Ascension Seton Archives

Don’t Miss these 2020 Expo Highlights at the Austin Marathon Expo

Keep up with these 2020 expo highlights so you know what booths to visit

The Ascension Seton Austin Marathon Expo & Packet Pick Up will take place on Feb. 14th-15th! The expo is a chance for participants to visit our sponsors and partners and check out what they have to offer. The 2020 Austin Marathon Health & Fitness Expo will have more than 100 vendors introducing or selling all sorts of runners’ goodies. From on-course hydration to Official Austin Marathon Under Armour gear, below are the 2020 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 14th, from 1:00 p.m – 7:00 p.m and Saturday, February 15th, from 10:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m. Start making note of the 2020 expo highlight that you can’t miss!

Get in the Groove 2021 Tour

It is never too early to get excited about running the 30th annual Austin Marathon! 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 2021 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! Stop by their booth to talk about taking care of your body as your train, get free blood pressure readings, and more.

KXAN

On Feb. 16th, KXAN will stream FloTrack’s live coverage of the 2020 Austin Marathon to all locals looking to watch from home. At the expo, they’ll provide 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. If you’re running the 5K make sure you say hey to the title sponsor of the KXAN Simple Health 5K benefiting Paramount Theatre!

Official merchandise

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

Jumbotron and 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 17 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 at these 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 and tag us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Shopping & Giveaway Highlights

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.
Jack’s Generic Triathlon – if you love generic giveaways you don’t want to miss this booth. Plenty of goodies and a sweet expo deal just for you!
Rookie Triathlon – make this sprint triathlon the first tri of your life or the first tri of your 2020 season. Visit their booth, test your skills at bag toss, and see what goodies you’ll win.

More 2020 vendors

Dedicating His First Marathon Will Push Him to the Finish Line

in My Running Story

This runner is dedicating his first marathon to his biggest supporter

Runners dedicate their training and running to others all the time. Their dedication can show loved ones how much their support means. They can also dedicate their running to supporting a charity of Austin Gives Miles presented by Moody Foundation, the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon’s philanthropic program. Rene Arguello is dedicating his first marathon, the Austin Marathon, to his wife Veronica. She’s his biggest supporter. Read Rene’s edition of My Running Story to see how much he and his wife has been through recently and why he’s dedicating his first marathon to her. Are you dedicating your Austin Marathon to someone specific? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.

Time to sign up for the Austin Marathon

Image of Rene Arguello and Veronica, his wife, next to a Christmas tree. He's dedicating his first marathon to her!

Rene and Veronica.

I started running about 15 years ago when someone told me that I would never finish my first half marathon. Is that reason enough to prove someone wrong? The real reason I run is to be an example to my family. I want to show them that running has great health benefits. Every now and then my wife and daughters will join me on a run. Currently I’m training for my first marathon. I have completed ten half marathons and everyone says it is about time I sign up for a marathon.

I usually like to dedicate my training and racing to someone. When you dedicate a race to someone it gives you the motivation to finish. I am dedicating my first marathon, the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon, to my wife. Veronica is my biggest supporter. She always waves to me or blows a kiss when I am on a training run. My wife even goes to every running expo with me. She knows exactly where I am on any given racecourse and pops up to say “Hi!” on any given street corner. Veronica knows my running so much that she know what foods I need to eat during training and what gear I should wear based on the weather and the distance.

My wife has been through a lot recently. Her favorite cousin recently passed away from a drowning accident in Port Aransas. Prior to that, her uncle passed away. My wife helped coordinate her uncle’s funeral and the music, no questions asked.

Running with a heavy heart

This year I am running with a heavy heart, but still staying positive about my training. I like to keep loved ones on my mind and dedicate miles to them during the race. My overall training has been going well. I am following a racing plan and definitely have been enjoying my long runs. Running is contagious. I have several coworkers that have started running and have already signed up for races. They say that I turned them into runners. Maybe I have turned them into runners because I am always talking about it and I am always happy to answer any running-related questions.

It’s funny, whenever I tell someone that I am running my first marathon I always get a crazy look. I know I will finish my first marathon. I have no doubt about it, especially since I’m dedicating my first 26.2 miles to my wife.

My Running Story is a series of blog submissions from runners just like yourself. They submitted their inspirational running stories as part of a contest to win an entry of their choice to the 2020 Ascension Seton Austin Marathon. Their stories range from crossing their first finish line to drastic lifestyle change due to running. Everyone’s story is different and unique, impacting them in a specific way. While each story is specific to the author, everyone can resonate in some form or fashion because of the power of running. Other My Running Story submissions include Kayleigh Williamson, Kirsten Pasha, Michael Coffey, Samantha Santos, Tom Hamann, Erica Richart, Angela Clark, Rebecca Galvan, Jeremy Tavares, Axel Reissnecker, Blair Nagel, and Brittany Drennan.

Austin Marathon Partners with Hotels for Hope

in Press Release

Hotels for Hope booking platform will boost contributions to Austin Gives Miles

The Ascension Seton Austin Marathon simplifies event weekend hotel booking with the addition of the Hotels for Hope platform. The user-friendly technology provides exclusive rates for downtown hotels within walking distance of the start and finish lines. Additionally, Hotels for Hope will donate $2 for every actualized room night to the Austin Marathon’s philanthropic program, Austin Gives Miles presented by Moody Foundation. The 29th annual Austin Marathon, owned and produced by High Five Events, will take place on February 16, 2020.

“Hotels for Hope is based in Austin, so it’s great to work with the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon to highlight our technology and drive awareness and support to the Austin Gives Miles program,” said Neil Goldman, founder and CEO of Hotels for Hope. “We look forward to a long-term relationship with an event in our own backyard, in which hotel guests benefit from this agreement.”

Stay downtown near the Austin Marathon start and finish lines

Hotels for Hope was founded and still remains in Austin, Texas. Their platform will allow participants to easily book their hotel stay and provide exclusive rates for downtown Austin hotels. When staying downtown, participants and their friends and family don’t have to worry about parking or leaving anything at home. They can sleep well knowing they’re near the Austin Marathon start and finish lines. The start line is located at Congress Avenue and 2nd Street. The finish line is located at Congress Avenue and 9th Street. As a company, they will donate $2 for every actualized room night. Funds raised during Austin Marathon weekend will be given to Austin Gives Miles.

“Annually, Austin Marathon participants come from around the world to run Austin’s streets, enjoy our restaurants, and soak up The Live Music Capital of the World,” said Stacy Keese, co-owner of High Five Events. “Hotels for Hope provides participants with exclusive rates and will ensure they stay near our start and finish lines and all the action of downtown Austin.”

The Austin Marathon will celebrate its 29th year running in the capital of Texas in 2020. Austin’s flagship running event annually attracts runners from all 50 states and 30+ 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 currently open.

Thankful for Being Given the Opportunity to Run Again

in My Running Story

After her injury, Brittany is grateful to have the opportunity to run again

Most of us don’t actually realize how much we love running until it’s gone. Sure we love getting outdoors, making new friends, de-stressing. But imagine for a minute that you can’t run again. Brittany Drennan lived in that world for 18 months. That’s how long her rehab from a terrible hip injury took. Read her edition of My Running Story to understand how grateful she is to have the opportunity to run again and how hard she’s worked to get to the 2020 Austin Half Marathon start line.

Intro to running

I have always been an emotional person. It’s just who I am. I cry at sappy movies and symphonies. And I can’t even play an instrument. In 2008, I registered for the Baylor Bearathon (half marathon) and I still don’t know what possessed me to do that. I had never run more than the occasional 5K.

The Bearathon is grueling, with about 5-6 miles of rolling hills. Having only run about 6 miles as my “long run” and never doing hill work, I thought my legs were going to detach from my body after Mile 7. I vividly remember thinking, “Where is the school? Waco is not that big…” But I don’t remember finishing. The next day I cried trying to get out of my bunk bed, my body hurt so badly.

I ran the Bearathon consistently for several years and as I was preparing for the 2015 race, I lunged to catch a patient at work and felt a pop in my left hip. While running the next day, I fell to the ground due to a subluxation of my left hip. As I crawled back to the house, I began to panic, tears streaming down my face. If I can’t walk, how can I run? I forfeited my Bearathon entry that year and was absolutely devastated.

It took about 18 months to rehab my hip. I worked from the ground up; crying tears of frustration when my hip couldn’t even tolerate the recumbent bike. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever endured. Near constant pain with no end in sight. I’d ask myself, “Why am I doing this? What am I trying to prove?”

The opportunity to run again

More than two years later, I lined up for the 2017 Bearathon. I was choking back tears of anxiety and fear. What if my hip goes out? Will everything I’ve done be for not? Two and a half hours later, I crossed the finish line in near hysterics. But finally, FINALLY, my tears were not from pain or frustration or fear. They were tears of joy and gratitude. I had been given the opportunity to run again.

I completed my tenth half this past October. Now when I cross the finish line of every half I weep. I used to be embarrassed. It’s not like I won or anything similar. Now I realize that it’s just my body’s way of saying “thank you.” I can’t wait to cross the Austin Half Marathon finish line!

My Running Story is a series of blog submissions from runners just like yourself. They submitted their inspirational running stories as part of a contest to win an entry of their choice to the 2020 Ascension Seton Austin Marathon. Their stories range from crossing their first finish line to drastic lifestyle change due to running. Everyone’s story is different and unique, impacting them in a specific way. While each story is specific to the author, everyone can resonate in some form or fashion because of the power of running. Other My Running Story submissions include Kayleigh Williamson, Kirsten Pasha, Michael Coffey, Samantha Santos, Tom Hamann, Erica Richart, Angela Clark, Rebecca Galvan, Jeremy Tavares, Axel Reissnecker, and Blair Nagel.

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