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Georgia > Augusta Half Marathon & 10K
Augusta, GA • Sunday, February 24, 2013 • Course Map • Race Photos
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The home of golf's annual springtime Masters Tournament hosts the fifth annual running of its 13.1-mile road race in the late winter of 2013 with a course that takes runners on a course through some of the Garden City's most scenic areas, showing off its wide, tree-lined streets, the architecture of its restored and revitalized downtown areas and its authentic Southern charm.
(Though the first Augusta Half Marathon was run in 2008, organizers did not stage a race in 2011; instead they moved the race from October to February and postponed what would have been last fall's race to February 2012.)
Runners start the out-and-back course for the race at Augusta's Enterprise Mill, a former Graniteville Company mill building along the Augusta Canal that has in recent years been converted into residential loft and commercial office space as part of the city's ongoing revitalization of downtown. From there, the course heads first along two of downtown Augusta's main streets, along a roughly two-mile out-and-back stretch along Broad and Green Streets.
The course then brings runners back toward the mill and then onto St. Sebastian Way, which they'll follow for a little less than half a mile before turning right onto Walton Way, which leads runners through commercial districts and into the part of the city known as Summerville, giving way to beautiful, large residential homes -- many of which are many decades old -- lining the street. This section also features a long, steady, gradual uphill however, so it's a blessing to have plenty of postcard-perfect scenery to distract during the long, gradual climb.
The stretch along Walton Way lasts for about three miles before turning runners right onto Highland Avenue, which shows off much of what Augusta is known for to anyone who's visited the city for the Masters -- majestic homes that sit at the end of large, lush green lawns dotted with magnolia and Georgia pine trees reaching toward the sky. The stretch along Highland leads to Berckmans Road and some significant hills -- first a long, steady downhill followed by a fairly steep uphill along Berckmans, which leads right up to the fences and parking lot areas of Augusta National Golf Club.
If you're a golf fan, it's likely that you may (almost) forget you're running a 13.1-mile race on the stretch through this area, though it will help that you're more than half-way through the course at this point, which is followed by a run through the neighborhoods around Lake Olmstead, where you can also see the baseball stadium that's the home of the Class A-level Augusta Greenjackets minor league baseball team.
After runners make their way around Lake Olmstead, they hit the home stretch of the race, a section that takes them back onto Broad Street, which leads back into downtown and then back to the race finish line at Enterprise Mill. The scheduled starting time for the race is 8:00 AM, and runners will have three hours to complete the course.
Race Weather & Climate
Located along the waters of the Savannah River, which marks the border between Georgia and South Carolina, Augusta typically sees February temperatures that average between 61°F and 36°F, while precipitation amounts average just over 4.1 inches for the month. On the day of the race (Feb. 24), the average high is 64°F and the average low is 37°F.
Course Map
View the race route map for the Augusta Half Marathon
Fees
$50 for the half marathon, if registered by January 8, 2013
$55 between Jan. 9 - February 8
$60 between Feb. 9 - 19
$80 at the race packet pickup on Feb. 23
Registration
To reserve your spot in the late winter 2013 running of the Augusta Half Marathon or 10K race, register online at Active.com.
Official Race Website
www.augustahalf.org
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