Finish line festival to feature new Austin based independent beer brand

High Five Events, one of the largest privately owned event production companies in the United States, pens sponsorship deal with EIGHT Beer making it the Official Beer of the 3M Half Marathon.  This inaugural agreement means that EIGHT, an Austin-based company, will feature its low-calorie, low-carb light lager at the finish line festival’s beer garden and VIP for finishers aged 21 and up.  The 29th annual 3M Half Marathon takes place in Austin, Texas on January 22, 2023.

“The EIGHT team is thrilled to join runners in the streets of Austin celebrating one of the most fun and fastest half marathons in the country,” said Sophia D’Angelo, Director of Experiential Marketing. “Together with High Five Events we look forward to being a part of an incredible runner experience at the 3M Half Marathon.”

EIGHT, founded by NFL legend and lifelong fitness enthusiast Troy Aikman is a light lager brewed with organic grains and no added adjuncts, fillers, or preservatives, 90 calories and 2.6g carbs per 12oz serving.  EIGHT will be available to finishers and spectators in the EIGHT Beer Garden at the finish line festival for the 3M Half Marathon. The EIGHT Beer Garden will provide runners and their friends and family a place to gather, relax and enjoy a cold EIGHT post-race.  EIGHT yard games and EIGHT branded swag will also be available in the post-race festivities.

“As Austin-based entrepreneurs whose very purpose is to celebrate the chase of greatness, the team at  EIGHT is the perfect partner for us at the 3M half marathon,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “We look forward to many PR cheers in the EIGHT Beer Garden with all the runners on race day.”

The 3M Half Marathon boasts one of the fastest 13.1-mile courses in the country. Runners enjoy a point-to-point course with mostly downhill running that showcases some of Austin’s finest locations. Starting in north Austin and finishing near the Texas State Capitol, runners will appreciate a 306’ net elevation drop. Participants can register on the website.

About EIGHT: NO SHORTCUTS. NO EXCUSES. EIGHT Elite Light Lager is a beer brewed for those who never settle. Founded by NFL legend and lifelong fitness enthusiast Troy Aikman, EIGHT is a clean, refreshing lager brewed with organic grains and no added adjuncts, fillers, or preservatives. Because we do one thing is how we do everything-whatever you’re after; cheers to the chase. Proudly based in Austin, TX, with a mission beyond the bar, EIGHT is committed to giving back 1% of all revenue to Texas-based causes that work tirelessly to make healthy living accessible to All.  Follow EIGHT @drinkEIGHTbeer on Instagram

These 2023 expo highlights showcase the must-visit booths

The 3M Half Marathon Expo & Packet Pick Up takes place on January 20th-21st at the Palmer Event Center! The expo is a chance for participants to visit our sponsors and partners and check out what they have to offer.

You can meet the official pacers and shop Run Austin gear from Fleet Feet. There are tons of prizes, giveaways, and discounts. Who knows, there might even be a few surprises for some lucky folks! Image of the Post-it Wall from the 2019 3M Half Marathon expo covered in messages of support and inspiration. The Post-it Wall will be a 2020 expo highlight.

3M Post-it Lounge

Visit the ever-popular 3M Post-it Lounge and add your message to our giant post-it wall. Leave a message of inspiration for a loved one or all participants. Or just sit back and relax before you go another round about the expo. Kids can even join in on the fun with our photo booth.

Photo booths

There will be several fun photo opportunities set up throughout the expo including our GIF photo booth, a larger than life-size version of this year’s finisher medal, course maps, and more. Visit them all!

A 3M Half Marathon Ambassador takes a photo of two runners and the oversized 2019 3M Half Marathon medal at the 2019 3M Half Marathon expo. Take your photo with a giant 2020 3M Half Marathon medal, one of the many 2020 expo highlights.

Don’t forget to tag us on social @3MHalfMarathon and #DownhilltoDowntown.

Austin Marathon

Visit the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon and chat with their Ambassadors about race day! Thinking about registering for the Austin Marathon, Half Marathon, or KXAN Simple Health 5K? Register at their booth and take advantage of their expo deals. You can even walk away with some cool swag! BONUS: take a picture in front of their sweet Austin backdrop!

30th Anniversary 3M Half Marathon Booth

Right when you exit packet pick up head to our 2024 Booth! We will have special $79 Expo only pricing + Under Armour In training shirts!

Fleet Feet Austin

Visit our friends at Fleet Feet Austin and snag some gear to get you to the start line and beyond. They will have some Run Austin gear but it is limited so get there as soon as you can. They’ll also have hydration and nutrition for your last-minute needs.

Twenty-Six Two Marathon Club

If this is your first half marathon or you’re chasing your 13.1-mile PR, visit these folks! Meet the runners who will pace you to the finish line! These pacers are veterans and know what they’re doing. Swing by their booth, chat about race day and get your last-minute questions answered.

Ascension Seton CapTex Tri

Add a little variety to your running by trying out a triathlon! CapTex Tri is Austin’s only downtown triathlon and features 3 distances including the beginner-friendly Rookie Tri Distance. Or get your friends involved, make it a team effort, and sign for a relay.

Card.io

Join the 3M Half Marathon team as we take over the streets of Austin! This fun new app will have you looking forward to adding more miles to your schedule and finding new fun places to run in Austin.

Texas Drain Specialist 

Chat with Julian and his team while you make special cheer signs. As an official sponsor of 3M Half Marathon, Texas Drain Specialist is there for you on and off the course. They even have a team you can join that includes free group workouts!

Visit these other booths

Evamor

GU Energy Gels

HEB

Sandcastle Seasonings

Austin Gamblers PBR Team

Card.io

NUFF

Kerrville Triathlon

Texas Drain Specialist

Nuun Hydration

SPIbelt

Race Essentials

Smith Chiropractic

MedSense

ePulse

Lifespring

Little Guys Moving

Austin Massage Company

The Original Worm

Camp Gladiator

Tejas Trails

Cap10K

 

The weeks leading up to your upcoming race can be some of the most exciting and nerve-wracking days of the year, as you watch all your hard training come down to one day. But don’t forget about those few weeks before that—known as taper time! This is a key part in achieving maximum performance on race day and it’s absolutely essential to get everything right during these final few weeks. That’s why we’ve compiled 6 essential tips for tapering during this crucial period and setting achievable goals for race day success. We’ll help keep you motivated through this last stretch so that when it comes time to hit the starting line, you can do your personal best with full confidence and support.

So, let’s dig into our expert advice and give yourself every possible advantage – read on!

6 Tips to Get you through Taper

Taper is a time to rest and recover from the hard work you’ve put in. It can be tough to scale back on your running after so much time dedicated to training, but it’s necessary for race day success. Stick with us as we go over 6 taper tips that will help you stay focused and ready for race day.

  1. No new workouts – now is not the best time to roll your ankle playing basketball or pull a muscle lifting heavy weights. It is ok to go for easy short runs or cross-training but now is not the time to put in hard miles or long runs.
  2. Stay hydrated – Drink plenty of water throughout the week leading up to race day so you aren’t dehydrated come race morning
  3. Get enough sleep – Your body needs rest in order to recover and be primed for completing a half marathon
  4. Fuel properly and eat healthy – Fueling yourself properly is key during this last week before race day. This means before and on the course, check out our nutrition guide. 
  5. Relax – Take some downtime, enjoy life outside of running, spend quality time with friends or family members who support you, listen to music or read a book… whatever relaxes you most!
  6. Get mentally prepared for race day – Set your race day goals and get your mind in a positive and supportive space to push you through. We cover this more below.

Setting Your Race Day Goals

Taper time is the perfect time to step back and assess your goals for race day. Your training is complete and you now know where you stand in terms of being prepared and any setbacks that you are facing. Setting these goals can hold you accountable, be motivating, and build confidence. Here is one of our favorite strategies for goal setting that can lead you to success, the “ABC’s of Goal Setting”.

Set an “A” Goal.

Your “A” goal is one that may seem beyond what you can achieve or highly unlikely unless things go perfectly. If you can stay focused on your “A” goal, this can give you all the motivation you need to do all the small things along the way that ultimately leads you to achieve it. “A” goals can also be overwhelming and cause people to give up because they seem impossible at times. This is why “B”, and “C” goals are important.

Example: I want to run a personal best by 10 minutes

Example: I want to finish in the top 10 of my age group.

Setting “B” Goals

Your “B” goal is a goal that you would be happy to achieve and you are pretty certain if you put in the work, you will reach it. “B” goals are good to share with others to give you some outside accountability. Reaching “B” goals are also what you need to achieve to keep you working towards your “A” goal. The idea is for all your smaller achievements to build into larger achievements.

Example: I want to run at least one negative split

Example: I want to Stick to my nutrition plan

Setting “C” Goals

Setting Goals C goals“C” goals are the lower-hanging fruit that gives you your daily motivation, keeps you on task, and builds your confidence to reach higher goals. Your “C” goals are built into your daily routine and without accomplishing these, there is no way to achieve the others.

Example: I want to run the whole distance without walking

Example: I want to get an awesome finisher photo, so I’m going to remember to smile

Example: I want to just complete the race and get my finisher medal.

Pro Tips for Setting Race Day Goals:

  • Set realistic goals: Be realistic about where you are currently at and start setting your goals from there.
  • Set goals that build on each other: Make sure you are thinking strategically about how achieving some of your lower goals will allow you to reach the higher ones.
  • Adjust your lower goals: Adjusting your lower goals are important because life throws you curveballs sometimes and it is key to experiencing success in your daily, weekly, and monthly routines. Without these successes, you will become frustrated and give up.
  • Reward: Last but not least, set up a little reward system for yourself. There is enough negative reinforcement tied to not reaching your goals, but in general, you need positive reinforcement to make the process enjoyable.
  • To reach goals you also have to sacrifice. It is OK to reward yourself with small amounts of things you are giving up to achieve your goals.

Taking time off for a “proper taper” and setting goals can help make this last stage of training more enjoyable and productive. Spend some time off to reflect on how far you have come during your training process so that you can set even higher goals for race day! Whether it be an end goal like finishing first or making sure not to walk the next 5k, we hope these suggestions will prove helpful as you prepare yourself mentally and physically for what lies ahead.

What are your top three goals going into the final days before race day? We want to hear from you! Post a story on Instagram and be sure to tag us @3MHalfMarathon.