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Don’t Forget These Austin Marathon Race-Week Reminders

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Don’t sleep on these Austin Marathon race-week reminders

It has finally arrived! Race week for the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour’s is here! We know you’re just as excited as we are for our 28th anniversary. With all the excitement it’s easy to forget the simple things you need to do race week. We’re here to help with these race-week reminders.

Under Armour HOVR Shakeout Run

  • This is one Shakeout Run you don’t want to miss! Kick off Austin Marathon weekend on Friday morning (Feb. 15th) with hundreds of your running friends, UA HOVR shoe demos, a jog around Town Lake, tacos, and coffee. All distances and paces are welcome.

Invite your friends

  • Fact – running is best enjoyed with friends! They can run with you, cheer for you at various points along the course, or celebrate with you at the finish line festival. If your friends have been on the registration fence, now is the time. Tell them about the upcoming price increase on Thursday, Feb. 14th, or gift them a registration yourself!
  • If you have friends and family who cannot watch you run the streets of Austin on Feb. 17th, have them tune in to the FREE FloTrack livestream! FloTrack will cover all the action between the elite males and females racing the half marathon and marathon. Once elites cross the finish, FloTrack will capture every finisher as they cross their finish line! KXAN will provide FloTrack’s coverage to the local Austin market.

Hydration/nutrition

  • Begin hydrating during race week. It’ll help ensure your body has the fluids needed to secure that next PR! Make sure you’re getting a nice balance of electrolytes and fluids during the week. You’ve put in the training miles, now make sure all systems are ready for race day! BONUS – hydrate with the Mango Orange nuun performance, it’s what’ll be on course at all 22 aid stations.
  • There will be 2 Gatorade Endurance Fuel Zones at Miles 9.5 and 20. providing runners with Endurance Gels and Chews.

Plan your race day

  • There aren’t many runners who don’t already do this, but nevertheless, it’s a great reminder. Layout everything you’ll need the night before and double-check it. This increases the likelihood that you forget nothing race morning. You should even plan what you’ll eat the morning of and the night before. Stick with what works!
  • Driving to the expo on Friday or Saturday? Parking downtown race morning? Check out all the parking options or reserve your parking spot with Spot Hero!

If you didn’t train with it…

  • Don’t do it on race day! As simple as it seems. If you didn’t run with it, eat it, or drink it during training, don’t do it on race day!

Celebrate at the finish line festival

  • Last but definitely not least, recoverate (recover + celebrate)! Once you cross the finish line, snag your commemorative belt buckle finisher medal and head to the finish line festival. Grab your snack bag and some hydration. Then check out the food trucks, music, and the Oskar Blues Austin beer garden! Tito’s Handmade Vodka will serve delicious mixed drinks in the beer garden as well. BONUS – family or friends who cheered or tracked you via the app can meet you and help celebrate.
  • Did you pre-purchase your post-race massage with Austin Massage Company? Good call! If you didn’t, there’s still time to purchase a quick massage before continuing your celebration.
  • If you didn’t get enough live music on course, you can rock out with Austin’s own Delivery Service at the finish line festival. After their two sets, Fusion will keep the party going when they cover all the hits!

Expo Highlights You Don’t Want to Miss!

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Our expo highlights showcase the booths you have to visit

The Ascension Seton Austin Marathon Expo & Packet Pick Up is just days away! The expo is a chance for participants to visit our sponsors and partners and check out what they have to offer. The 2019 Marathon Health & Fitness Expo will have more than 100 vendors selling all sorts of runners’ goodies. From on-course hydration to Official Austin Marathon Under Armour gear, below are the expo highlights you can’t miss. There are tons of prizes, giveaways, and discounts too!

The expo is open to the public on Friday, February 15th, from  1:00 p.m – 7:00 p.m and Saturday, February 16th, from 10:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m.

Get in the Groove 2020 Tour 

It is never too early to get excited about running next year! Get in the groove with us as we spread our love of Austin and running during our tour in our 1972 Winnebago, nicknamed Winnie. Come meet Winnie at the 2020 Austin Marathon booth.

Ascension Seton

Ascension Seton is part of the largest nonprofit health system in the U.S. and their doctors and nurses will be on course and at the finish line tent. They will also volunteer throughout the expo and be available on course. Say hi! You can stop by their booth to talk about taking care of your body as your train, get free blood pressure readings, and more.

KXAN

Not only will KXAN be showing the 2019 Austin Marathon live coverage to all locals looking to watch from home, but they will also be at the expo providing healthy living and wellness tips and information from expert medical professionals as part of their Simple Health initiative. You will have the opportunity to learn hands-on CPR training.

2020 Registration Combo Deal

Do you love to RUNAUSTIN?! Save an extra $10 off registration when you add 3M Half Marathon at time of check out. This pricing is the best that will be available for 2020, so take advantage of it. 3M Half Marathon is a stand-alone half marathon on January 19, 2020. It is known for its point-to-point course and swag bag filled with 3M products.

Official Merchandise

Visit our friends at Fleet Feet Austin and snag your Official Austin Marathon Under Armour gear before it’s gone! From shirts and jackets to pint glasses and coffee mugs, this year’s official merch is awesome and will make you smile when you remember running the Austin Marathon or Austin Half Marathon.

Jumbotron & Pacer Booth

Take a seat and watch the big screen as we go over both the marathon and half marathon courses. Have questions or a goal time you are looking to meet? Be sure and stop by the Pacer booth and talk to our amazing pacers. There are 18 different pace groups available. Pace groups run based on marathon finish times and will run the first part of the course with the half marathon.

Smile! Great Photo Opportunities

The Insta opportunities are at an all-time high at this year’s expo. There will be several fun photo opportunities set up throughout the expo including our GIF photo booth, a larger than life-size version of this year’s finisher medal, course maps, and more. Be sure to visit them all, some not to miss include:

  • Austin Marathon & Half Marathon course map
  • Carvana DeLorean
  • Hilton Hotels

Shopping & Giveaways

  • There will be tons of products to sample including Kodiak cakes, Kicking Horse Coffee, Thunderbird Real Food Bars, REBBL, Snap Nutrition, and Honey Badger.
  • SPIbelt will have a spinning wheel out sporadically during the event where people can spin to win! Stop by, say hey, learn about their new products, and spin to see what you could win.
  • nuun hydration will be sampling a ton of their flavors including Orange Mango, which will be at all aid stations on race day.
  • Kerrville Triathlon – from awesome trucker hats to free shirts, The Most Scenic Triathlon in Texas will have a prize wheel full of great giveaways.
  • fitppl – while reducing plastic and cleaning the world, these superfoods combine plant-based protein, spirulina, alkalizing grasses, and phytonutrient-packed fruits creating a wholesome, all-in-one, nutrient-dense shake.
  • Hilton will have a photo booth set up, plus opportunities to win awesome prizes including a grand prize which includes free hotel stays.

The Nutmobile

It’s ok to get a little nutty sometimes, especially when you encounter the Planter’s NUTmobile. Come talk to the Peanutters and get a sample of delicious Planter’s products.

Universal Advice from an Elite

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Rizzo’s universal advice can be used by every runner

Patrick Rizzo is one of the most decorated and versatile distance runners in the United States. In December 2017, he ran 2:17:27 at the U.S. Marathon Championship in Sacramento, California. This made him a four-time Olympic Trials qualifier in the marathon; a remarkable and almost unprecedented achievement which solidifies his running legacy. To honor this accomplishment, Colorado Running Magazine named Rizzo its runner of the month. Rizzo is competing in the Austin Marathon’s Elite Athlete Program on race day. He’s sharing some tips that have led to his success. His universal advice can be applied to all runners!

An Athlete’s Perspective – Issue 15

by: Patrick Rizzo

Race day for the Austin Marathon (Feb. 17th) is rapidly approaching. We’re in the final month of training now. This is where the fatigue sometimes gets the best of us. The mileage starts to think it’s winning. Nerves start to sneak into our thoughts. Taper madness is trying to set in. All of those things are normal though. It means you’ve been working toward a goal and you care enough to push yourself in order to achieve it.

Congratulations on getting this far! This is the metaphorical peak of the hill and now it’s time to come downhill. With that said, mistakes can still be made. Having covered the marathon distance 20 times myself, I’d like to share some universal advice. This universal advice is applicable to runners of all speeds and experience levels. Implement this universal advice to run your best and have a positive experience at the 2019 Austin Marathon.

One

Decide what you’re eating the night before the race and practice eating that same food before quality days. When a friend asks what you thought of the course, it’s better not to answer in terms of how frequent the port-o-potties were spaced on the course. Especially if it’s within your control to practice.

Two

Sticking with the specifics, have you tried nuun hydration? nuun performance will be the on-course hydration. Same with Gatorade gels and blocks. There will be two stations on the marathon course handing out nutrition. If it doesn’t suit your preference, plan ahead! Experiment with what DOES work and how you can carry that on race day. Gels pinned to the inside of shorts is a great way to carry your calories.

Three

What kind of shape are your shoes in? Will they make it to race day or are you 50/50? Now is the time to plan ahead. Nothing is worse than befriending the medical staff because your forefoot grafted to the insoles of your new shoes (yes, that happened to me at the London Marathon in 2013).

Four

Know your pace and stick to it. You shouldn’t be training more than five seconds faster than race pace and that’s even limited. If your regular runs are faster than goal marathon/half pace, either your goal is too slow or your training is too fast. Also, on race day, it’s easy for emotions to start out high (and take your pacing plan right with it). Prepare ahead of time to start at a pace that you plan to still find achievable in the last 5K.

Five

HAVE FUN! Really. If training has become “work” then you’re doing it wrong! I train 100 miles a week, with a wife, a kid, and a full-time job. It’s still something I “get to do” and not “have to do.” Dads and moms, you can’t be afraid to get that running stroller out for the easy days and chat with the little one while you’re out there. My son and I have solved the world’s problems while we run together. It also gives me time to bond with him and gives my wife a break to do her workout. Fun comes from having balance and perspective.

An Athlete’s Perspective is a blog series of event and/or training experiences written firsthand by the athletes themselves. An Athlete’s Perspective is a completely unscripted and raw look into the mind and daily life of an athlete as they prepare for their next race. Readers will discover training regimens, eating tips, gear recommendations, and an uncut perspective into the lives of people like you and me.

Austin Marathon Secures Title Sponsorship with Ascension Seton

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Ascension Seton’s impact will be tremendous both race weekend and beyond

High Five Events is excited to announce Ascension Seton as the title sponsor of the Austin Marathon. The multi-year agreement includes naming rights, race weekend activations, and community engagement opportunities. Additionally, Ascension Seton will be the Official Medical Provider of the Austin Marathon. The Ascension Seton Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour® will take place on February 17, 2019.

“Ascension Seton is excited to be the title sponsor and Official Medical Provider for the Austin Marathon,” said Adam Bauman, vice president of business development at Ascension Seton. “The Austin Marathon reflects the community’s commitment to be an active and vibrant city, and through our partnership with High Five Events and friends of the Austin community, we are committed to promote, support, and facilitate activities for a healthy lifestyle.”

Official Medical Provider

As the Official Medical Provider, Ascension Seton doctors and nurses will staff the finish line medical tent and work with Travis County EMS on course. During race weekend, Team Ascension Seton will participate in all events. They’ll also volunteer their time and have a major presence at the Health and Fitness Expo. Their presence will be felt outside of race weekend as they get involved with local running clubs and attend community runs. They will raise funds and spread awareness as an Official Austin Gives Miles charity. Ascension Seton is part of the largest nonprofit health system in the U.S. and the world’s largest Catholic health system.

“This is a monumental day for the Austin Marathon and we’re thrilled to have Ascension Seton as the title sponsor,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “Their race-weekend involvement will take the Austin Marathon to another level, but we’re just as eager to support and better the Austin community throughout the rest of the year.”

The Austin Marathon will celebrate its 28th year running in the capital of Texas in 2019. Austin’s flagship running event annually attracts runners from all 50 states and 30+ countries around the world. Having start and finish locations in the heart of downtown Austin puts participants and spectators near all the action and within walking distance of restaurants, hotels, and shops. Finishing with the picturesque Texas State Capitol as your backdrop is icing on the cake for the perfect running weekend destination. Participants can register on the Austin Marathon website.