City of Austin Formally Approves the 2021 Austin Half Marathon and 5K

2021 Austin Half Marathon is officially ready to run Austin

The return to Austin running begins April 25th with the Ascension Seton Austin Half Marathon presented by Under Armour. Formal approval has been issued by the City of Austin through the special event permitting process with Austin Center for Events (ACE) and Austin Public Health and stems from months of continued support and planning. The approved COVID-19 Mitigation Plan will transform the 2021 Austin Half Marathon, one of Austin’s flagship events. It’ll allow for precautions to be in place that exceed COVID-19 guidelines set forth by the City of Austin.

“The 2021 Austin Half Marathon, an event that represents Austin’s commitment to health, has also shown a commitment to COVID-19 safety,” said Don Hastings, Austin Public Health Assistant Director for Environmental Services. “The Austin Marathon team has worked creatively over several months to re-invent this signature event in a way that emphasizes the health and safety of its participants and our community. To ensure we can safely reopen more of our events in the near future, it’s critical that Austinites continue to wear their masks, socially distance and wash their hands. And to keep the Austin Marathon especially safe in this pandemic year, we ask that friends and family of runners cheer their runners on virtually!” 

Mitigation Plan

High Five Events and their sponsors and partners like Ascension Seton, Austin Public Health, and the City of Austin are all fully committed to the Mitigation Plan. High Five Events owns and produces the Austin Marathon. The full COVID-19 mitigation plan is available to view on our site. Strategies include:

• Participation capacity reduced by 53%
• Density reduction by 88%
• Assigned start times extended over a longer time frame
• Enhanced sanitation
• Adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols
• Elimination of mass gathering activities
• Discourage spectators from attending to reduce COVID transmission risk

“Ascension Seton has closely collaborated with the High Five Events team and the City of Austin to ensure our event medical team provides the safest event possible, including the implementation of safety protocols to ensure social distancing and sanitation procedures are followed,” said Andy Davis, president and CEO of Ascension Texas. “Ascension Seton is excited to continue to be involved in this event that provides a unique experience through the streets of our beautiful city and serves as a way for individuals to remain healthy and active.”

Preparing for April 25th

Online registration is currently available. Both the 2021 Austin Half Marathon and KXAN Simple Health 5K in-person and virtual events have a maximum capacity set in the Mitigation Plan. The event has already surpassed 57% of the capacity based on current registrations. The event is expected to sell out.

“The trust instilled by the City of Austin and their continued support will allow us to set the standard for producing large-scale, socially-distanced endurance events across the country,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “Our team is ready for this responsibility and excited to bring this event back, after having canceled all of our events since last March. We are pleased to welcome all those who have taken up running this past year and look forward to seeing the running community continue to grow.”

Participants are encouraged to fundraise on behalf of one of the amazing 26 Central Texas nonprofits as part of the Austin Marathon Gives charity program which has a goal of raising more than $700,000. The event will also launch new initiatives to help local businesses by providing opportunities for them to take part in the event at no cost. Interested businesses should fill out this form.