3M Half Marathon Continues Partnership with Nuun

Since 2017, Nuun has hydrated thousands of 3M Half Marathoners

AUSTIN, Texas, November 15, 2022 — High Five Events, one of the largest privately owned event production companies in the United States, welcomes back Nuun as the Official Hydration of the 3M Half Marathon. The agreement means Nuun will hydrate runners chasing their half marathon Personal Records (PR) through 2023. The 29th annual 3M Half Marathon takes place on January 22, 2023.

“The Nuun team is thrilled to be back on the streets of Austin hydrating one of the most fun and fastest half marathons in the country,” said Kevin Rutherford, Nuun President and CEO. “Together with High Five Events we are realizing our mission of inspiring more movement and we look forward to cheering on the runners again at the 3M Half Marathon.”

Nuun will provide Nuun Endurance to all participants. Endurance will be available at all aid stations and the start and finish lines. Endurance is a Non-GMO and Informed-Sport verified sports hydration drink mix designed to be used during high intensity and/or prolonged endurance exercise. It contains a precise mix of multiple carbohydrate sources and highly bioavailable electrolytes to help deliver fluids as well as minimize gastric distress during endurance exercise. In addition, Nuun and the 3M Half Marathon will increase community engagement and product awareness by offering free samples and product discounts, sampling Nuun at running stores, and supporting various demo runs around Austin.

“Nuun continues to hydrate thousands of PRs at 3M Half Marathon and we’re glad they’ll fuel thousands more,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “We will continue to expand our community engagement opportunities and educate athletes on the benefits of an effective hydration plan with Nuun.”

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 High Five Events: Beginning with the launch of a single triathlon in 2003, High Five Events has grown to become one of the largest privately owned event production companies in the United States. High Five Events is a community-centric company based in Austin, Texas. Their staff has more than 100 years’ of combined experience organizing large events across different venue types in a variety of locations. The company has landed on Inc. 500 fastest growing companies in both 2019 and 2020.

About Nuun & Company: Nuun is a hydration company with a mission to inspire more movement. Nuun electrolyte tablets and powders provide functional hydration optimized for exercise, daily health, travel, immune support, and rest. Clean and Non-GMO Project verified ingredients, a refreshing taste and low sugar make Nuun a favorite amongst active consumers. Nuun tablets are convenient to carry and add to water, and they are better for the environment than traditional bottled sports drinks. Consumers adding Nuun tablets to their reusable water bottles helped save the shipping of over 100 million pounds of water in 2018 alone. 15-year-old Nuun is the #1 selling sports drink supplement brand in running, cycling, outdoor and natural foods stores. The Seattle-based company has been recognized by Outside Magazine, who ranked Nuun on the 2017 and 2018 ‘Best Places to Work’ lists. To learn more, visit www.nuunlife.com or follow them at @nuunhydration and #nuunlife.

Blog

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.

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!

Blog

Under Armour Returns as 2020 3M Half Marathon Presenting Sponsor

Partnership marks the third year of Under Armour supporting participants in their quest to PR

Runners cross the 2019 3M Half Marathon presented by Under Armour finish line.

High Five Events is thrilled to announce the return of Under Armour, Inc. as presenting sponsor of the 3M Half Marathon. The third-year partnership will highlight Under Armour’s continued support of the running community and push runners to chase their personal edge on one of the country’s fastest half marathon courses. The 26th annual 3M Half Marathon presented by Under Armour will take place on January 19, 2020.

“At Under Armour, there’s nothing we support more than helping athletes achieve their personal best. Our brand’s mission is to make athletes better and engineer the gear that helps them do just that,” said Josh Rattet, General Manager of Under Armour Run. “For this reason, we’re especially proud to support the 3M Half Marathon and runners from all over the world who will be chasing their PR this January.”

Supporting runners chasing their PR

Under Armour will outfit participants and event volunteers with their HeatGear® running shirts. Additionally, Under Armour will outfit the 3M Half Marathon pace team with race kits. They’ll also provide Under Armour HOVR high-performance running footwear. Under Armour’s support will be felt by runners on race day in their quest to set a personal best.

“Under Armour’s running footwear, apparel, and technology give runners the resources needed to chase their personal best, which is exactly what participants of 3M Half Marathon have done for 25 years,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “We’re excited to work with them for a third year because it continues to provide both of our brands the opportunity to help runners create memories that will last a lifetime.”

The 3M Half Marathon boasts one of the fastest 13.1-mile courses in the country. The beloved half marathon will celebrate its 26th year running on January 19, 2020. Runners will 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 300+’ net elevation drop. Registration is currently open.

Blog

3M Half Marathon Tabs Oskar Blues Brewery as Official Beer Sponsor

2020 will mark the third year that local brewery is Official Beer Sponsor

In 2018, runner gets a beer from Oskar Blues, the Official Beer Sponsor of the 3M Half Marathon.

Runners grab an ice-cold Oskar Blues brew to celebrate their 3M Half Marathon accomplishments.

High Five Events announces Oskar Blues Brewery as the Official Beer Sponsor for the 2020 3M Half Marathon presented by Under Armour. The 3M Half Marathon will feature Oskar Blues signature Austin-brewed beers at the finish line festival’s beer garden. Only finishers that are over 21 years old will be allowed into the beer garden. The 3M Half Marathon will take place on January 19, 2020. In 2018, nearly 7500 participants enjoyed 3M Half’s 25th anniversary.

“This is more than a run, it’s also a celebration of hard work, adventure, and passion,” said Leilani Howard, Marketing Manager Oskar Blues Brewery Austin. “We are overwhelmed and grateful to be a part a community that celebrates and encourages that passion, not just of the people in our city, but those who have journeyed here to share their’s with us and their loved ones.”

Beer garden grows in popularity

Oskar Blues Brewery Austin will offer participants and spectators 21 and older their award-winning, Austin-brewed beers on race day. They’re the original craft beer in a can. The 3M Half Marathon’s beer garden will provide runners and their friends and family a place to gather. They can relax and celebrate their accomplishments. They’ll enjoy any one of Oskar Blues’ signature craft brews post-race. Available beers include Austin’s own Dale’s Pale Ale, Mama’s Little Yella Pils, and Oskar Blues IPA.

“In 2019, nearly 7500 participants celebrated their accomplishments with loved ones and a cold Oskar Blues brew in the beer garden,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “The finish line festival is a massive party on the streets of Austin, highlighting race-day efforts and months of training.”

The 3M Half Marathon boasts one of the fastest 13.1-mile courses in the country and will celebrate its 26th year running in 2020. Runners will 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.

Blog

Check Out the On-Course Music at the 2019 3M Half Marathon

These Austin acts provided on-course music and energy during our 25th anniversary

Austin is The Live Music Capital of the World and we love celebrating that fact! Our on-course music showcases Austin’s diversity and provides participants with boosts of energy. The 25th anniversary of the 3M Half Marathon presented by Under Armour was no different. The largest field in our history enjoyed a range of sounds from South American Andes music to orchestral folk. Participants would even turn their own music off to enjoy the local, on-course music!

Inside Out Steelband (Mile 2)

Runners were treated to energetic on-course music at the 2019 3M Half Marathon.

Energetic on-course music was enjoyed by participants at the 2019 3M Half Marathon.

Inside Out Steelband set the tone for participants at Mile 2. Watching this group play in unison is something else! They’re a local nonprofit dedicated to the advocacy and advancement of steel drums in Austin and Central Texas. Since 2006, their work as musicians and advocates has made Austin a center of contemporary steel band activity.

Rhythmic Force (Mile 3)

When you need more percussion you add Rhythmic Force! They don’t use as much choreographed movement on race day as they do in their competitive performances, but that doesn’t stop them from providing hours of energy to participants. Rhythmic Force is an award-winning nonprofit whose mission is to create the leaders of tomorrow by focusing on three core tenants – integrity, education, and community.

Andean Fusion (Mile 4)

No stranger to performing during Austin’s road races, Andean Fusion plays music from the South American Andes (Peruvian Pan-flute music). They’ve been together for more than 25 years and have performed around the world. Their easy-going and melodic sound comes from the harmony of the group’s six members.

Austin Thaalam Percussion (Mile 9)

Participants always appreciate an extra boost of energy at Mile 9. Austin Thaalam Percussion does just that, re-energizing runners with their in-sync Chenda, South Indian percussion. They have been performing in Central Texas for more than three years. Chenda Melam is a 300-year-old art form. It’s still performed during major festivals in India.

American Dreamer (Mile 10)

DJ Gatsby provides on-course music at the 2019 3M Half Marathon finish line festival!

DJ Gatsby provided the soundtrack to many celebrations at the 2019 3M Half Marathon finish line festival!

American Dreamer’s sound explores the space between classical and folk music. The quintet’s orchestral folk sound derives from the group’s composition: three classically trained string players, a rock drummer, and a folk singer. All five members met at the University of Texas.

Woode Wood (Mile 11)

Woode Wood’s music stems from his life’s experiences and is self-categorized as Americana, roots rock, and modern folk. He started making music in 1992 and has honed his easy-listening sound and writing ability ever since. He first moved to Austin in 1994 after watching Ann Richards talk about Austin’s vibrant music scene on Johnny Carson.

Chalkboard Poets (Mile 12)

This 3-piece band put on a performance worthy of the final mile, re-charging runners in their journey to the finish line. Here’s a quick video of their race-day performance. Chalkboard Poets is a fiddle-based Indie folk-rock band that calls Austin home.

DJ Gatsby (Finish line festival)

DJ Gatsby has you covered when you’re ready to party and celebrate! His high-energy beats kept the party going at the finish line festival. Participants celebrated accomplishments and PRs with friends and family to his tracks. He definitely enhanced the overall experience, including the beer garden!

We had a rocking good time during our 25th anniversary! Participants experienced first-hand why Austin is known as The Live Music Capital of the World. Follow us on Facebook to learn what on-course music we’ll feature on January 16, 2020, at the 26th annual 3M Half Marathon.

Tag Archive for: 26th annual 3M Half Marathon