Tag Archive for: Austin

3M Half Marathon Partners with Austin Runners Club

High Five Events announces a partnership between the 3M Half Marathon and the Austin Runners Club. The primary goal of the partnership is to increase the growth of the Austin Runners Club by offering a discounted club membership during the 3M Half Marathon registration process.

“We are proud to host the Austin Distance Challenge and our goal is to get more Austinites running and properly trained for these iconic Austin races,” said Iram Leon, Austin Runners Club President. “We’ve prepared thousands of Austinites for Downhill to Downtown and we’re excited to see that growth continue by working directly with the 3M Half Marathon.”

Austin Runners Club is a nonprofit organization that has been running in Austin since 1974. Participants registering for the 3M Half Marathon have the option of adding an Austin Runners Club annual membership for $25 during the registration process. The Austin Runners Club’s annual dues are normally $30 and free group-based marathon and half marathon training is included in the annual membership. In addition to the training, members receive various discounts to local running stores, recovery services, and other events. The 3M Half Marathon is the fourth event in the Austin Distance Challenge, a series of five running events hosted by the Austin Runners Club.

“New runners and veterans alike search for the level of training Austin Runners Club provides and now you can add their membership during registration,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “Hundreds of runners have earned 3M Half Marathon PRs because of ARC’s training and 2018 will be no different!”

The 3M Half Marathon boasts one of the fastest 13.1-mile courses in the country and will celebrate its 24th year running in 2018. 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.

***Press Release

Vendor Registration Now Open for 2018 3M Half Marathon Expo

***Press Release

High Five Events opens vendor registration for the 2018 3M Half Marathon. Exhibitors are invited to preview, showcase, and sell their services and products to an estimated 8000 participants plus their friends and family. The 3M Half Marathon Packet Pickup and Expo will take place on Friday, January 19 and Saturday, January 20, 2018.

The 2018 3M Half Marathon Packet Pickup and Expo will be held at the Austin Convention Center. Centrally located downtown, the Austin Convention Center offers plenty of convenient parking and easy access to bike racks, CapMetro, and MetroRail. It is also close to several downtown hotels. Vendor booths for the 2017 3M Half Marathon Packet Pickup and Expo sold out in advance. Businesses interested in registering for a booth can see the price breakdown, floorplan, and booth information here. They can also contact Debra Saleny, Expo Coordinator, [email protected].

The 3M Half Marathon boasts one of the fastest 13.1-mile courses in the country and will celebrate its 24th year running in 2018. 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.

nuun® Returns as Official Hydration for the 2018 3M Half Marathon

***Press release

High Five Events, one of the largest privately owned event production companies in the United States, is excited to announce a two-year agreement between the 3M Half Marathon and nuun and company, the pioneer of electrolyte enhanced drink tablets that turn water into an optimally balanced sports drink. The 3M Half Marathon will take place on January 21, 2018, and feature nuun’s signature electrolyte-enhanced tablets at all aid stations.

“There may be no better place to seek your personal best than the 3M Half Marathon,” said Kevin Rutherford, nuun President and CEO. “This course is the perfect match for nuun hydration, as nuun is designed to hydrate you better so you can perform at your best.”

As the exclusive hydration for the 3M Half Marathon, nuun will provide nuun electrolyte tablets (lemon-lime and tri-berry) to all participants on course. The tablets are growing in popularity within the endurance community because they’re packed with electrolytes and are more easily absorbed during peak performance. nuun will also be available at the start and finish lines. 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 fueled hundreds of PRs at the 2017 3M Half Marathon and we expect the same outcome in January 2018,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “Additionally, this two-year agreement will allow us to take our community engagement opportunities to the next level by partnering with groups and clubs year-round.”

The 3M Half Marathon boasts one of the fastest 13.1-mile courses in the country and will celebrate its 24th year running in 2018. 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.

2018 3M Half Marathon Registration Will Open on May 1st

Registration for the 2018 3M Half Marathon will open on Monday, May 1st. Registration will start out at $75 for those who take advantage of the Early Pricing. The 24th 3M Half Marathon will take place on Sunday, January, 21, 2018, in Austin, Texas. More than 6300 participants registered for the 2017 3M Half Marathon, also known as Downhill to Downtown, which took place on January 22, 2017.

“I live in Dallas but every year I make sure this Austin race is on my calendar because it is such a fun, well-supported, and organized event,” said five-time finisher Dick Rawlings. “If you’re looking for a fun race with a fast time (Hello, PR!) you should make sure you run this race.”

The 2017 3M Half Marathon showcased a competitive elite field, benefitted GirlStart, and featured an enhanced finish line festival, complete with beer garden. Mark Pinales (1:06:51) and Lauren Smith Stroud (1:17:07) were the male and female champions. All participants enjoyed a fully supported course, complete with eight stocked aid stations, a CLIF Bar CLIF Zone, and thousands of cheering spectators with hilarious signs. The 2017 commemorative finisher medals featured a new, fresh look, complete with a spinning Texas Capitol in the center.

The 3M Half Marathon boasts one of the fastest 13.1-mile courses in the country and will celebrate its 24th year running in 2018. 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 in front of the Texas State Capitol, runners will appreciate a 306’ net elevation drop. Participants can begin registering on Monday morning, May 1st, at 12:01 a.m. CST.

Growing from a 10K to a Half Marathon

On April 23, more than 20,000 individuals will participate in the 40th Annual Statesman Cap10K. Some runners will be elite, some will have completed more than half of all the Cap10Ks, even more will complete the longest distance in their life.

Zach Ryall American-Statesman 04/10/2016

It’s been said that running is addictive. Whether you’re doing a Couch to 10K program or you’ve graduated from 5Ks, pushing yourself to do more than you think is possible is a rewarding endeavour. Maybe you’ve started out using the run/walk approach. Perhaps you’ve joined a running group in town. Having some yohimbe bark to improve performance. Whatever the case may be, you’ve got the bug.

However you got to this point, there is a question in the back of your mind: What’s next? What should I do after the Cap10K?

How about a half marathon?

Before you call that idea crazy, think about it: when you first started running a 5K was insurmountable; a 10K was unimaginable. Now you’ve got them both under your belt. The run/walk stage is a thing of the past. You’re comfortable with your running group. You are ready to take on the next level. This isn’t a push to complete a half marathon in Texas during the summer. These next couple of paragraphs will put you on the right track to register for your first half marathon later this fall or the winter, specifically the 3M Half Marathon or the Austin Half Marathon.

Desiree Berry finishing the 2017 Austin Half Marathon.

After the Cap10K, use this time to build your running stamina, increase your body strength, and become accustomed to distances longer than a 10K (6.2 miles). These tasks can be accomplished on your own, with a small group, or with your running club.

– Build your running stamina – (two to three times per week) get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Summer running in Texas doesn’t mean long distances (>13.1 miles). This is your time to work on your speed and your form. Incorporate track workouts, work on increasing speed while running shorter distances. These shorter, higher intensity workouts will work your muscles differently and better your body’s ability to consume oxygen.

– Increase body strength – (two to three times per week) you’ll need to prepare your body for completing 13.1 miles. Break up running workouts with weight workouts. You don’t need to become chiseled, just focus on lighter weights with higher repetitions. You want to push the body and burn fat, but you don’t want to add too much muscle mass. Working muscles differently than when you’re running is critical. It helps prevent the overuse of the same muscles.

– Surpass 6.2 miles – (once a week) on a weekend morning, when it’s coolest, push yourself to go further than 6.2 miles. Do this alone if needed, but group running has tremendous benefits. In preparing for 13.1 miles, you need to slowly teach your body that it’s capable of completing 13.1 miles. The week that you begin, pick a distance, it can be four, five, or six miles. Build out a calendar and add either a half mile or a mile every week from when you begin. You’ll start to see that six miles is hard, but then seven miles is hard and six miles isn’t so bad; then eight miles is difficult, but six and seven are much easier. Slowly but surely increasing your mileage during the summer will put you in a prime position to really lock in your fall half marathon training (and when the weather gets cooler you’ll start feeling even better!).

2017 3M Half Marathon Finishers.

There are many other factors that can impact your new goal of completing a half marathon: diet, hydration, nutrition, cross-training, injuries etc. Those items can be built in or dealt with as you progress. The main takeaway should be that you can’t graduate from a 10K to a half marathon in one day. It’s going to take time, persistence, consistency. This blog post isn’t the perfect plan, but it will get you on the right track.

Now don’t forget the most important part: pick a half marathon and REGISTER!