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Texas > 3M Half Marathon & Relay
Austin, TX
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Date
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Event
Details
Nearly 5,000 runners ran this long, straight and mostly downhill
race through the streets and neighborhoods of the capital of Texas last
year, as Austin's 3M Half Marathon & Relay celebrated its 15th
annual running in January 2009. Though it's definitely a hilly race,
most of the hills are downhill in this point-to-point event, which
descends from a
peak elevation of nearly 900 feet above sea level near the start of the
race to a low of just above 500 feet at the finish line.
Fast and scenic, the course for the 3M race starts in the northern part
of the city on Stonelake Boulevard, near the Baby Acapulco Restaurant
& Cantina. From there, the course winds around Braker Lane,
Highway 183, Jollyville Road and Mesa Drive, taking runners past local
sights like the Austin Arboretum and the Stack Valley Greenbelt. In the
early going of the first few miles, the course is hilly but stays
mostly at the same elevation, before reaching its first sharp drop just
after the mile 4 marker on Spicewood Springs Road.
After the fourth mile, the course begins a steep downhill along
Spicewood Springs, West Anderson Lane and a turn around Foster Lane and
McElroy Drive. After a brief stretch along Northcross Drive, runners
next turn right (south) onto Burnet Road, for a long straightaway that
takes them toward the University of Texas campus. This is the middle
stretch of the race -- through mile markers 6, 7 and 8 -- and is marked
by a few hills along the way, but otherwise a fairly flat, even course.
When runners reach the mid-way point between miles 8 and 9, they begin
another steep downhill, turning onto Northloop Boulevard.
This stretch brings runners to the final third of the 13.1-mile route,
as miles 9 and 10 watch the field turn from Northloop south onto Duval
Street, for
the final straightaway run toward the University campus and along San
Jacinto Boulevard, which runs right through campus. The
last four miles feature a steep drop of roughly 200 feet in elevation,
and the picturesque UT campus, as they take runners past Darrell K.
Royal Stadium and along Trinity Street for the finish at Waterloo Park.
The race also features a half-marathon relay event for two-person
teams, with legs of 6.4 and 6.7 miles that exchange near Austin's
Northcross Mall, as well as a non-competitive "fun run" for kids. All
three events give participants
ample view of the full spectrum of what the city has to offer along the
course -- a mix of funky urban neighborhoods, the unique downtown
Austin area and the University of Texas, whose main tower in the center
of campus looks out over the entire city.
Race
Weather & Climate
The wintertime in southern central Texas brings a mixture of mild to
moderately cool weather conditions to the Austin area, with relatively
low precipitation.
In January, average area temperatures range between 60°F and
40°F, while precipitation amounts average around 1.89 inches
for the month.
Fees
$60 for the half marathon, if registered by December 31, 2009
$70 after Dec. 31
$90 on the day of the race
Registration
To reserve your spot in the winter 2010 running of Austin's 3M Half
Marathon
& Relay, register online at MarathonGuide.com.
Website
solutions.3m.com
Course Map
Share
Your Race Story
Ever run in Austin's annual 3M Half Marathon or Relay race? Share
your impressions and read fellow runners' stories and tips for the
event.
Post your comments in Runner Reviews for the 3M Half Marathon
& Relay
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