Austin Marathon, ALVIES Partner for Second Year

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High Five Events announces the partnership between the 2018 Austin Marathon® and ALVIES. As the Official Belt and Boot, ALVIES will produce the popular Austin Marathon-specific belts for marathon and half marathon finishers; the perfect accompaniment for the Austin Marathon and half marathon belt buckle-inspired finisher medal.

“We’re honored to be the Official Belt and Boot partner of the Austin Marathon for the second year in a row,” said Alvie Faulkenbery, founder of ALVIES. “We worked closely with High Five Events to design a belt that would perfectly complement the 2018 belt buckle finisher medals and we know finishers will wear it with pride.”

ALVIES, an Austin original, brought together a combination that has long been a staple of the Austin culture, boots and flip-flops. In doing so, they’ve created a line of products that relate directly to the culture of Austin. Their belt buckle inspired finisher belts will be available for purchase online before race weekend, at the expo, on race day, and on ALVIES’ post-race. You can visit them at their Airstream at the 2018 Health and Fitness Expo.

Official Belt

2017 Austin Marathon Official Belt.

“The 2017 Austin Marathon-themed belts were very popular during race weekend and we’re glad ALVIES is back for a second year,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “Runners want a fashionable way to show off their race day accomplishments and ALVIES has once again given the Official Belt an Austin feel.”

The Austin Marathon will celebrate its 27th year running in the capital of Texas on February 18, 2018. Austin’s flagship running event annually attracts runners from all 50 states and 20+ countries around the world. Having start and finish locations just a few blocks apart, being within walking distance of many downtown hotels and restaurants, and finishing in front of the picturesque Texas State Capitol makes the Austin Marathon the perfect running weekend destination. Registration is still available for the marathon, half marathon, and 5K.

Austin Marathon Happy Hour with nuun and Clif Bar

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Who doesn’t love happy hour?

Interrupt your week by joining us at the Austin Marathon Happy Hour at The Wheel on January 4th, brought to you by nuun and Clif Bar. Run with us through the newest parts of the Austin Marathon route and try products that will help your training now while helping you execute your plan on race day. Let’s get together and have a great start to the new year!

Kick back, relax, and enjoy happy hour with your fellow Austinites. Friends, great drinks, and a good time isn’t the only thing you’ll get at the Austin Marathon Happy Hour. Walk away with treats and swag from some of your favorite endurance brands! We do happy hour right; don’t miss your chance to win prizes because what would happy hour be without a raffle to top things off?

The benefits just keep on coming. The first 50 people through the door will receive a drink ticket and an awesome nuun pint glass! Join us January 4th at The Wheel (1902 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.) for some cardio, drinks, and camaraderie with your fellow runners! Don’t miss the run, it starts at 5:30. You absolutely don’t want to miss happy hour, which goes from 6:00 to 8:00. We can’t think of a better way to conclude your exercise than by ending it with a few drinks and great people. RSVP today. Please make plans to have a designated driver. Hope to see y’all there!

Austin Marathon Happy Hour

Austin Marathon Announces Fifth Round of Accepted Elite Runners

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High Five Events introduces the fifth round of accepted athletes for the 2018 Austin Marathon®. Runners who do not qualify for the Elite Athlete Program are still invited to run in the Elite Field. The Elite Athlete Program’s focus is to provide a clean and competitive environment, discover emerging talent, and help the existing talent pool reach Olympic standards. The Program’s Year Two prize purse totals $20,000, with $15,000 for the marathon and $5,000 for the half marathon.

The fifth round of 2018 marathoners include:

  • Allison Macsas – Elite Athlete Program (2017 Austin Marathon female champion – 2:48:16)
  • Craig Leon – Elite Athlete Program (7th place at 2017 US Marathon Championships [CIM] – 2:13:41)
  • Arturs Bareikis – Elite Athlete Program (2nd place at 2017 Madison Marathon – 2:23:14)
  • Carter Norbo – Elite Athlete Program (ran 2:48:35 at 2017 Chicago Marathon)
  • D’Ann Arthur – Elite Athlete Program (2nd place at 2016 OC Marathon – 2:46:50)
  • Drew Johnson – Elite Field (ran 1:14:14 at 2017 Garry Bjorkland Half Marathon)
  • Brent Martin – Elite Field (4th place at 2017 Akron Marathon – 2:28:10)

The fifth round of 2018 half marathoners include:

  • Allison Mendez-Cleaver – Elite Athlete Program (2017 Austin Half Marathon female champion – 1:21:42; 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier)
  • Patrick Smyth – Elite Athlete Program (8th place at 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon – 2:15:26; 2012 and 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier)
  • Alfred Kiplagat – Elite Athlete Program (4th place at 2016 Germantown Half Marathon – 1:06:44)
  • Jarrett LeBlanc – Elite Athlete Program (ran 1:04:19 at 2015 US Half Marathon Championships; 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier)
  • Jason Ayr – Elite Athlete Program (3rd place 2017 Hartford Marathon – 2:20:36)
  • Heather Zytkewicz – Elite Field (8th place at 2017 San Antonio Half Marathon – 1:26:45)
  • Jonathon Lira – Elite Field (ran track and cross country for Texas Tech)

“There is nothing quite like racing on hometown roads full of familiar faces, especially when your hometown race is a top-notch production,” said Macsas, also a 2012 and 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier. “Austin Marathon weekend always feels like a big party for the local running community and my 2017 win was a major highlight of my year – I couldn’t be more excited for the chance to line up and try to do it again!

Read about the first, second, third,and fourth rounds of accepted elite runners. Including today, the marathon has accepted a total of 13 runners into the Elite Athlete Program and 17 others have been invited to participate in the Elite Field. The half marathon has accepted 13 runners into the Elite Athlete Program and 16 others have been invited to participate in the Elite Field. Applications are arriving daily and more than 100 have already been submitted. The sixth round of athletes will be announced next week. Applications are still being accepted and elite runners can apply on the Austin Marathon’s website. Athletes that meet the program’s standards and are accepted will be given one comp entry to the 2018 Austin Marathon or half marathon, reimbursement eligibility, and standards bonuses.

Moody Foundation Awards Matching Grant to Austin Gives Miles

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Austin Gives Miles has raised more than $1.3 million through the Austin Marathon

High Five Events announces Austin Gives Miles, the Official Charity Program of the Austin Marathon®, has been selected for a Moody Foundation grant for the third year in a row. The grant will match dollars raised by each of the 29 Austin Gives Miles Official Charities, up to $10,000 per organization, and help Austin Gives Miles reach its $750,000 fundraising goal.

“For the third year in a row, the Moody Foundation is pleased to support Austin Gives Miles,” said Elle Moody, Moody Foundation Trustee. “We are happy to continue supporting this initiative that allows runners the opportunity to make their miles meaningful by raising funds for Central Texas causes that are near and dear their hearts.

The Moody Foundation, based in Galveston, Texas, has funded projects and programs that better communities throughout Texas. The grant that will match Austin Gives Miles donations will have a positive impact on the Central Texas organizations and their specific causes by matching their funds raised (up to $10,000 per organization). One of the Moody Foundation’s areas of support, community development, directly aligns with the goal of the Austin Marathon: to better Central Texas. Austin Gives Miles is proud to receive this grant and knows the positive effects will be far-reaching.

“We are beyond grateful to have the continued support of the Moody Foundation for the 2018 Austin Gives Miles program,” said Carly Samuelson, Austin Gives Miles Charity Manager. The matching funds received make it possible for our Official Charities to raise a great amount of money through the Austin Gives Miles platform, allowing their missions and the great work they do to permeate throughout our Central Texas communities.

This is the fifth year that Austin Gives Miles is the Official Charity Program for the Austin Marathon. Last year, Austin Gives Miles contributed more than $637,000 to the Central Texas community through its fundraising efforts, bringing the five-year fundraising total to more than $1.3 million. In addition to the funds and awareness raised, last year’s Austin Gives Miles Official Charities recruited more than 500 runners and provided more than 1200 volunteers.

The Austin Marathon will celebrate its 27th year running in the capital of Texas on February 18, 2018. Austin’s flagship running event annually attracts runners from all 50 states and 20+ countries around the world. Having start and finish locations just a few blocks apart, being within walking distance of many downtown hotels and restaurants, and finishing in front of the picturesque Texas State Capitol makes the Austin Marathon the perfect running weekend destination. Registration is still available for the marathon, half marathon, and 5K.