The short version: The 2027 Ascension Seton Austin Marathon, half and 5K are Sunday, February 14, 2027, Valentine’s Day. The marathon and half start at 7:00 a.m. at 2nd & Congress and finish at 9th & Congress below the Capitol. Right now EventDog lists $199 for the marathon, $179 for the half and $74 for the 5K, and all three are open. The marathon cutoff is 7 hours. Austin’s other big half, the net-downhill Spurs Austin International Half (formerly the 3M Half), is four weeks earlier, on January 17.
Houston and Dallas are already sold out (see our registration roundup), San Antonio is December 6, and Cowtown and El Paso share February 28. Everything below is from the race’s own site and its EventDog registration page, checked October 1, 2026.
Race weekend at a glance
| Austin Marathon & Half | Spurs Austin International Half | |
|---|---|---|
| Race day | Sun., Feb. 14, 2027 | Sun., Jan. 17, 2027 |
| Start | 7:00 a.m., 2nd & Congress | 7:30 a.m., Regal Gateway Theater, Stonelake Blvd. |
| Finish | 9th & Congress (5K: 2nd & Congress) | 14th & San Jacinto, next to the Capitol |
| Price now | $199 full / $179 half / $74 5K | $159 half / $239 two-person relay |
| Time limit | Full 7 hrs, half 4 hrs, 5K 1 hr | 4 hrs |
| Packet pickup | Feb. 12–13, Palmer Events Center | Jan. 15–16, Palmer Events Center |
| Field cap | 10,000 full / 17,000 half / 3,000 5K | Not published |
Schedule and waves
- Friday, Feb. 12: shakeout run at 7:00 a.m.; Health & Fitness Expo, presented by PNC Bank, opens at Palmer Events Center (900 Barton Springs Rd.) at 11:00 a.m.
- Saturday, Feb. 13: expo from 9:00 a.m. There is no race-day packet pickup, and parking in the Palmer garage is $10. Late registration closes at 3 p.m. at the expo, if the race hasn’t sold out.
- Sunday, Feb. 14: marathon and half Waves A–D go at 7:00 a.m. (be in your corral by 6:55). Half-marathon Waves E–L follow from about 7:09 to 8:05 a.m. The 5K, which benefits the Paramount Theatre, starts at about 8:40 a.m., and the finish-line festival opens at 8:30.
The race’s packet-pickup and schedule pages list slightly different expo closing times (6:50 vs. 7:00 p.m. Friday; 5:50 vs. 6:00 p.m. Saturday), so plan on the earlier one.
The course
Both races start together at 2nd & Congress. The course splits after mile 12: marathoners turn north, half marathoners turn south toward their finish. Everyone finishes at 9th & Congress with the Capitol dome straight ahead. The race says the route takes in South Congress, Zilker Park, Lady Bird Lake, the UT Tower and Hyde Park, with 26 live bands, and that the course is USATF-sanctioned and certified.
It isn’t flat. Austin is a rolling course, and its elevation profile is a PDF on the race’s course page, so look at it before you pick a goal pace. For flatter options, see the full list of marathons in Texas.
- Aid: 22 aid stations on the marathon (miles 1, 3, 5, and every mile from 7 to 25) and 9 on the half. Neversecond hydration at every station, and gel “energy zones” at miles 9.5 and 19.5.
- Cutoffs: marathon 16:00 per mile (7 hours, course closes 2:18 p.m.), half 18:00 per mile (4 hours, closes 12:18 p.m.), 5K 19:00 per mile (1 hour).
- Pacers: the RUN AUSTIN Pace Team runs even splits in 17 groups from 3:00 to 6:00. Half runners can follow them until the split. Pacer applications for 2027 opened September 30.
Fees, discounts and the fine print
- Prices now: $199 marathon, $179 half, $74 5K on EventDog. Launch week in May was $139 / $119 / $59, and the race says prices keep rising as race day gets closer. It doesn’t publish the dates, so earlier is cheaper.
- Military: 50% off. 2027 is the race’s Military Appreciation Year. Active-duty and retired U.S. military can apply with proof of service; details are in our registration roundup.
- No deferrals. The FAQ says deferrals to a future year are not offered, though you can switch to the virtual race.
- Ages: 14 and up for the marathon and half; 2 and up for the 5K.
- Charity entries: Austin Marathon Gives, presented by the Moody Foundation, has 26 charity partners for 2027, including Dell Children’s, Marathon Kids, The Trail Conservancy and Back on My Feet Austin. The program’s 2027 goal is $500,000.
Is Austin a Boston qualifier?
Yes. The race FAQ says an Austin Marathon time can be used to qualify for Boston. The 2026 race, the 35th, had its largest field ever, and both course records fell: Joseph Whelan won in 2:13:18 and Kellyn Taylor in 2:33:28. Elite prize money for 2027 is $20,000, with $4,000 to each winner. If you are chasing a BQ, read our Boston 2027 cutoff explainer first; you will want a cushion under your standard, and Austin’s hills cost time compared with a flat course.
The Spurs Austin International Half: January 17
The January half was the 3M Half Marathon for 30 years. When that sponsorship ended, High Five Events renamed it the Austin International Half for 2025, and in August 2025 Spurs Sports & Entertainment signed a multi-year deal as title sponsor, which the race calls a first for an NBA franchise. The Spurs sponsor the race; High Five Events still produces it. The course didn’t change.
- The course: point to point from the Regal Gateway Theater on Stonelake Blvd. in north Austin, along Shoal Creek and through the UT campus, to 14th & San Jacinto next to the Capitol. The race calls it a significant net downhill; its website is even named Downhill to Downtown.
- Start and cutoff: 7:30 a.m., 4-hour limit (18:00 per mile).
- Price now: $159 for the half and $239 for a two-person relay team on EventDog. A refundable entry option is $191, with cancellation until December 28.
- Extras: a Neversecond gel zone at mile 7, pace groups from 1:30 to 2:20 in five-minute steps, spinner finisher medals and a PR gong.
- How fast is it? Both course records fell in 2026: Victor Shitsama ran 1:02:38 and Paige Hofstad 1:12:50.
- Packet pickup: Friday, Jan. 15 (1–7 p.m.) and Saturday, Jan. 16 (10 a.m.–5 p.m.) at Palmer Events Center.
It falls on the same morning as the sold-out Aramco Houston Half, so it is the obvious backup for anyone who missed Houston. More options are on our Texas half marathon calendar and in our Houston sold-out alternatives post.
Other races that weekend
February 14 is a big weekend for shorter races too. Our Valentine’s Day races in Texas guide lists every Cupid-themed 5K and couples’ run statewide, and the February race calendar has the rest. If you want a Texas marathon on a different date, Cowtown and the El Paso Marathon are both two weeks later, on February 28. In April, Austin hosts the 50th Cap10K.
