Organized and run by Texas’s Austin Runners Club, the Decker Challenge Half Marathon makes its 45th annual running this year, along an out-and-back loop course that takes runners on a hilly route through the South Texas countryside, from the start and finish line areas at the Travis County Expo Center all the way around Decker Lake and back.
Run on paved surfaces throughout the course, the race features views of the scenic lake for virtually the entire way around, and finishes back at the expo center starting area.
From the Expo Center, runners head out along Decker Lake Road for a brief stretch and then onto Decker Lane, where they make a sharp right turn and head northeast along the road.
During the first mile, runners hit a few small hills and then begin to hit the rolling hills of the race’s early stretch along Decker Lane, as well as strong winds that often blow along this stretch of the course. And while the hills in this part of the race are relatively long, they are also gradual and not too taxing.
As runners make their way from the mile 3 to the mile 4 marker, they make the turn from Decker Lane onto Lindell Lane, the scenery changes from the wide-open highway feel of Decker Lane to more tree-lined and scenic stretches along Lindell — also, thankfully for the runners, the winds typically die down by the time you reach this point in the race.
