Take your pick of upcoming Texas marathons.
Ready or not, marathon season is upon us, and Texas has ‘em! The Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon is coming up fast on December 4. It’s a popular race on a scenic course with some hills in it, starting at Henry Gonzalez Convention Center and taking runners by on a tour of San Antonio. Runners will go down Market Street and downtown San Antonio, before heading north where they’ll get a few hills before settling into the flatter part of the course. James Madison won the 2021 men’s race in 2:37:34 while Ildi Gaal ran 2:50:46 for the women’s title.
The BCS Marathon in Bryan/College Station is set for December11 and is known for a primarily flat and fast course. The route includes plenty of shady neighborhoods, several golf courses, and enough crowd support to help you get to the finish for your first time or your fastest time. The marathon course has a few rolling hills miles 11 – 13 but is otherwise flat.
The BMW Dallas Marathon is also on December 11 and is famous for circling White Rock Lake. The race is considering rolling and starts on a downhill with most of the first and last 10 miles are pretty up and down. The first few miles include a good amount of reasonable rolling hills that conclude right around mile 10, while the section around White Rock Lake is relatively flat. Runners should take note that there are some decent hills starting around miler 20. The 2021 winners were Joseph Hale (2:28:42) and Regina Massingill (3:07:28).
The Texas Marathon in Kingwood kicks off the new year on January 1, 2023, in—you guessed it—Kingwood. The course takes four loops on concrete greenbelt trails starting at the Greentree Pool, proceeding to Lake Houston and returning to the Greentree Pool. Last year’s winners were Josh Heimbach (2:35:06) and Selena Pasadyn (2:54:47).
The Chevron Houston Marathon, set for January 15, 2023, is a top-notch, world-class event, that’s all there is to it. The largest marathon in Texas, it features a deep elite field for both men and women. The course starts and finishes by the George Brown Convention Center and is relatively flat—no scary hills here. Take note though, it’s almost entirely run on concrete, which can fatigue runners’ legs. James Ngandu ran 2:11:03 to win in 2022, with Keira D’Amato posting a 2:19:12 for the women’s win.
Upcoming Races: Saturday, December 3 at 7:00 a.m., the Jingle Bell 5K at Hill Country Galleria. Sunday December 4 at 8:15 a.m., the Austin Jingle Bell 5K at the Domain. Sunday, December 11, at 8:00 a.m. the Decker Challenge Half Marathon at the Travis Expo Center.
