Augusta University Half Marathon, 10K & 5K
Augusta, GA
- Half Marathon, 10K, 5K
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
Augusta, Georgia means more than the Masters® and the sweet soul sound of Mr. James Brown. In recent years it has become a destination city for all sorts of sports. The largest IRONMAN® 70.3 in the world takes place here. World class competitions, from disc golf to rowing regattas, have … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Feb 28):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 61 | 71 | 76 | 81 | 65 |
| L (°F) | 52 | 51 | 56 | 65 | 47 |
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Hilly Run on a Border City
Pros: - parking was convenient- the start/finish is on a college campus, so there's a decent amount of nearby parking. We got there early to pick up our packets since … MORE
Pros:
– parking was convenient- the start/finish is on a college campus, so there’s a decent amount of nearby parking. We got there early to pick up our packets since we drove an hour in from SC, so I’m not sure how parking was for those who got there closer to the start, but there are neighborhoods around campus so I imagine street parking was an option
– Augusta has a good sized army base, so a sizable chunk of the runners are military and they are *efficient* with using the portajohns. Fastest I’ve ever seen a line move – I was really impressed.
– Half marathon starts at 715am, the 10K and 5K start at 745am, so it was nice not to fight the shorter distance runners for bathrooms or at the start line.
– Course itself is fine as far as things to look at – Augusta is a weird Southern city where there’s industry/mills, but they’re past their prime. Walking on the waterfront next to the Savannah river (which wasn’t apart of the course), it has the same vibes as Buffalo/Niagara Falls – like you’re seeing a city after its heyday that hasn’t figured out how to write its next chapter yet. Also, it makes sense historically – a large chunk of the city burned in the early 20th century and I think it just didn’t know how to recover/industry moved elsewhere.
– Course was starting and finishing at the college, mostly neighborhoods, and through a hospital campus. It wasn’t super scenic, but there were some neat houses to look at (including Ty Cobb’s in the first couple miles!) and I never felt bored.
– Hilly course – I’m including my elevation chart in the pictures
– Wikipedia says Augusta is the second largest city in Georgia, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it. It’s a city race but easy to navigate
– Apart of a three race challenge with Aiken’s Triple Crown and Palmetto Peach; when you do all three in the same calendar year, you get a bonus medal.
– Decent course support – the last two miles are a steady climb and there was a lot of course support/people cheering/good energy in that stretch. The hills keep going until you hit campus with less than a mile to go, so mentally prepare for that.
Cons:
– They have an expo the day before and then packet pickup the morning of the race. We did packet pick up the morning up b/c I wasn’t going to drive an hour one way just to get our shirts/bibs. The website and emails talked about how your shirt size may not be available morning of, which was almost enough to keep me from signing up. I signed up literally 12 months ago (Feb 2025 for the Feb 2026 race) and they ran out of my shirt size at the expo. They emailed me at 7pm the night before the race to say they’d mail me a small in the next few weeks (which is nice of them), but it irks me that I planned/paid for my stuff literally a year in advance and they still gave my shirt away to somebody who signed up like a day before. I know that’s ugly of me and doesn’t really matter, but it’s still frustrating when 99% of other races have a ‘if you sign up late, come see us after the race and see if you get a shirt’ policy. But them mailing it to me is a nice solution.
– The hype video on the website shows runners in a brick/historic setting. I think it’s supposed to be the main drag of downtown, but there isn’t anything like that in the actual race course. TBF, the main part of downtown is being torn apart right now, so Idk if they changed the course to accommodate that or if the video is a bit of a tease. But if you see that and think “awesome, historical brick downtown!”, that’s not actually the course.
– Last year they had hoodies for the runners and this year it was a hooded tech shirt. I was really disappointed b/c I was expecting a hoodie – but I didn’t even get a shirt so I guess it doesn’t matter (LOL). IDK if last year was a special anniversary or what, but we don’t have a lot of hoodie races down here so it really stood out as something unique.
– medal is a nice size/weight – they do a Mardi Gras theme for the races, so that tends to carry into the medal/shirt. I’m not quite sure why since the race is a few weeks after Mardi Gras and it’s eastern Georgia, but it’s not the worst theme.
Notes:
– There’s a ‘blue’ stretch around mile 7.5 where there’s literally a half to full mile of pictures of soldiers who were killed in the line of duty. It’s hard b/c so many of them are from the last 20 years and it’s a LOT of young millennials holding their babies, fresh out of high school, etc. The pictures are on the right side of the trail, so if that’s triggering for you, you should be good to just run on the left side and avert your eyes for that stretch. It’s powerful, but it’s also painful. Of course we did the race a couple hours after they announced bombs were being dropped in Iran, so that played in on the emotions.
– There’s not a TON to do in Augusta, but visiting the James Brown statue, the Augusta museum, and the church near the waterfront are worth it. The museum has a nice collection of James Brown items, stuff related to the Masters, and historical artifacts from the Civil War. If you’re not from the South, those are always interesting since so many were destroyed when Sherman marched through/history is trying to pull back a bit from the ‘lost cause’ narrative and not feature CSA artifacts as prominently. The church has the grave of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and a marker of where Augusta was colonized.
Unfortunately the Augusta (GA) Half and the Greenville (SC) Half run on the same day, so that eliminates a chance to double on states with two cities really close to each other for anyone trying to hit 50 states. But if you’re trying to knock out Georgia in one weekend, Augusta and Atlanta fell on the same weekend this year — so if you want to hit a half and full in Georgia in the same weekend, this may be an option. Or you can do the Greenville half (in SC) on Saturday and the Atlanta (GA) half on Sunday to get both states – there is an interstate that runs between Greenville and Atlanta.
All in all, Augusta is a good ‘one and done’ half – and if we lived closer, I think it’d be a fun hometown race. I PR-ed both the 10K and half marathon during the race and ran my first ever sub-2 hour (1:59! It counts!), so it’s going to have a special place in my heart for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t fly 1,000 miles for it, but I wasn’t annoyed with getting up at 4am and driving an hour for it.
A good local race
This race is always well done with the nicest volunteers. There were some issues with signage and correct distance this year but overall, it is a good, flat, course for … MORE
This race is always well done with the nicest volunteers. There were some issues with signage and correct distance this year but overall, it is a good, flat, course for the 5k. My only complaint is the food at the end. You basically get either fruit or some cookies, which just isn’t enough for those doing 10k or higher. I would love to see chocolate milk, Gatorade and maybe some bagels added. There was supposed to be a beer tent this year but I didn’t see anything at the end.
Tough hill but fun course!
The aid stations were well manned and frequent. I thought the military memory mile was AWESOME, gave me goosebumps and appreciated it being later in the race for a nice … MORE
The aid stations were well manned and frequent. I thought the military memory mile was AWESOME, gave me goosebumps and appreciated it being later in the race for a nice distraction from the distance left.
I was just not prepared for the incredible hill around the halfway point. EEESH!
Small town race with big city feel
This Half marathon is extremely well organized and supported by the local sports council and community. I came from out of town to run. I am slightly familiar with the … MORE
This Half marathon is extremely well organized and supported by the local sports council and community. I came from out of town to run. I am slightly familiar with the downtown Augusta area since my husband has been working there and I’ve made several weekend visits to the area. So, I was not expecting such a good experience. I live in a much larger metropolitan area and there were several surprises at this race that I have not experienced at my local races. The packet pick up was easy to get to and fast in and out vendors were good. My first surprise was receiving my bib with my first name on it! Race morning was easy peasy with plenty of close parking and start/finish area was easy to find. Plenty of porto-pots and some indoor bathrooms as well. The race had several pace groups as well and that was also a pleasant surprise my first half that had pacers. Started right on time. The course does not offer much to look at as most of it is through residential areas. The second half has a little more scenery and there is a stretch along a river that is pretty. The blue mile was probably the best surprise. I knew it was coming and looked forward to it the whole race but it was my first time seeing one and it was just awe inspiring. The crowd support at that point was huge and really boosted my spirits at just the right time. Overall there were ample aid stations (approximately every two miles) and great crowd support at the aid stations. There were a few spectators throughout the course but most were clustered around the aid stations also there were porto-potties at each aid station which is nice. The race volunteers were friendly, helpful and numerous. There is a fairly long hill that was challenging from miles 4.5-7 also it tricks you as you think you’re at the top recover for a few minutes to get to another climb! The finish line and area were adequately supplied with orange slices, cookies, mini muffins, granola bars and water. The medal was nice and so is the long sleeved race shirt. They said something about an after party but it was too cold, and I didn’t stick around. All I wanted was to get to my hot shower! I would definitely do this race again.
Nice somewhat hilly
Race starts at a park with some real restrooms as well as portapots. Mostly asphalt (some potholes), some brick and cement and a little section of packed sand. Plenty of … MORE
Race starts at a park with some real restrooms as well as portapots. Mostly asphalt (some potholes), some brick and cement and a little section of packed sand. Plenty of water/gatorade stops. Mile markers, some pace groups. Nice blue mile. Standard refreshments afterwards. Long sleeved shirt and medal (see attached). Results posted fast and some free photos.
Well organized race
Starts in downtown Augusta, Georgia. There are portapots and some indoor restrooms. Course is mostly good asphalt (some potholes) also a few brick crosswalks and speedbumps. A very little bit … MORE
Starts in downtown Augusta, Georgia. There are portapots and some indoor restrooms. Course is mostly good asphalt (some potholes) also a few brick crosswalks and speedbumps. A very little bit of packed sand. Mile markers. Course has some uphills until about mile 7. Plenty of water/gatorade stations. Some portapots along course. Nice Blue Mile with photos of fallen soldiers and folks with flags cheering us on for mile 10. Standard refreshments after race. Beer also. Nice long sleeve technical shirt and good medal. Results posted quickly and some free photos.
Probably Won't Do Again
Since this race is in my town and I had heard great things, I thought I would give it a go for my first half marathon. Maybe my disappointment was … MORE
Since this race is in my town and I had heard great things, I thought I would give it a go for my first half marathon. Maybe my disappointment was because I have done Disney races, but I don’t think so.
The Good:
Packet pickup was pretty easy and there were some decent vendors there.
The tribute to the fallen near the last mile was amazing!
Parts of the course were beautiful.
Police presence for blocking roads and cheering on runners. (It was a pick me up to have one officer on his intercom call me “sunshine” as I was thinking about quitting!)
We got bling! Medals are important at the end of a race.
The bad:
There wasn’t a ton of course support. Water and gatorade were great, but that was about it.
There was only one clock and it was at the halfway mark.
The hills were miserable.
There was no medical support on the course.
There was an after party? I wasn’t really sure about that. I got my snacks of Oreo cookies and a water and that was it. Thank goodness my husband brought me a gatorade because there was nothing additional at the end. There were booths but I think you had to pay – I don’t usually carry money during a race!
The ugly:
Most of the course! The beginning of the half goes through the GHETTO! Rundown houses, bars on the windows, burnt out buildings. I was genuinely afraid during parts of the course.
No bathrooms on the course! People were running into the university to use the bathrooms but if you didn’t know they were there, you were out of luck.
Has its ups and downs
There were some really good things about this race, and some areas that could use improvement. Overall, I'm glad I ran it, but it's not one I'd plan on running … MORE
There were some really good things about this race, and some areas that could use improvement. Overall, I’m glad I ran it, but it’s not one I’d plan on running multiple times.
Good stuff:
1. I met up with several friends and family! So that made up for the downsides I saw.
2. Overall, not a bad course (but see the downsides). Fairly scenic in some portions, and you get a good look at the city of Augusta.
3. BEST PART BY FAR: on the back side of the course along a trail, there was a tribute to fallen service personnel (military, law enforcement, etc). They had placards along the course with pictures, names, etc. Right down from there, a group all held American flags along the course as they cheered you on. I was proud to be an American as I ran through this part of the course!!!
4. Great afterparty in the city park, which had been resodded not too long before the race.
Bad stuff:
1. A really long hill – around 3 miles! For us flatlanders, that was hard!
2. Something they couldn’t control: Awful humidity for February. It was pretty miserable.
3. Packet pickup: (NOTE: I am very picky about packet pickup convenience) They only advertised packet pickup until 7 PM on Friday night before the race. For those of us coming from out of town who had to work, this was very inconvenient, and I had to take off 1/2 day from work to get there on time. Fortunately I was allowed to pick up packets for my friends also coming in late. It turns out that for $20, you could get your packet the morning of the race, but this was not advertised. I just think that they didn’t really consider out-of-towners, as the vast majority of runners appeared to be local.
The swag was ok, although the shirt ran really small. But that’s not a big deal to me. Overall, I did end up enjoying the race, despite the negatives.
There is a hill!!!!
This was a nice small town course. There is a 2-mile hill climb between 4.5 and 6.5 that is really demanding. The race swag, including the race shirt was horrible. … MORE
This was a nice small town course. There is a 2-mile hill climb between 4.5 and 6.5 that is really demanding. The race swag, including the race shirt was horrible. The post race support seriously lacked. Race results were posted almost a week later, luckily I had my watch for timing.
Hit and Miss
Great race course. Two mile hill climb that really demands toughness. Horrible T-shirt, no choc milk, and no way to check results except through a buggy facebook/web page after the … MORE
Great race course. Two mile hill climb that really demands toughness. Horrible T-shirt, no choc milk, and no way to check results except through a buggy facebook/web page after the race.