Get to Know Austin via the 3M Half Marathon Course – Part I

Explore Miles 1-6 of the 3M Half Marathon course and get to know Austin better

You can’t run a few miles in Austin without passing a delicious restaurant or unique location. This is evident along Miles 1-6 of the 3M Half Marathon course. We highlight some of our favorite on-course spots, including Oskar Blues Brewery, our Official Beer sponsor! Whether you’re an Austinite or in town for the 3M Half Marathon presented by Under Armour, get to know Austin with our list of seven on-course locations. Enjoy! Pro tip: stay tuned for Miles 7-13.

North by Northwest sign greets runners during the 2019 3M Half Marathon. Check out the various locations in this blog post along the 3M Half Marathon course and get to know Austin.

North by Northwest sign greets runners during the 2019 3M Half Marathon. Credit – Ed Sparks

NXNW Restaurant and Brewery (near the start line)

North by Northwest (10010 N. Capital of Texas Hwy.) has been a north Austin staple since it opened in 1999. NXNW is known for its generous helpings of food and their restaurant’s homey feel. We strongly recommend anything on their brunch menu, especially their Waffle and Spicy Chicken Stack! Pro tip: park near the start line on race day, take the shuttle at the finish line back to your car, and visit them for brunch (they open at 10:00 a.m.).

The Domain (Mile 1.5)

This sprawling, upscale outdoor mall (11410 Century Oaks Terrace) is home to some of North Austin’s finest dining, shopping, and nightlife. It offers everything downtown offers, but with more parking! However, our favorite place at The Domain is the HOPE Outdoor Gallery public mural installations in Rock Rose District. This art represents and replaces the world-renowned downtown community paint park (11th and Baylor St.) that is now closed.

Band performs live at Oskar Blues Brewery. Check out the various locations in this blog post along the 3M Half Marathon course and get to know Austin.

Band performs live at Oskar Blues Brewery.

Oskar Blues Brewery (near Mile 2.5)

Oskar Blues (10420 Metric Blvd Ste. 150) has been the 3M Half Marathon’s Official Beer since they moved to Austin in 2016. Their 50,000 square foot facility brews their entire line-up and regularly hosts live music. OBATX is a great place to relax and unwind pre- and post-race! Pro tip: show them your 3M Half Marathon bib and your first beer is on the house!

Austin Opera (Mile 3)

Check out the Austin Opera (3009 Industrial Terrace) calendar and plan your next night out on the town! The Opera was founded in 1986 and has provided cultural nourishment to the Central Texas community ever since. Check out their upcoming events and support their youth initiatives.

Picture of eggs benedict from the District Kitchen brunch menu. Check out the various locations in this blog post along the 3M Half Marathon course and get to know Austin.

Grab brunch and refuel after 3M Half Marathon. Credit – District Kitchen Facebook page.

Camp Gladiator HQ (Mile 3.5)

Camp Gladiator Trainers will support and encourage you on race day at several cheer stations along the course. Keep an eye out for them, especially at CG HQ (9185 Research Blvd.). If you workout at one of their 3500+ locations across the country, visit HQ when you’re in town and show them some love.

District Kitchen (Mile 5.5)

District Kitchen (7858 Shoal Creek Blvd.) partners with local farms and businesses to create what they call New American Cuisine. Their seasonal menu pairs perfectly with their extensive wine and cocktail list. Refuel after you complete the 3M Half Marathon, District Kitchen’s brunch menu has something for everyone!

Spread of Filipino food from Be More Pacific. Check out the various locations in this blog post along the 3M Half Marathon course and get to know Austin.

Spread of Filipino food from Be More Pacific. Credit – Be More Pacific Facebook page.

Be More Pacific Filipino Kitchen and Bar (Mile 5.5)

What started as a food truck serving Filipino cuisine in 2011 grew to the brick and mortar that exists today (7858 Shoal Creek Blvd.) Be More Pacific serves everything from homemade Filipino specialties to bar food. Their wide-ranging brunch menu is only available on Sundays. That’s right, another amazing post-3M Half Marathon brunch option!

Miles 1-6 of the 3M Half Marathon course features flavorful options and a place to enjoy a relaxing night out. Add these hot spots to your must-visit list and get to know Austin even more. Don’t worry, we still have to visit Miles 7-13! Did your favorite on-course spot make our list? If not, let us know what it is on Facebook or Twitter.

Austin Hill Workout Locations – High Five Events’ Staff Favorites

High Five Events’ staff dish out their favorite Austin hill workout locations

Hill repeats – the workout runners love to hate. Every training plan should have at least one hill workout per week. Runners reap many benefits from increased lower body strength to expanded lung capacity. If you’re new to Austin or in town for visiting, make sure you put one of these Austin hill workout locations on your list. Some of the staff at High Five Events give the lowdown on their favorite Austin hill workout locations. Need some motivation to get you going? These six tips will help!

Runner ascends Hill of Life, one of the High Five Events' staff's favorite Austin hill workout locations.

Runners completing repeats on the Hill of Life.

Meg

Hill of Life repeats on the Greenbelt. These help me get ready for technical trail runs. If I’m in the early stages of prepping for a road race they give me great lower body workout whether I am running or hiking up the hill. What’s better than a stair stepper or box step-ups?! Nature’s stairs and box steps! Plus, it makes you appreciate the smoothness of the road. 

Laura

Wilke Drive repeats. It is not fun. It is HARD, but you’ll get a great workout out of it.

Emily

Hill sprints west on North Hills Drive in front of Murchison Middle School off of Far West Boulevard. I live near there so I get a few warm-up miles before the pain game begins. 

Stacy (two locations!)

Grove Drive out of Roy Guerrero Park is a closed road/bike path with a 450m hill. It ends at the end of Montopolis Drive near Ed Bluestein. Park and warm up at Guerrero, then do repeats. If you like to suffer with no one around to see, this is a good place to run. Plus it’s shaded the whole way!

Loop in East Riverside neighborhood – Begin at Old East Riverside Drive and Summit Street, run to Sunnyvale Street and take a left, loop around Lupine Lane, right on Upland Drive, left on Old East Riverside Drive, and back to Summit Street. You get three good hills in just under one mile (.9). It’s in my neighborhood so it’s close, mostly shaded, and safer because of low traffic. And I can run it at night if I need to!

Wilke Drive is one of the High Five Events' staff's favorite Austin hill workout locations.

Laura and Jack both approve of Wilke repeats.

Jack

Wilkie Drive repeats. As many as you can handle while still giving a decent effort. Run hard up Wilke, then come down easy and in control. Do this regularly and watch the repetitions you can complete increase over time!

Joey

My favorite hill workout is a brick that I can do from my house. Starting at the bottom of Coronado Hills I ride a 1.3-mile loop 5x and then run to the top at Berkman Drive and back once. That’s just under a mile. I’ll repeat that circuit five or six times when I’m training for a sprint or Olympic distance race. Aside from being close to home, there isn’t much traffic which is a serious bonus. 

RAW Running poses after completing Stratford Drive hill repeats, one of the High Five Events' staff's favorite Austin hill workout locations.

RAW Running poses after completing Stratford Drive hill repeats.

William

Stratford Drive repeats with RAW Running. This workout is shorter (~400m), but the climb will is why you run this. Start outside the Rowing Dock. It begins relatively flat, then sharply increases, featuring a couple of climbs. There are a couple of turns and a flat part before the second climb. Really focus on grinding up the hill, shorten your stride, slightly lean forward, and pump those arms!

You know the benefits of hill workouts and that you should add them to your training plan. You’ll see the benefits with just one hill workout a week! Do you have a favorite Austin hill workout location that we didn’t mention? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!