It was perfect marathon weather in San Antonio Sunday morning with clear skies, temperatures in the high 40s at the starting line, and warming into the 50s and 60s over the morning, depending on how long it took individual runners to complete the 26.2-mile marathon or the 13.1-mile half marathon. What a contrast to a few years ago when the race, still staged in November, took place during hot, muggy conditions.
The San Antonio Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon drew 25,000 runners this year, and with many downtown streets closed to vehicle traffic it also was a cyclist’s and walker’s paradise, preternaturally quiet. Even the newly opened H-E-B South Flores Market a few blocks from the race course had plenty of parking available for the first time since it opened last week.
The pleasant weather brought out the spectators, too. Many of the photographers and videographers not at the starting line were lined up across from the Alamo to get the shot every runner wants. This is the first year runners can say they ran by a World Heritage site. Soon enough, the Alamo Plaza will begin to undergo significant redevelopment to better honor the site’s history.
Runners going the full distance and those in the half marathon both enjoyed routes that showed off the city’s best sides. You can click here to see the route maps and get a street-by-street view of what the runners covered Sunday.
Mark Greene, a 25-year-old San Antonio native, won the men’s open race in 2:31:31. That’s a 5:47 mile pace, not equal to an elite field but pretty darn fast. Stephanie Wurtz, 33, of Manitou Springs, Colo. won the women’s open race in 2:59:02. That’s a 6:50 mile pace, good enough to beat all but the top 20 men. The next closest woman runner was more than 6:30 behind her at the finish line. Chad Johnson, hailing from Indiana, won the Wheelchair Invitational.
Aaron Braun won the men’s half marathon in 1:04:10, and two-time U.S. Olympian Kara Goucher won the women’s half marathon in 1:11:10. Goucher beat the entire half marathon men’s field except for five runners.
The international Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon has been going since 1998, raising money and allowing runners the opportunity to listen to live music along the way. More than $310 million has been raised for participating charities in 30 cities.
Click here to view top finishers’ times, and to search for the finishing time for friends and family members.
Early registration discounts are available until Dec. 11 for those interested in running the 2016 marathon here.
Related Stories:
Photo Gallery: The 2015 Mission to Mission Charity Bike Tour
A Weekend of Fitness: Mission to Mission, Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon
Rock ‘n’ Rolling the Marathon, San Antonio Style
