Austin Marathon course: Congress Avenue to the Capitol
The Ascension Seton Austin Marathon is on Sunday, February 14, 2027, at 7 a.m. It starts at 2nd and Congress and finishes at 9th and Congress, in front of the Texas State Capitol. The race says the course passes UT Tower, the I Love You Mural and Lady Bird Lake, and runs through neighborhoods such as South Congress and Hyde Park. It has grown to be the 25th largest marathon in the USA since its start in 1992.
Runsy is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon. Course facts come from the race's own pages.
Ascension Seton Austin Marathon
Austin, TX
Race day
Sunday, February 14, 2027
18weeks to go · 126 days
- Distance
- Marathon
Verified Oct 11, 2026 from youraustinmarathon.com
What the race says about the Austin Marathon course
From the race's course, About and training pages. The race publishes its route as turn-by-turn and GPX downloads rather than a written description, so these are grouped by topic, not in course order.
| Part |
|---|
| Start |
| Mile 12 split |
| Landmarks |
| Neighborhoods |
| Hills |
| Finish |
Source: Ascension Seton Austin Marathon: course page, About Us, training blog. Checked 11 October 2026.
Elevation: the hills the race names
The race does not name a USA Track and Field certificate on its pages, and the USATF database lists two active certificates called Austin Marathon, from its 2018 and 2020 courses. So we do not quote an elevation figure here; the race's course page links an elevation profile for each distance.
What the race does say is where it hurts: its own training advice names Congress Avenue and the Enfield Road climb as challenging hills to practise for. Plan for a course that rolls, not a flat one.
Race morning schedule
From the race's 2027 weekend schedule and course page. There is no race-morning packet pickup: collect it by 6 p.m. Saturday.
| What |
|---|
| Gear check opens, 7th Street and Colorado |
| Waves A to D stage in place |
| Be in your corral by |
| Waves A to D start, marathon and half |
| Marathon time limit |
Source: Ascension Seton Austin Marathon: weekend schedule, course page. Checked 11 October 2026.
How to pace the Austin Marathon
This section is Runsy's advice, not the race's. It is how we would run this course from the facts above.
- Start patient. The marathon and half start together in waves A to D, so the first miles are crowded. Let the field settle.
- Train for the hills the race names. Put Congress Avenue and the Enfield Road climb, or hills like them, into your long runs, and run them by effort, not pace.
- Mile 12 is a reset. After the split the half marathon leaves for the finish. Expect a quieter road and settle into your own race.
- Fuel at the energy zones. Gels are at miles 9.5 and 19.5, and hydration is at all 22 aid stations. Practise with the same gels in training if you plan to use them.
- Be ready for a delay. In bad weather before 7 a.m. the race may delay the start by up to 45 minutes. Keep a layer and a spare gel for the wait.
Turn a goal time into splits with the marathon pace chart, or sanity-check the goal with the race time predictor.
Running Austin on February 14, 2027?
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Aid, gels and race-weekend logistics
From the race's 2027 course and schedule pages.
- Packet pickup: Friday and Saturday only; there is no race-morning pickup.
- Aid: 22 aid stations in the marathon, at miles 1, 3, 5, 7 and every mile from 8 to 25, with Neversecond hydration at all of them.
- Pace groups: the race runs pace groups based on marathon times.
- Gear check: free, on 7th Street and Colorado from 5:30 a.m., in the clear bags provided.
- Time: 7 hours, a 16-minute mile.
Training for it: our intermediate marathon plans are the base the plan bridge above builds from, and the advanced plans suit runners chasing a time.
Train for Congress Avenue, not a generic 26.2
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Fair questions
Where does the Austin Marathon start and finish?
It starts at 2nd and Congress and finishes at 9th and Congress, in front of the Texas State Capitol.
What does the Austin Marathon course pass?
The race says it passes UT Tower, the I Love You Mural and Lady Bird Lake, and runs through South Congress and Hyde Park. The half marathon splits off to the south after mile 12.
Is the Austin Marathon hilly?
The race's own training advice names Congress Avenue and the Enfield Road climb as challenging hills. Its course page links an elevation profile for each distance.
What time does the Austin Marathon start?
7:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 14, 2027. All marathoners start in waves A to D and must be in the corral by 6:55 a.m.
Where are the aid stations and gels?
There are 22 aid stations in the marathon, at miles 1, 3, 5, 7 and every mile from 8 to 25. Gels are at the energy zones at miles 9.5 and 19.5.
When should I start training for the Austin Marathon?
Our marathon plans run 12, 16 or 20 weeks. For Sunday, February 14, 2027, a 16-week plan starts on Monday, October 26, 2026 and a 12-week plan on Monday, November 23, 2026. The plan bridge above dates the weeks for you.