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Why Your Nonprofit Should Join Austin Gives Miles

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Join Austin Gives Miles to further your nonprofit’s mission

Raising funds for your charity’s mission in partnership with an endurance race is a popular way to generate revenue for your organization. The Ascension Seton Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour is proud of our charity program, Austin Gives Miles. For the 2019 event, 36 charities raised more than $1.1 million for their causes. We love Austin Gives Miles and are always looking for new charities to join our growing program.  Join Austin Gives Miles in 2020 and further your mission!

Austin Gives Miles

Austin Gives Miles has two ways to get involved, as an Official Charity Partner or as a Charity Team. We’re proud to offer the option of how you want to participate in Austin Gives Miles. Our goal is to be as inclusive to every type of charity that has a desire to participate. Whether you are an Official Charity Partner or a Charity Team, here are the benefits all charities receive from Austin Gives Miles:

  • Free participation in the Austin Gives Miles Program
  • Access to charity pricing on race bibs with group billing options
  • Online fundraising website powered by GoFundMe by Crowdrise
  • Listing as an Austin Gives Miles Charity on the Austin Marathon website
  • Marketing materials and guidance from the Austin Gives Miles Charity Manager

Official Charity Partners

The Official Charity Partner program gives Central Texas charities the opportunity to combine efforts with the Austin Gives Miles program on a more committed level.  The Official Charity Partners commit to having at least 35 runners on their team and raise at least $15,000 for their mission. Official Charity Partners take an active role in volunteer recruitment. They’re assigned an aid station on race day or a shift that must be filled with 50-100 dedicated volunteers.  

Additional perks include listing in the registration path with the opportunity to have a fundraising page created at checkout, opportunity to take part in the Charity Chaser promotion, and eligibility for any matching gift funds received for the program.  

Charity Teams

We think Charity Teams are a great way to try out endurance fundraising without any risk. We welcome teams of all sizes to Austin. Charity Teams can participate without any goals. They’ll have access to the amazing benefits of the program without any of the requirements. Austin Gives Miles doesn’t charge a participation fee and you only pay for race bibs used by your Team. We welcome programs of all sizes, from large, national programs to small, local charities looking for a way to be active in the community.

Are you a charity interested in taking part in the 2020 Austin Gives Miles Program? If so, we ask that you fill out the charity application or contact Carly Samuelson, Austin Gives Miles Charity Manager at carly@highfiveevents.com or 301-602-2604. The application process opens on June 1st.

Lance Armstrong Still Raising Funds for Austin Gives Miles

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Armstrong continues raising funds for Austin Gives Miles

Lance Armstrong, Charity Chaser for Ascension Seton Austin Marathon’s Austin Gives Miles, continues raising funds for the event’s official charity program after race day. Armstrong’s involvement elevated Austin Marathon’s support of the Austin community, enhanced Austin Gives Miles’ profile, and helped the program surpass its $1 million fundraising goal. You can still support Austin Gives Miles and 28 Central Texas nonprofits by donating to Armstrong’s Charity Chaser page through Friday, March 15th.

“It was an honor to begin the Austin Marathon in last place and help Austin Gives Miles surpass their $1 million fundraising goal,” said Armstrong. “Austin holds a special place in my heart and I’m fortunate that this opportunity allowed me to positively impact so many amazing Central Texas nonprofits.”

As Charity Chaser, Armstrong finished the Austin Marathon in 3:02:13

Lance Armstrong was the final participant to cross the Austin Marathon start line. He earned money for 28 Central Texas nonprofits for every marathoner he passed. Armstrong began 22 minutes after the ringing of the start gong. He finished in 3:02:13 and passed all but 59 marathoners. Armstrong’s efforts have pushed Austin Gives Miles past their $1 million fundraising goal. Rewatch his podcast about preparing for the Austin Marathon and learn about his approach to being Charity Chaser.

“Lance has done a tremendous job in his role as Charity Chaser, taking the Austin Gives Miles program to another level,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “We’re proud to surpass the $1 million fundraising goal and are excited to see how much further it will increase.”

Armstrong is a philanthropist, cyclist, and an avid runner. He is founder and owner of WEDŪ, a content destination designed to provoke and equip people to embody an endurance lifestyle. Armstrong hosts two podcasts: The Forward, which features down to earth conversations between Armstrong and a myriad of personalities; and THEMOVE which offers listeners a rare, insider’s perspective on the world’s most iconic cycling races. WEDŪ also produces endurance cycling events Texas HŪNDRED and Aspen FIFTY.

The Austin Marathon will celebrate its 29th year running in the capital of Texas on Feb. 16, 2020. Austin’s flagship running event annually attracts runners from all 50 states and 35+ 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. Registration is currently open and best pricing ends on Thursday, Feb. 28th.

2019 Ascension Seton Austin Marathon Set for Epic Race Day

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The stage is set for Sunday, Feb. 17th, to be an epic race day

High Five Events is putting the final touches on what will be another memorable Ascension Seton Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour®. The world-class event has many highlights, including a 2:45 pace group for female elites to hit the Olympic Marathon Trials B standard, Lance Armstrong as the Austin Gives Miles Charity Chaser, a highly-competitive elite field, and the return of the FloSports livestream. Nearly 16,000 runners from all 50 states and 35 countries will run the 28th annual Austin Marathon on Sunday, Feb. 17th.

“Austin has such an amazing fitness community and we have a marathon that reflects that,” said Will Nation, member of the 2:45 pace group and 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier. “It’s my hope that I can assist talented individuals in achieving their goal of hitting an OTQ and demonstrate that the Austin Marathon is a race where you can do just that.”

The 2019 course is the same as when the Austin Marathon unveiled their new course in 2018. The course is designed to provide a better participant and spectator experience and allow enhanced traffic flow along the course, while still finishing with the picturesque Texas State Capitol as every runner’s backdrop. Race-day highlights include nuun performance at every aid station, two Gatorade nutrition stations, live music on course, athlete tracking, the infamous and energetic RunLab Bridge at Mile 7, and much more.

FloSports, a sports media based in Austin, Texas, will highlight the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon’s Elite Athlete Program by following the men’s and women’s elite leaders throughout the race. They will also have a camera capturing finishers as they cross the finish line. The 3-block-long finish line festival features the Under Armour recovery zone, the Oskar Blues Austin beer garden, live music, and several local food trucks. Austin’s own, Delivery Service, will rock two post-race sets. The two-day Austin Marathon expo will take place on Friday, Feb. 15th, and Saturday, Feb. 16th.

“Unveiling the new Austin Marathon course last year generated a lot of positive buzz, showcased Austin to runners from around the world, and propelled us to new heights in 2019,” said Stacy Keese, co-owner of High Five Events. “Working with amazing sponsors like Ascension Seton and Under Armour has allowed us to further enhance our customer’s experience, making race day one they’ll talk about for some time.”

The following is a sample of the athletes in the Elite Field competing for the $20,000 prize purse: Joey Whelan (2020 Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier), Anita Perez (2x Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier), Jameson Mora (2x Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier), Patrick Rizzo (4x Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier), Heather Lieberg (2020 Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier), Jocelyn Todd (2020 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier), Ryan Miller (2x Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier), Samantha Calderon (2020 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier).

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. Registration is open for all distances.

Austin Gives Miles: Where Miles and Meaning Meet

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Introducing Austin Gives Miles

It’s been reported that less than 1% of the world’s population has run a marathon, roughly seven million people (give or take). There’s an even smaller number of people who run marathons that need to be celebrated; those who run their race on behalf of a charity. Enter Austin Gives Miles, the Official Charity Program of the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour.

Austin Gives Miles gives runners from around the world the opportunity to give back to local and national nonprofits. This is accomplished by fundraising in conjunction with their race. Participants can raise funds while training for the marathon, half marathon, 5K, or Manzano Mile.

The concept isn’t unique to the running world. Charity endurance programs are a popular mechanism for charitable organizations to raise money for their causes. What is unique to Austin Gives Miles is that the program celebrates the local charities that make Austin great. Some of these Austin nonprofits rescue dogs, combat homelessness through running, and tackle cancer. Austin Gives Miles has a mission that will tug at your heartstrings and add even more meaning to your miles.

Lance Armstrong, Charity Chaser

The great part about Austin Gives Miles is that no fundraising effort is too small or large. Austin Gives Miles charities are proud, enthusiastic, and supportive of every runner that runs for their cause. Sure, large donations and lots of fundraising dollars are great, but Austin Gives Miles charities celebrate every runner, every connection, and every contribution to their mission. The program is even more exciting this year with the announcement that Lance Armstrong will run the 2019 Austin Marathon on behalf of Austin Gives Miles.

Lance is an Austinite, philanthropist, cyclist, and an avid runner. He is founder and owner of WEDŪ, a content destination designed to provoke and equip people to embody an endurance lifestyle. Lance is the 2019 Charity Chaser, a program started five years ago to raise awareness for Austin Gives Miles. This year, Lance will start the marathon in last place. He will raise money for every marathoner he passes on his 26.2-mile journey. The money raised will be evenly split between the local charities who work hard to make Austin Gives Miles a huge success.

If you are looking for a way to add even more meaning to your miles this February 17th, check out Austin Gives Miles. You can make a donation, support Lance, or raise funds for one of the 30 Austin charities.