Austin is a runner's city - whether you're running in a race or running for exercise, in Austin you'll see everyone else outside as well. Many of them will be training for the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon in February, which is a very well organized race that goes through some great parts (and hills) of the city. Others will be training for the Capital of Texas 10K in April, which is another very popular race.
The best location to train for beginners is the Lady Bird Lake Trail in downtown Austin. This crushed granite path (with sidewalk for a 1.5 mile stretch on the south shore east of Congress Avenue) circles the lake from Mopac in the west to Pleasant Valley/Longhorn Dam in the east, making for a 10 mile path that you can split into different length loops by crossing the lake on different bridges. Most runners use the west parts of the trails, with the 3 mile Mopac to Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge and the 4 mile Mopac to 1st Street loops being the most popular. Part of the reason these loops are so popular are the free water stops that RunTex puts out at Mile 0, Auditorium Shores on the south shore of Lady Bird Lake at South 1st Street, and the water stop under Mopac on the north shore of the lake at "The Rock". There are also several water fountains and restrooms along the trail, but these can be somewhat uneven.
Other popular running and training routes cover parts of the Austin Marathon course - in particular the Scenic Loop from Mopac and Lady Bird Lake that goes up Lake Austin Boulevard to Scenic Drive and Exposition in West Austin/Tarrytown. Shoal Creek Boulevard is another very popular running route, with the possibility of an up to 10 miles on an out and back starting from either end.
If you really want to do a lot of races, sign up for the Austin Distance Challenge. This race series tends to change the exact races and rules every year, but the series generally progresses up to the marathon distance, starting with the Uptown Classic 10K and Run for the Water 10 Mile races in October, the Decker Challenge Half Marathon in December, the 3M Half Marathon in January, and finally, the Austin Marathon in February.
Running Routes:
The Lady Bird Lake Trail (formerly the Town Lake Trail) is a 10.3 mile crushed-granite and concrete trail that circles Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin. The trail loop goes from Mopac (Loop 1) to Pleasant Valley Drive east of I-35. There are bridges at Mopac, Lamar, South First Street, Congress Avenue, I-35, and Pleasant Valley, letting you choose the length of your loop. There are markers every quarter of a mile along the trail. East of I-35, the trail can be difficult to follow on the north shore of the lake near the Holly Power Plant.
The 600-acre Mueller development on Austin's east side used to be a close-but-crowded airport, serving the whole Austin area. Plans were made to build another airport in Manor and decommission the Mueller airport, but the Air Force shut down Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin's south east corner and made it available to the city to serve as the new international airport.
When is the major marathon?:
Austin's biggest marathon is the Austin Marathon, which starts and finishes downtown and winds around the city. Some years, the Decker Challenge (a half marathon east of the city at Decker Lake put on the by the Austin Runners Club) has a full marathon as well in December.
More recently, the Frankenthon is a marathon held on the Brushy Creek Trail in October near Halloween. This race is put on by Frank Livaudais and has a laid-back atmosphere.
Races:
The Frankenthon Marathon is a little race held in Cedar Park, Texas (just north of Austin) on the Brushy Creek Trail. The trail is a mix of concrete and crushed gravel, and runners get to do 3 8.7 mile loops to make a marathon. The trail isn't flat, and goes up and over a dam, making for an interesting run. There isn't any traffic on the trail except for other runners, dogs taking their morning walks, and a few moms with strollers.
The Austin Marathon is the highlight of Austin's winter running season. The race starts downtown on Congress Avenue in front of the state capitol building and then heads south across Lady Bird Lake down South Congress, up South First Street, and then out Cesar Chavez along the lake to Lake Austin Drive. From there, the course gets hilly in Tarrytown and the half marathon splits off from the full marathon to head back downtown. The full marathoners keep going past Camp Mabry over Mopac on 38th Street and up into Allandale along Great Northern, which can feel like forever. The runners then turn east and head through the lively neighborhoods of Crestview and Hyde Park down through the University of Texas and around the Capitol to finish where they started.
Race Types:
Running race
Half Marathon
Marathon
3M is a fast, downhill road half marathon in January that is a lot of fun. The race is point-to-point, starting in the hills of the Arboretum and tearing downhill to downtown over 13.1 miles. This is one of the most fun events on the Austin race schedule, and a great place to PR in the half marathon. The only downside for most Austin runners is that they can ruin their training for the Austin marathon here by going out too fast and too hard at 3M.
Race Types:
Running race
Half Marathon
Austin doesn't just have the big LIVESTRONG Austin Marathon in town - December has the much smaller Decker Challenge in East Austin. The Decker Challenge is a one-loop half marathon, and the Double Decker is a two-loop full marathon on the road. The Austin Runners Club makes Decker one of their signature events, along with the Daisy 5K.
Race Types:
Running race
Half Marathon
Marathon
Ready for the first wedding-themed marathon? Jeff Linwood and Cheri Woldt (who run this web site) are getting married in March 2011, and they want to celebrate by throwing a trail marathon the day before their wedding. The trail is easy, forgiving singletrack, perfect for first-time trail runners and walkers.
Race Types:
Running race
5K
Half Marathon
Marathon
Trail Run