The short version: Sunday, Oct. 25 has two good Texas options at opposite ends of the state. The Lubbock Marathon is a USATF-certified Boston qualifier with a half marathon, 10K and 5K. The UTHealth Houston Half Marathon & 10K is a flat fall half at Sam Houston Park, and its price rises from $105 to $125 after Oct. 11.
Lubbock Marathon: a certified Boston qualifier
The 8th annual United Supermarkets Lubbock Marathon starts and finishes in downtown Lubbock and offers a marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K and kids run. The race calls the marathon an official Boston qualifier, and its FAQ says the course is USATF-certified. That matters this year: our Boston 2027 cutoff post explains where the qualifying cutoff landed, and a certified fall course is one more place to chase a time.
Race-week logistics from the organizer’s FAQ:
- Packet pickup: Saturday, Oct. 24, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., at United Supermarkets, 6313 4th St.
- Parking: free at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, 1501 Mac Davis Ln. The start and finish are about a mile from the lot; take the free Citi Bus shuttle or walk. Roads around the start and finish close, so do not drive there.
- Marathon cutoff: you must start your second lap by 11:30 a.m. The course limit is 6.5 hours, after which roads reopen.
- Walkers and strollers: both are allowed (strollers should start near the back). Pets are not.
- Gear check: a $5 add-on at registration. Use the swag bag from packet pickup with the tag you are given.
- Refunds: none, and no transfers to other runners. You can switch races, but the fee difference is not refunded if you go shorter.
One thing to know before you search: the RunSignup listing for the Lubbock Marathon says it is for race-day results only. Register through lbkmarathon.com, which links to the Endurance registration page. We could not load that page’s price tiers or start times, so confirm both with the organizer instead of relying on third-party listings. The course maps for the 5K, 10K, half and marathon are on the race site as PDFs.
UTHealth Houston Half Marathon & 10K
This is the Houston Striders’ event, run by an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) running club with more than 500 active members that has been running Houston since 1985. The club says it has given more than $1 million to Houston-area organizations, and its Kind Stride program lets runners raise money for a charity. The course is described as scenic and mostly flat.
| Event | Start (Sun., Oct. 25) | Through Oct. 11 | After Oct. 11 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half marathon (and handcycle half) | 7:00 a.m. | $105 | $125 |
| 10K (and wheelchair 10K) | 7:45 a.m. | $80 | $95 |
The start is Sam Houston Park, 1000 Bagby St. RunSignup lists a processing fee of about $10 on the half and $8.55 on the 10K on top of the race fee, and also lists free pacer and guide entries for the half and 10K. Pace groups, packet pickup and parking details are on the race site.
Which one fits your plan?
Chasing Boston: Lubbock is the only one of the two with a marathon on a certified, qualifying course. Compare it with the rest of our marathons in Texas list, and see our big-race registration check for where Houston and Dallas stand.
Building to January: if you are lining up for a winter marathon, a flat half is a useful dress rehearsal. Our Houston half marathon guide lists the UTHealth race as one of the standalone fall halves, and the Houston Marathon sold-out alternatives post covers where to race instead.
Deadlines to keep straight: the UTHealth price increase is the nearer one, on Oct. 11. For Lubbock, check the organizer’s registration page for any tier change or cap. See every other date on the October races in Texas calendar.
