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 …
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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 found receptive galleries full of fervent fans in the Augusta area.
The Augusta University Half Marathon is USATF Certified at 13.1 miles and will start and finish at The Augusta Commons.
The home of golf’s annual springtime Masters Tournament hosts the annual running of its 13.1-mile road race with a course that takes runners on a course through some of the Garden City’s most scenic areas, showing off its wide, tree-lined streets, the architecture of its restored and revitalized downtown areas, and its authentic Southern charm.
Runners start the loop course for the race at the Augusta Common, just meters from the Georgia/South Carolina border. The race begins by passing the Augusta Museum of History and barely passing the boyhood home of former President Woodrow Wilson before heading west past Augusta University’s health sciences campus and the Georgia Cancer Center.
The course then brings runners down Central Avenue and into midtown Augusta, leading runners past commercial districts and into the part of the city known as Summerville, giving way to beautiful, large residential homes — many of which are many decades old — lining the street. This section also features a long, steady, gradual uphill however, so it’s a blessing to have plenty of postcard-perfect scenery to distract during the long, gradual climb.
After about a mile running through the main Augusta University Campus, the course heads north toward Lake Olmstead. If you’re a golf fan, it’s likely that you may (almost) forget you’re running a 13.1-mile race on the stretch through this area, though it will help that you’re roughly three-fourths of the way through the course at this point, which is followed by a run through the neighborhoods around Lake Olmstead. From there, the course heads first along Canal Trail, then down one of downtown Augusta’s main streets, returning to Broad Street just before crossing the finish line in the Augusta Common!
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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.