Austin 1/2 Mary or Dallas Rock N' Roll

Well I live in Dallas and I'm going to Austin to do the half there feb 14. Haven't done it before though so not sure I can help ya much here.

I am from the Houston area as well and can give some help maybe. If it were me and looking for some fun after the race, Austin is the place to go. The parties on 6th street are crazy all the time and Im sure they will be even better after the run!! Good luck and have fun!

Thanks guys - We are leaning towards Austin.  Thinking the hills should be fun too!

My wife and I did the Austin last year and loved it.  Something about people still partying from the night before and trying to get you to drink screwdrivers with them that made it entertaining.  Austin is fun.

I did the full Austin this year, and I can say that there are some hills. Even in the Half, many of them will be a challenge if you only run in Houston. That being said, consider doing the 3M Half Marathon here in January. It is almost all down-hill, and a great race. Unless you are injured, you are almost guaranteed a PR.

Either one, you can't go wrong. There are live bands all along the courses, and yes, the night life in Austin is everything you've heard, and more!

Austin is a great place for a weekend getaway.  But, as someone mentioned, both the 1/2 and full there are pretty hilly!  But the scenery is great!

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Austin 2008 was my first marathon. I can't compare it to any other marathon, however, I can compare it to the 35 OTHER races I did in 12 months... The race was in some ways just a glorified fun run. Because the Austin Marathon was so focused on being "Green," with its biodegradable soup cups and all, I think they could have put together a better race.

For example, the half-marathon finishers got cotton t-shirts instead of tech-T's. The swag bag was pretty much non-existent, and the pre-race t-shirts for all runners were recycled (beige) cotton. Also, the course changes for 2008 made the run more challenging than in years past.

That being said, it was indeed one of the funnest races I've ever done in Austin. The residents standing in their yards and driveways handing out cookies, donuts, fruit, and yes, beer and mimosas, along the last 10 miles or so were fantastic. I've never eaten so much in a race before!

And don't forget the live music at every mile of the course. I wore my headphones for about half the race, but took them out after that so I could experience the crowds better. Sure, its probably not as big and exciting as the Chicago or Boston marathons, but for Texas, it was great!