The short version: Nov. 7–8 is the first weekend of the fall half-marathon rush. Saturday, Corpus Christi’s Harbor Half says it will cross the newly completed Harbor Bridge. Sunday, El Paso’s Transmountain Half climbs over the Franklin Mountains on a 500-runner cap, the Cypress Half is the second stop in the Run Houston! Fall Haul, and Marble Falls hosts the Mustang Marathon with a 50K, a marathon and pie at the finish. Fees below are the RunSignup race fee on Oct. 17, before processing fees.
| Race | When | Where | Main distances and fee on Oct. 17 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harbor Half | Sat., Nov. 7, 7:30 a.m. | Corpus Christi | Half $110 · Relay $90/runner · 4-mile $90 |
| Transmountain Half | Sun., Nov. 8, 6:30 a.m. | El Paso | Half $75 (500 runners max) |
| Cypress Half & 5K | Sun., Nov. 8, 7 a.m. | Cypress | Half $109.99 · 5K $44.99 · Kid’s K $24.99 |
| Mustang Marathon | Sun., Nov. 8, 7 a.m. | Marble Falls | 50K $125 · Marathon $115 · Half $95 · 10K $70 · 5K $45 |
Harbor Half, Corpus Christi (Saturday)
The 23rd Harbor Half starts at 7:30 a.m. and offers a half marathon, a half-marathon relay and a 4-mile race. The headline is the course: the race says this year’s route will run over the newly completed Harbor Bridge, which it calls the tallest structure in South Texas and the longest cable-stayed bridge in the United States. It also says the event has grown from about 200 runners to more than 1,000 and runs through two counties.
- Price: half $110, relay $90 per runner, 4-mile $90, in the final tier through race morning. Earlier tiers were $75 for the half.
- Shirts and medals: the race says finisher medals and shirts are not guaranteed for anyone who registered after Oct. 1. Changes to existing entries ended Oct. 15.
- Packet pickup: Friday, Nov. 6, noon–6:30 p.m. at Brewster Street Icehouse, 1724 N. Tancahua St. Morning-of pickup is for emergencies only, and the race warns of construction traffic.
- Rules: no refunds, no pets, and no strollers except ones made for the Wings of Texas event.
Bridge miles on the Texas coast mean wind, so plan on a windbreaker at the start and a flexible goal pace. Browse more on our half marathons in Texas page.
Transmountain Half Marathon, El Paso (Sunday)
“A classic returns,” is how the race introduces it. Runners start on El Paso’s west side at 6:30 a.m., run over Transmountain Road and finish on the east side. The race describes a challenging six-mile climb followed by a fast downhill to the finish. That makes it a net-downhill point-to-point, but only after the pass: don’t go out at goal pace on the way up.
- Cap and cutoff: limited to 500 registrants, and the course is closed for four hours. Make sure you can finish in that time before you sign up.
- Price: $75 from Oct. 1 through Nov. 7 (it was $65 before). Online registration closes the evening of Nov. 7.
- Packet pickup: Saturday, Nov. 7 at FirstLight Federal Credit Union headquarters. There is no race-day pickup.
For the full local picture see our El Paso races page, and see the Texas marathon registration guide for the rest of the season.
Cypress Half Marathon & 5K (Sunday)
The Cypress Half, presented by Houston Methodist, is the second race in the Run Houston! Fall Haul running challenge. The half starts at 7 a.m. and the 5K at 7:30, with a Kid’s K at 9:45. Prices are $109.99 for the half, $44.99 for the 5K and $24.99 for the Kid’s K through Nov. 4; after that, “extended online registration” runs through race morning at $124.99, $55.99 and $29.99. Virtual options are also listed. The organizer, TXruns, says official details are on its site and are subject to change.
If you are building a Houston fall, see our Run Houston! hub, the Day of the Dead Half series and the Houston half marathon calendar.
Mustang Marathon, Marble Falls (Sunday)
The Mustang Marathon, formerly the Hill Country Trivium, is a set of 50K, marathon, half marathon (“the Thirteener”), 10K and 5K races. All are paved out-and-back courses on country roads with rolling hills and what the race calls formidable climbs. Everything starts and finishes at Marble Falls High School’s Mustang Stadium, and every finisher gets pie from the Bluebonnet Cafe.
- Start times: 50K, marathon and half at 7 a.m.; 10K at 8; 5K at 8:30; a youth 1-mile at 9:30.
- Price: 50K $125, marathon $115, half $95, 10K $70, 5K $45, youth mile $10. The shirt deadline was Oct. 16.
It is a good late-season marathon if you want hills without trail shoes. For more of the Hill Country calendar, see marathons in Texas and the Texas ultra season preview for the 50K crowd.
Also on the calendar
- Harlon Block Half Marathon, Weslaco (Sunday): honors the Weslaco-raised Marine who helped raise the flag on Iwo Jima, with a half, 10-mile and a GORUCK-powered memorial ruck. RunSignup registration closed Sept. 27, so this one is for spectators and next year’s planning.
- City of Killeen Turkey Trot 5K (Saturday, 8 a.m.): $30 at Stonetree Golf Club, benefiting the Food Care Center and part of the Cen-Tex Series. More in our turkey trots in Texas list and the turkey trot 5K training plan.
- Recharge Run 8K/15K, San Antonio (Saturday): a trail fundraiser at Government Canyon State Natural Area marking its 13th anniversary. See trail races in Texas.
Plan the weekend
Daylight saving time ends Nov. 1, but several of these starts, including Transmountain at 6:30 a.m. and the 7 a.m. Cypress and Mustang starts, are still near dawn. Our running in the dark guide has tips for early starts. Looking for a full marathon instead? Check the Lubbock Marathon on Oct. 25 and the Dallas Marathon guide. Veterans Day weekend options are in our Veterans Day races page.
