parking downtown CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF PARKING OPTIONS DOWNTOWN.
Other Parking Options: - $7 parking will also be available at the Palmer Events Center. Due to road closures, access will be limited between 6:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Therefore, plan to arrive at the garage before 5:30 a.m.
- Take the 11th street exit off I35, go north bound on Trinity to find parking on 12th, 13th, or 14th Street.
- Patrons will receive a discounted rate of $5 on race day during the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon in the 2nd & Brazos and Palmer Center parking garages.
Carpooling and public transportation (especially for spectators) is highly encouraged! The pacers will run even splits throughout the race, meaning that each mile is run in the same amount of time, helping to keep runners from making the common mistake of starting too fast and burning precious energy reserves too soon. Participation is free and no registration is necessary. At the expo, we will also provide you with a pace group bracelet to alert you of your specific mile goals. We will have pace groups for the following marathon times: 3:00, 3:10, 3:15, 3:20, 3:30, 3:40, 3:45, 3:50, 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, 4:45, and 5:00. There will be a “Meet the Pacers” seminar which will be offered on Friday and Saturday during the expo. At the seminar we will be giving some last minute pointers and each group leader will be there for you to answer any questions you might have. We want you to run your own race. If you feel great on race day, and want to go ahead to catch the next group, we’ll cheer you on. If it’s just not your day, slow down and wait for the next group behind to catch you. And if you want to just fall in and match strides with your pace group leader, we’re sure to appreciate the company!
Please contact Danny Spoonts at
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if you have any questions. Aid stations are located approximately every mile on the course. There will be water and a Seton Medical Team at every aid station. A sport drink will be served on both the marathon and half marathon race routes. There will also be one to two port-a-lets near each aid station. This website and a variety of media outlets will have information regarding road closures and other changing conditions. The race hotline, 512-476-7223, will be updated with current information. Also, some race announcements will be made via Twitter. Both the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon will start at 7:00 a.m. The Paramount Break-a-Leg 5k will start at 7:30 a.m. The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon are USATF-certified race routes that start and finish in downtown Austin. Both races are loop courses. The marathon course will remain open and completely supported for seven hours. That's a 16 minute per mile pace.
The half marathon course will remain open and completely supported for four hours. That's a 19 minute per mile pace. Yes. When you pick up your race packet at the expo, you will receive a clear plastic bag. Please use this bag for gear check. On race morning, before the race starts, you can drop off your bag at the clothing management tent close to the finish line. Please don't leave anything valuable in your bag. We can't take responsibility for any lost items. Yes! Get your recovery process off to a great start with a post race massage to muscles that are tight, sore and tired. A team of over 25 licensed massage therapists, sponsored by Twenty-Six Two Marathon Club and ThriveAustin will be available after the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon for table massages. Email questions to
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. Yes, professional photographers from ASI Photo will be out on the course to capture your race day moments. Check the homepage after the race for links to photos. All awards are based on CHIP time. Clock time is the time it takes from the official start of the race to when you cross the finish line.
Chip time is the time it takes you to go from the start line to the finish line, regardless of when you cross the start line. The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon will present awards to the top three males and females in the following age groups: 19 and under, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, and 85-90. The overall three male and female finishers in the following divisions will also receive awards: wheelchair, handcrank, and military . Finishers of the Marathon and Half Marathon will receive a technical shirt. Yes. Every Marathon and Half Marathon finisher will get a beautiful commemorative medal, provided they finish within the time frame (7 hours for the marathon and 4 hours for the half marathon). Your volunteer time benefits the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon’s runners, walkers, guests and staff by providing help in a variety of areas, including start & finish line, packet pick-up, information and water distribution. And just as importantly, volunteers provide the energy and enthusiasm to help encourage our runners to the finish line! By volunteering, you are also supporting the 26 Miles for 26 Charities philanthropy program of the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon. The program provides Central Texas non-profits with the opportunity to advance community awareness while raising money to support their mission. By helping to make the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon a successful community event, our full team of volunteers, staff and supporters also help create economic opportunities for the City of Austin and Central Texas by way of the number of runners and guests visiting Austin for the race.
The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon has a great variety of opportunities for individuals, groups, families and all interest types. Our volunteer roles include: - Runner Packet Prep
- Packet-Pick Up
- Green Team
- Information Booth
- Start & Finish Line Set Up
- Food Distribution
- Water Distribution
- And more!
Check out our full list, including role details on the volunteer registration page.
You can sign up to volunteer 24/7 online. At this site you will find a full listing of volunteer opportunities, including date, time, location and duties. You can also create an online group to facilitate team sign up.
Your friend may be on the race course for a while, so you can volunteer to help pass the time. Many of our shifts take place during the race. If you decide to volunteer for medal distribution, food distribution or finish line water distribution – you can be in the closed off finish line area to cheer on your friend up close and personal when s/he finishes!
After the race, all volunteers will receive an official Austin Marathon and Half Marathon volunteer acknowledgment letter with your volunteer date and shift time. Most organizations do accept the letter for volunteer hour requirements, however we recommend that you check in advance with your organization.
Yes, we offer the following opportunities prior to race day. Sign up and view the dates, times, descriptions online. 2 Weeks Prior: Sign Placement – place signs throughout neighborhoods on the race course Friday & Saturday before Race Day: Expo – volunteer in a variety of roles at the marathon expo, attended by runners to pick up their packets.
Yes, all volunteers will receive full details to help you get to your volunteer shift. We will send maps, driving instructions, parking directions and contact information in the week prior to your shift.
We provide all volunteers an official volunteer t-shirt and refreshments. Race day volunteers, for example, are provided coffee, water and breakfast tacos. Volunteers will also have access to the volunteer tent’s port-a-let restrooms.
If you are volunteering early on race day, you will be provided an official volunteer t-shirt which you can wear over your clothes. You may want to wear layers of clothes to keep you warm. It’s best to layer so that you can remove jackets/sweaters as the day warms up.
Please contact Robert Vega, the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon volunteer coordinator:
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The minimum age for a volunteer unaccompanied by a parent or guardian is 18. Young volunteers between the ages of 10 and 17 are welcome to participate when accompanied by a parent or guardian. Some volunteer roles may allow children younger than 10 years old to volunteer with their parent/guardian if the volunteer shift is in an enclosed space, outside of the high-traffic areas of the race. Examples include clothing management and packet prep. These minimum age requirements are in place for the safety of our young volunteers in the high volume and high energy areas surrounding the race. Please contact the volunteer coordinator (
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) for help with volunteers younger than 10. |
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