Tag Archive for: half marathon

Austin Marathon Adds Qualcomm as a Sponsor in 2018

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High Five Events introduces Qualcomm Incorporated as a sponsor of 2018 Austin Marathon®. Qualcomm’s support will consist of an aid station for all race participants and hosting a Qualcomm team tent at the finish line festival. Qualcomm Incorporated will also make a $15,000 contribution to Austin Gives Miles, the official charity program of the Austin Marathon.

“Qualcomm’s sponsorship will impact race weekend, support thousands of participants, and positively affect Central Texas charities,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events.

Qualcomm powered the smartphone revolution, pioneered 3G and 4G, connected billions of people, and is now leading the way to 5G and a new era of intelligent, connected devices. Since 2000, more than $335 million combined cash donations have been made to philanthropic organizations by Qualcomm Incorporated and Qualcomm Foundation. During the Austin Marathon, Qualcomm will support up to 15,000 participants through an aid station and will be represented by a team of employees and their families and friends. Qualcomm’s contribution to Austin Gives Miles will positively support the missions of Central Texas nonprofit organizations.

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. Participants can register for the marathon, half marathon, or 5K.

An Athlete’s Perspective – Issue 11

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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.

From Australia to Austin

By: Mike Marshall

The Marshall family.

I live in Brisbane, Queensland Australia. I’m married to Kylie and am the father of 2 boys, Zach 9 and Jake 6. We are now four weeks away from racing in the Austin Marathon and 5K race. How we got to this point started about 12 months ago I decided that in 2017 I wanted to set a goal to run some marathons and see exactly what I could achieve with a targeted focus.

My background in sports had been “on pause” for the past 12 years while we started the family and may have extended a bit too long as I “enjoyed the life” of excess and “normality” (ie not getting up at 0400 and being constantly tired, sore and irritable like all hard training endurance athletes). I had never really specifically trained and “run” a marathon, I had completed a bunch as part of training but these were always part of a “bigger IRONMAN picture” so I was not fully focused, trained, or tapered during these races and I suppose that’s what lead to the goal.

This goal seemed to fit well with the family as they all showed interest in getting involved. We decided that the “main event” of the year would be the Honolulu Marathon in December followed by a Hawaiian Christmas vacation (sounded perfect end to a year of hard work).

I set about training utilizing the Under Armour Connected Fitness Apps, Map My Fitness, Record, and My Fitness Pal to monitor, review, and hold me accountable throughout the process After so much time away from training I was substantially “well-conditioned” (read: overweight).

Mike and his boys, who’ll run the Austin Marathon 5K.

As the year progressed I started to see some improvements in both running and the weight front, racing a half marathon in May and a marathon in July where I managed to record the same time I ran 12 years prior despite an epic “blow up” at about the 33K mark.

From July onwards the focus was solely on Honolulu. As the last 11 weeks approached I saw on the Map My Fitness App a challenge for the month of October: The Under Armour Australia “Reward your Run” Challenge. The concept was pretty simple, most KM in 28 days, two sessions per day, min 20 mins per session, max four hrs. The major prize for Australian residents was a trip for 2 to the Austin Marathon in 2018 and for those in places 2-100 a pair of shoes. I figured I would enter the challenge to help “keep me focused” on the training for the marathon and given the volume I was running figured I might end up winning a pair of shoes if I was lucky. I got off to a slow start in the challenge as I was away and missed the first day (as it was my rest day following my long run the day before) and I was planning on racing the approaching weekend. At the completion of the first week of the challenge I found myself in about 5th position and looking at what I had done and the gaps figured I might be able to do a bit better than what I thought. Pretty soon I found myself focusing on achieving the most KM per day so I could to “Get to Austin.” The KM increased and the fatigue set in. My family were a huge support to me throughout the challenge and we were trying not to “Dare to Dream of Austin Marathon.”

#IWill

At the conclusion of the challenge I had racked up 878 KM and was declared the winner. We now found ourselves Austin bound in 2018. This challenge helped me prepare well for a good performance in Honolulu in December 2017, but also gave me something further to focus on heading forward. With Honolulu ticked off, the work is truly underway with the goals set for the Austin Marathon.

Glad to say that thanks to the Under Armour Australia “Reward your Run” Challenge not only will I get the opportunity to race the Austin Marathon, but my wife and boys will also race in the Austin Marathon 5K. Needless to say, we are all super excited to get this opportunity to go halfway around the world to race and experience a city like Austin.

The reality of racing in Austin is what is motivating us all to prepare and train hard for which I expect is the whole point of the event being held. The Austin Marathon event seems to be comprehensive in bringing in a complete experience of the city and state which is super exciting for an Australian family. Would love to hear the suggestions for post-race meals, parties, and experiences so we can capitalize on this opportunity at the Austin Marathon thanks to Under Armour Australia.

If you see me out there say “Gday,” if I am not too out of breath you will probably get a “Hey Mate” back.

Dole Packaged Foods Added as Sponsor for Austin Marathon

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High Five Events, one of the largest privately owned event production companies in the United States, introduces Dole Packaged Foods LLC as a sponsor for the 3M Half Marathon and the Austin Marathon. DOLE® will provide a variety of their Dole Fruit Bowls in Coconut Water for finishers of both events. The 3M Half Marathon will take place on Jan. 21st and the Austin Marathon® will take place on Feb. 18th.

“We are thrilled to be a sponsor of these prestigious events and know the participants will enjoy our healthy products when they cross the finish line”, said Stan Stuka, Senior Marketing Director, Dole Packaged Foods. “At DOLE we are committed to providing nutritious, convenient products that fit in to today’s healthy lifestyles.”

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. Participants can register for the marathon, half marathon, or 5K.

“Having Dole and their reputation as a world leader in the healthy eating space return as sponsor is a huge addition for the 3M Half Marathon and the Austin Marathon,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “Their support of runners around the world will be on full display when more than 25,000 participants take to the streets of Austin.”

The 3M Half Marathon boasts one of the fastest 13.1-mile courses in the country and will celebrate its 24th year running in 2018. Runners will enjoy a point-to-point course with mostly downhill running that showcases some of Austin’s finest locations. Starting in north Austin and finishing near the Texas State Capitol, runners will appreciate a 306’ net elevation drop. Participants can register on the website.

Austin Marathon Announces Sixth Round of Accepted Elite Runners

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High Five Events introduces the sixth 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.

sixth round

Zachary Ornelas at 2017 Boston Marathon (2:24:40).

The sixth round of 2018 marathoners include:

  • Bryan Morseman – Elite Athlete Program (2nd place at 2017 Run for the Red Marathon – 2:22:08)
  • Girma Segni – Elite Athlete Program (ran 2:23:51 at 2017 New York City Marathon)
  • Wendes Gray – Elite Field (ran 1:31:47 at 2016 Holiday Half Marathon)
  • Alex Kramer – Elite Field (ran 1:13:48 at 2017 Cambridge Half Marathon)
  • Mitchell Germann – Elite Field (2nd place at 2017 Decker Challenge – 1:17:10)
  • Zachary Ornelas – Elite Field (ran 2:24:40 at 2017 Boston Marathon)

The sixth round of 2018 half marathoners include:

  • Luke Humphrey – Elite Athlete Program (2008, 2012, 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier)
  • Sabrina Lopez – Elite Athlete Program (ran 2:41:16 at 2017 California International Marathon)
  • Samantha Roecker – Elite Athlete Program (2nd place female at 2017 Hartford Marathon – 2:38:14)
  • Nicole Aish –  – Elite Field (2nd place at 2017 Virginia Beach Half Marathon – 1:19:46)
  • Crystal Kent – Elite Field (3rd place at 2017 San Antonio Marathon – 3:15:30)
  • Anthony Holshouser – Elite Field (2nd place at 2017 Route 66 Half Marathon – 1:14:11)
  • Kaitlyn Johnson – Elite Field (ran 1:20:10 at 2017 3M Half Marathon)
  • Natasha Van der Merwe – Elite Field (2017 Decker Challenge female Champion – 1:26:27)
  • Brittni Hutton – Elite Field (ran 35:20 at 2017 Portland Track Festival 10K)
  • Hernan Rozemberg – Elite Field (ran 1:16:09 at 2017 3M Half Marathon)
  • Braden Perry – Elite Field (ran collegiately at Weber State University)

“I am excited to return to Austin for the Austin Half Marathon,” said Humphrey, who has been a member of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project since 2004. “I am using the Austin Half Marathon to test my fitness after coming back from a fall marathon. This is the perfect race for me to compete and challenge in the lead group!”

Read about the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth rounds of accepted elite runners. Including today, the marathon has accepted a total of 15 runners into the Elite Athlete Program and 23 others have been invited to participate in the Elite Field. The half marathon has accepted 16 runners into the Elite Athlete Program and 25 others have been invited to participate in the Elite Field. 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.