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Austin City Limits - Full or Half Marathon

Published on 3/23/2020

AUSTIN MARATHON / HALF MARATHON


On February 16, 2020 fifteen MVSers lined up at Congress and Second Avenues, in downtown Austin, Texas, to run either the full or half marathon.


Covering 26.2 miles of rolling hills, passing landmarks such as the Texas State Capitol, the UT Tower, and historic Hyde Park were; ED BURKE, DIANE JANNETTI, LAURIE LAVALLEE, and FRED PARMENTER.  All four tore up the course in typical MVS fashion with noted performances by Laurie and Diane.  Austin was Laurie’s 5th marathon in her 5th state in 5 months! She did not, however, place 5th. She did BETTER than that by placing 1st in her age group!  Diane, out of 17 in her age group, earned her way to a 3rd place finish on the podium!  Congratulations to all four.


MVSers who enjoyed a 13.1 mile jaunt through the area include;  Carolyn Burt (5th of 93/age group), Norma DeFusco-King, John Jannetti, Jenn Curro, Joe Cosgrove, Rita Cosgrove, Christa McGrath, Meghan Emmert, Craig LaVallee, and Denise and Mark Sylvain.  Awarded for their efforts, all finishers received a Texas-sized medal that doubles as a belt buckle.


Austin, the state capitol, is located in the center of the state.  It has 300 days of sunshine making it one of the sunniest cities in America.  While the city boasts no professional sports teams the residents are full-on supporters of the Texas Longhorns.  Go Longhorns!


A good time was had by all.  Christa dubs it her “favorite place in the US” and Ed recommends the race as it has good race logistics, is full of friendly people and funny crowds.  Carolyn warns that if you think Texas is flat, you’re wrong! Other noted goodies were Voodoo Donuts (“the best”), Lambert’s great BBQ!, lots of running trails, and visual arts.  Other good takes were the Peacock Reserve, Botanical Gardens, and LBJ Presidential Library. Not too sure about nightlife? You may have to ask Meghan about the guy who got punched out at a bar on 6th!?  And if you made dinner reservations (Jenn and Fred), beware that the LaVallees add themselves to the reservation without letting you know! It’s also the place where Jenn found out that the Tokyo Marathon was cancelled and, as we now know, that was just the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling just about everything.


In researching Austin I found out that the Breakfast Taco is one food that describes the city.  It is so popular that Austonians wonder, if you didn’t eat a Breakfast Taco, did you really go to AUSTIN?  Hmmm...so if it weren’t for the Race Results, I may question if these Striders actually went.  I heard no mention of BTs….


Congratulations to the Austin runners representing MVS.


Check out results of FULL marathon and HALF marathon here.
Check out photos from the weekend at 2020 Austin Marathon






MVS AFFILIATIONS

Road Runners Club of America USATF - New England Mill Cities Relay