Ascension seton austin marathon full#
Ascension seton austin marathon plus#

I liked that the course was a giant loop with no out-and-backs or repeats, but I stared at the ground the whole time and didn't get much out of it.

Ascension seton austin marathon plus#

On the plus side, there were water and electrolyte stations at almost every mile.

Ascension seton austin marathon full#

When they finally broke off and headed to the finish line, they got loads of fanfare, crowds & music and then the race basically evaporated after that as if the full marathoners didn't exist. They do not have their own course at all they run with you the entire first half so there is no escape. We ran an extra mile according to our watches just from all the zigzagging around the halfers. There were several groups running together that you have to maneuver around, they step in front of you and stop short and are completely oblivious to how much pain and fatigue their actions can cause full marathoners. I was constantly zigzagging around them and tripping over them. There were 10,000 of them and they were everywhere. The other problem with this race is all the half marathoners. They made a big deal of all the scenery you'll see on this run, but I was staring down the entire time trying to avoid all the holes. There are regular potholes and also manhole covers that are a few inches beneath street level thus creating a sort of pot/manhole. People stole the covers off almost every shut-off valve so there are scads of open pipes big enough to break an ankle in. The streets have a large cross slope so you're running unevenly the entire time and there are holes everywhere. (about: 2019)Īs other people have already stated, the course is constant hills, but the roads are terrible too. Good support, rough course, halfers galore. I ran this race more to have fun seeing Austin and listening to music the marathon was secondary. The expo had a lot of exhibitors and the food trucks at the finish were fantastic. The course isn't pretty or interesting as you're basically running through a city. There weren't many spectators, but the water stop volunteers were fabulous. I loved starting the marathon and the half together my sister ran the half and she and I were able to run the first 12 miles together. The few 5k runners that didn't realize the delay were on the wrong course and really had it rough. Since we started late, marathoners were still crossing the start line at that time. The 5k runners were supposed to go off 45 minutes after the original marathon start. Pretty sure they were unorganized or forgot to shut down part of the course. When runners asked why the delay on facebook, the posts got deleted. We started 40 minutes late due to traffic safety concerns. Late start very frustrating (about: 2020) Is someone from the company deleting negative comments? Lots of neat 'bling' but forgot the basics. Over a week later and still no finisher shirt. City of Austin is great the race organizers were not. Still an ambiguous answer for the late start - sounds like a spin on disorganization. Full and 1/2 medals almost indistinguishable. The energy immediately dropped after the first half, and the course didn't have full roads blocked off at that point. Overall I think this is a fun race worth doing!Īs many have said, the focus here is on the half.

The after party has live music and beverages if you choose to stick around. The food bag contained a granola bar, fruit cup with no spoon, and a bag of popcorn, so bring something with you since it's not much. The medals are beautiful and also belt buckles and they gave us Under Armour long sleeved finisher shirts. I didn't think the hills were too bad overall but in the last mile there is a huge uphill that despite my hillwork slowed me down so be prepared, but then you cruise downhill to the finish. There are many aid stations with ample opportunities for hydration or to grab a gel. Like a lot of combo races there are a lot of spectators for the half and at the finish but as not many in the second half. Once they break off, the course is rolling with some flatter stretches. There are more half marathoners so you are running together and the first half is very hilly. There were plenty of hotels in walking distance but prices are high so weigh your options. The race has a terrific website that gives plentiful information. They gave us shirts, mugs, hats, and a scarf in our swag bag. The Expo was very nice with a lot of vendors. The race overall was extremely well organized. I had a lot of fun exploring the city as there is a lot to see and do. I traveled from PA for my first time in Austin. I have run this marathon, and I want to add my comments about it.