Austin Marathon

Last updated
Austin Marathon
AS AustinMarathon FC Full LockUp cmyk.png
Austin Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5K
DateFebruary 16, 2025
Location Austin, Texas
Event type Road
Distance Marathon, half marathon, 5K
Established1992(33 years ago) (1992)
Official site www.youraustinmarathon.com
Participants2,766 finishers (marathon) (2022) [1]
Start line on Congress Ave., 2019 Austin Marathon 2019 Start.jpg
Start line on Congress Ave., 2019
Prerace ceremonial honors, 2014 Austin marathon 2014 color guard.jpg
Prerace ceremonial honors, 2014

The Austin Marathon (officially known as Ascension Seton Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour for sponsorship reasons) is an annual marathon held in Austin, Texas, since 1992. The race weekend also features a half marathon and a 5K run with a two-day expo taking place on Friday and Saturday. The 32nd annual event is scheduled to take place on February 18, 2024.

Contents

The race begins at 7:00 in the morning and features a highly competitive elite field. It is livestreamed by FloSports. Participants typically include runners from all 50 U.S. states and about 35 countries.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 edition of the Austin Marathon was postponed to April 25, 2021 and didn't include the marathon distance.

History

It was founded in 1991 by Motorola, who served as title sponsor for fifteen years. [2]

The 2021 edition of the marathon was cancelled, while the other races of the weekend were postponed to April 25, 2021, due to the coronavirus pandemic, with all registrants given the option of transferring their entry to the new date, or to 2022, 2023, or 2024. [3] [4] [5] To properly mark the event's 30th anniversary with a running of the full marathon, anniversary celebrations would be extended to 2022. [3]

Course

External image
Searchtool.svg Course map of full marathon in 2020 [6]
Starting area near the Capitol, 2014 Austin marathon 2014 capitol.jpg
Starting area near the Capitol, 2014
Runners entering downtown, 2019 Austin Marathon 2019 Downtown.jpg
Runners entering downtown, 2019

The Austin Marathon and Austin Half Marathon both start at 2nd St. and Congress Avenue. The course goes by Austin landmarks and areas, like downtown, the Colorado River, SoCo, historic Hyde Park, East Austin, and the University of Texas at Austin campus and tower. Bands perform live music along the race route in a tribute to Austin's label as The Live Music Capital of the World. The race ends near where it begins at 9th and Congress Ave. in front of the picturesque Texas State Capitol. [7] The course is USATF-certified.

The course that debuted in 2018 was 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. The first half of the Austin Marathon was not changed. After Mile 12, half marathoners head south to the finish line, while marathoners continue east before turning north and running on Guadalupe St. through the heart of the University of Texas campus.

Other races

In addition to the marathon held on Sunday, the Austin Marathon weekend features a free official shakeout run on Saturday morning since 2022 (previously Friday) at Fleet Feet Austin. Also on Sunday morning, the half marathon and KXAN SimpleHealth 5K benefitting Paramount Theatre start at the same location as the marathon on 2nd and Congress. The 5K starts 30–45 minutes later and is an out and back course while the marathon and half marathon finishes on 9th and Congress.

The event featured the Manzano Mile presented by Dole on the Saturday morning before the marathon in 2018-2020 taking place just outside the expo site on Riverside Drive. The 2021 race was scheduled to take place the same morning as the other races but later became a virtual race, where participants run the distance on their own schedule and submit their time online. A mile race did not take place during the 2022 marathon weekend.

Community impact

Austin Gives Miles, the marathon's official charity program, raised $702,500 in 2020. [8] The 25 Central Texas nonprofit organizations accepted into the program worked to exceed the program's fundraising goal while increasing awareness of their organization and recruiting race day volunteers. Since 2014, Austin Gives Miles has raised $3.8 million for Central Texas nonprofit organizations. In 2019, Moody Foundation became presenting sponsor for Austin Gives Miles. Since 2015, Austin Gives Miles has been a Moody Foundation grant recipient. During this time, their total contributions have reached $1.2 million.

The Austin Marathon injected $48.5 million into the Austin economy during the 2019 race weekend. [9] 2019's economic impact on the City of Austin is a $11 million (23 percent) increase from the 2018 event.

Sponsorship

Marathon founder Motorola served as the marathon's title sponsor for fifteen years. [2]

The marathon was sponsored by AT&T in 2007 and 2008, but ran with no title sponsor in 2009. [10] From 2010 to 2013, the race was called the LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon. Freescale returned as presenting sponsor in 2014 and 2015. NXP Semiconductors and Freescale completed their merger in December 2015, [11] with NXP becoming the presenting sponsor for 2016 and 2017. Under Armour was the presenting sponsor of the 2018 Austin Marathon, but had no title sponsor. In 2019, an agreement was reached naming Ascension Seton the title sponsor. Under Armour also returned as presenting sponsor for the 2019 Austin Marathon. KXAN-TV became title sponsor of the KXAN SimpleHealth 5K benefitting Paramount Theatre in 2019. Both Ascension Seton (title) and Under Armour (presenting) will return as sponsors for the 2022 Austin Marathon. KXAN will return as title sponsor for the 2022 KXAN SimpleHealth 5K.

Winners

Joseph Mutinda, seconds before victory in 2014, and months before disqualification for drug test failures Austin marathon 2014 winner.jpg
Joseph Mutinda, seconds before victory in 2014, and months before disqualification for drug test failures

Key:    Course record (in bold)

Ed.DateMale WinnerTimeFemale WinnerTimeRf.
11992.03.15Flag of Mexico.svg  Alberto Puente  (MEX)2:24:00Flag of the United States.svg  Kay Jones  (USA)3:13:13
21993.03.07Flag of the United States.svg  Brad Hawthorne  (USA)2:17:53Flag of the United States.svg  Lori Norwood  (USA)2:47:08
31994.03.06Flag of the United States.svg  Doug Kurtis  (USA)2:21:35Flag of Russia.svg  Irina Bondarchuk  (RUS)2:42:22
41995.03.05Flag of Mexico.svg  José Iniguez  (MEX)2:16:27Flag of the United States.svg  Andrea Bowman  (USA)2:40:19
51996.02.18Flag of Russia.svg  Dmitriy Kapitanov  (RUS)2:15:59Flag of Russia.svg  Svetlana Zakharova  (RUS)2:36:45
61997.02.16Flag of Russia.svg  Andrei Tarasov  (RUS)2:16:52Flag of Belarus.svg  Alla Doudayeva  (BLR)2:39:55
71998.02.15Flag of Morocco.svg  Abderrahim Benredouane  (MAR)2:16:45Flag of Russia.svg  Tamara Karlyakova  (RUS)2:37:55
81999.02.14Flag of Scotland.svg  Peter Fleming  (SCO)2:17:14Flag of Russia.svg  Lydia Grigoryeva  (RUS)2:35:38
92000.02.20Flag of Serbia and Montenegro (1992-2006).svg  Janko Benša  (FRY)2:14:18Flag of Russia.svg  Tatyana Titova  (RUS)2:34:03
102001.02.18Flag of Russia.svg  Mukhamet Nazipov  (RUS)2:11:14Flag of Russia.svg  Elena Paramonova  (RUS)2:32:56
112002.02.17Flag of Poland.svg  Andrzej Krzyścin  (POL)2:12:10Flag of England.svg  Marian Sutton  (ENG)2:31:43
122003.02.16Flag of Poland.svg  Andrzej Krzyścin  (POL)2:12:40Flag of Russia.svg  Sylvia Skvortsova  (RUS)2:37:22
132004.02.15Flag of Poland.svg  Andrzej Krzyścin  (POL)2:14:18Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg  Tatyana Borisova  (KGZ)2:30:40
142005.02.13Flag of Russia.svg  Mikhail Khobotov  (RUS)2:12:38Flag of Kyrgyzstan.svg  Tatyana Borisova  (KGZ)2:31:01
152006.02.19Flag of Lithuania.svg  Mindaugas Pukstas  (LTU)2:13:43Flag of Ukraine.svg  Tatyana Pozdnyakova  (UKR)2:34:23
162007.02.18Flag of Kenya.svg  Jynocel Basweti  (KEN)2:14:02Flag of Ethiopia (1996-2009).svg  Moges Zebenaye  (ETH)2:39:46
172008.02.17Flag of the United States.svg  Jacob Frey  (USA)2:20:38Flag of England.svg  Lucy Hassell  (ENG)2:36:26
182009.02.15Flag of the United States.svg  Jeremy Borling  (USA)2:30:05Flag of the United States.svg  Elle Pishny  (USA)2:52:32
192010.02.14Flag of the United States.svg Keith Pierce (USA)2:20:35Flag of the United States.svg  Elle Pishny  (USA)2:53:16
202011.02.20Flag of the United States.svg Keith Pierce (USA)2:29:25Flag of the United States.svg  Desiree Ficker  (USA)2:50:35
212012.02.19Flag of Kenya.svg  Edward Kiptum  (KEN)2:22:50Flag of the United States.svg  Shannon Bixler  (USA)3:02:28
222013.02.17Flag of the United States.svg  Omar Martinez  (USA)2:35:09Flag of the United States.svg  Mariko Neveu  (USA)2:55:04
232014.02.16Flag of Kenya.svg  Kipkoech Ruto  (KEN) [a] 2:14:45Flag of the United States.svg  Marnie Staehly  (USA)2:57:27 [13] [14] [15]
242015.02.15Flag of Kenya.svg  Betram Keter  (KEN)2:16:21Flag of Kenya.svg  Cynthia Jerop  (KEN)2:54:22
252016.02.14Flag of Japan.svg  Hayato Sonodo  (JPN)2:23:30Flag of the United States.svg  Chandi Moore  (USA)3:02:39
262017.02.19Flag of the United States.svg  Joe Thorne  (USA)2:32:05Flag of the United States.svg  Allison Macsas  (USA)2:48:16
272018.02.18Flag of the United States.svg Joey Whelan (USA)2:21:37Flag of the United States.svg  Allison Macsas  (USA)2:43:11
282019.02.17Flag of the United States.svg Joey Whelan (USA)2:17:03Flag of the United States.svg  Heather Lieberg  (USA)2:42:27
292020.02.16Flag of the United States.svg William Bertrand (USA)2:28:11Flag of the United States.svg Sarah Jackson (USA)2:55:16 [16] [17]
2021cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic

[18]

302022.02.20Flag of Kenya.svg  Sammy Rotich  (KEN)2:14:24Flag of the United States.svg  Kelsey Bruce  (USA)2:35:17 [19]
312023.02.19Flag of Kenya.svg George Onyancha (KEN)2:16:32Flag of Ethiopia.svg Damaris Areba (ETH)2:36:48 [20]
322024.02.18Flag of Kenya.svg George Onyancha (KEN)2:19:07Flag of Ethiopia.svg Damaris Areba (ETH)2:38:52 [21]
332025.02.16Flag of Zimbabwe.svg Bradley Makuvire (ZWE)2:18:56Flag of Kenya.svg Janet Rono (KEN)2:41:04 [22]

Notes

  1. Joseph Mutinda of Kenya crossed the finish line first in 2:14:16, but was later disqualified for doping. [13] [12]

References

  1. "MCT: Marathon Results 2022". 2022-02-20.
  2. 1 2 "Freescale drops marathon sponsorship". 2006-03-11. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  3. 1 2 "Austin Marathon COVID-19 Plan » Austin Marathon". Austin Marathon. Archived from the original on 2020-11-20. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  4. "High Five Events Postpones Austin Marathon, Cancels 3M Half Marathon". 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-11-20.
  5. "Austin Marathon postponed, 3M Half Marathon for 2021 canceled". 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-11-20.
  6. "Course & Amenities". Archived from the original on 2020-03-19.
  7. "Course & Amenities". Austin Marathon. Archived from the original on 2025-07-21. Retrieved 2025-08-15.
  8. Dyson (2020-05-11). "2020 Austin Gives Miles Raises More than $700,00 for Nonprofits". Austin Marathon. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  9. Admin, Support (2019-09-23). "Ascension Seton Austin Marathon Injects $48.5 Million into Austin Economy". Austin Marathon. Retrieved 2020-08-10.
  10. Monti, David (2006-08-17). "Athletics: Austin Marathon Lands AT&T Texas As Title Sponsor". Race Results Weekly. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
  11. "NXP Semiconductors :: Financial Press Releases". investors.nxp.com. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
  12. 1 2 Mutinda, winner of 2014 Austin Marathon, sanctioned by USADA statesman.com 25 March 2015
  13. 1 2 "Results of 2014 Austin Marathon updated after winner Joseph Mutinda admits to doping - Entertainment - Austin 360 - Austin, TX". www.austin360.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  14. https://web.archive.org/web/20201120163503/https://www.worldathletics.org/athletes/-/14436539
  15. "San Antonio's Staehly tops women's field at Austin Marathon - Sports - Austin American-Statesman - Austin, TX". www.statesman.com. Archived from the original on 20 November 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  16. "Second time's a charm for Bertrand in Austin Marathon". Archived from the original on 2020-09-29.
  17. "Front-runner's loss was Jackson's gain in Marathon women's race". Archived from the original on 2020-09-26.
  18. "Austin Marathon postponed, 3M Half Marathon cancelled". November 18, 2020.
  19. "Here are the winners of the 2022 Austin Marathon". February 20, 2022.
  20. "Here are the winners of the 2023 Austin Marathon". February 19, 2023.
  21. "MCT: Austin Marathon 2024". mychiptime.com. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  22. "Austin Marathon: Makuvire Wins a Tactical Race, Rono solos to Victory". Ready To Run TX. 2025-02-17. Retrieved 2025-08-15.