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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.

PROfile: Samantha Calderon, 2019 Austin Half Marathon Elite Athlete Program

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Samantha Calderon will compete against a stacked Austin Half Marathon field

Samantha Calderon has been accepted to the Austin Half Marathon’s Elite Athlete Program. She will compete against other top runners for a prize purse that totals $26,000 on Feb. 17, 2019. Earlier this year, Calderon qualified for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials. She currently trains in Colorado and has a bright future ahead of her! Run with her on race day, cheer her on, or watch the FloTrack live stream on race day from anywhere in the world.

About Samantha Calderon

Marathon PR (2:44:44).Samantha Calderon: Austin Half Marathon Elite Athlete Program My name is Samantha Calderon. I am from Minnesota, where I ran track and cross country at St. Cloud State. I now live in Boulder, Colorado, with my husband Julian, and my dog Chardonnay. I run for Run Boulder AC with Coach Kathy Butler. In January of 2018, I qualified for my first Olympic Trials! I’m excited to keep grinding and see where this sport takes me! I was 3x NCAA All-American. I love cooking, baking, reading, and of course running! Qualified for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials at the 2018 Houston Marathon (2:44:44)

Training tip: Do the work. Sometimes training gets hard and you don’t want to do it. Show up every day and get through the workout, whether it’s great or not. You’ll add money to the training bank and it will show dividends.

Race day tip: Don’t do anything different. Eat the same thing that worked in training. Wear the same outfit you wore in your toughest workouts. Most importantly: smile and remember why you love to run!

Follow Samantha on Twitter and Instagram.

Austin Marathon Announces Second Round of Elite Runners

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Second round of elite runners will compete during race weekend for a prize purse that totals $26,000

High Five Events is excited to announce the second round of elite runners for the 2019 Ascension Seton Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour®. Runners not accepted into the Elite Athlete Program are still invited to run in the Elite Field. Returning for its third year in a row, this opportunity creates a competitive field of elite male and female runners while discovering emerging talent, pushing the entire talent pool to reach Olympic standards. The Program’s Year Three prize purse totals $26,000. FloTrack’s live coverage highlights the competition amongst the elites, following male and female marathoners and half marathoners.

“I am excited to run as an elite in the Austin Half Marathon,” said Samantha Calderon, 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier. “I have heard amazing things about this race and have already had a great experience with the staff. Can’t wait to get out there and compete on the streets of Austin!”

The second round of 2019 marathoners include:

Anita Perez at the 2018 3M Half Marathon.

  • Will Christian – Elite Athlete Program (2018 Newport News One City Marathon – 2:22:05)
  • Anita Perez – Elite Athlete Program (2020 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier)
  • Michael Ellenberger – Elite Field (2:33:03 at 2017 Boston Marathon)

The second round of 2019 half marathoners include:

  • Samantha Calderon – Elite Athlete Program (2020 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier)
  • Brendan Martin – Elite Athlete Program (2020 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier)
  • Daniella Moreno – Elite Field (1:17:19 at 2016 Mountains to Beach Half Marathon)
  • Tere Zacher – Elite Field (Mexican alternate for the marathon at 2016 Olympics)

The second round of 2019 Manzano Mile presented by Dole® participants include:

Daniel Herrera, defending Manzano Mile champion, is in the second round of elite runners.

Daniel Herrera, defending Manzano Mile champ.

  • Daniel Herrera – Elite Field (2018 Manzano Mile Champ – 4:11.35)
  • Francine Nzilampa – Elite Field (5:13.81 at 2018 Manzano Mile)
  • Jarrett Walbolt – Elite Field (4:34.13 at 2017 Zimmer Indoor Classic)

The prize purse breakdown follows: $15,000 for the marathon, $5,000 for the half marathon, and $6,000 for the Manzano Mile presented by Dole. Applications are arriving daily and more than 100 have already been submitted. Read about the first round of accepted elite runners. We will announce the third round of elite runners in a few weeks. Applications are still being accepted and elite marathoners 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 2019 Austin Marathon or half marathon, reimbursement eligibility, and standards bonuses.