Run the Line Half Marathon
Texarkana, TX
- Half Marathon, Half Marathon Relay
- Road (Paved)
- Official race website
The Run the Line Half Marathon is a unique opportunity to run in one half marathon in Texas and Arkansas on a USATF certified single-loop course. The race starts at W. Broad Street and Texas Blvd in downtown Texarkana, Texas, quickly moves into Arkansas, crosses back into Texas, and finishes … MORE
Local Historical Weather (Feb 15):
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
| H (°F) | 65 | 68 | 70 | 78 | 69 |
| L (°F) | 50 | 48 | 50 | 58 | 43 |
Find Nearby Lodging (hotel, rental, etc.):
TX to AR to TX to AR!
This is a great smaller race. As of 2026, they are in their 18th year, so it is quite established. The theme is simple but fun. Texarkana has a Texas … MORE
This is a great smaller race. As of 2026, they are in their 18th year, so it is quite established. The theme is simple but fun. Texarkana has a Texas side and an Arkansas side. So the race takes place in both. You start in Texas, run to Arkansas, back to Texas, and then finish in Arkansas.
I have run races in both Arkansas and Texas but had seen this race a few years ago and wanted to try it. I’m glad I did!
Lead up to the race was great. The race director does all kinds of Facebook live posts and video tours of the course (start line, parks, trails, finish line). It’s friendly and fun and definitely gives it the small race vibe. Packet pickup was super easy and in a running store! They do have packet pickup the morning of the race as well. Go see the Race Director before and after the race. Cool guy and loves the feedback and interaction.
Race morning was great. Mid-February in Texas isn’t bad weather wise. It had rained a lot the day before, and it was overcast and windy, but the temps were in the high 50s. They had a great singing of the National Anthem. (Some races don’t do the anthem at all and that annoys me.)
The race starts with 2 waves. Wave 1 is for those who believe they will finish in under 2 hours and wave 2 is for those over 2 hours. This race only had 525 runners, but the 2 waves are used because just after mile 1, you enter a park with a greenway trail. The two waves help with that bottleneck.
That first mile starts in downtown Texarkana, TX and heads east into Arkansas. A few blocks away, as you leave the downtown area, you are running down a road with a trainyard to your right. I really enjoyed this as it gave the route a real “Rocky” vibe. You then turn left into the park and run the trail for a few miles. There are a couple of zig zags as you cross roads that go through the park, but nothing to worry about. There is a creek/small river that the trail runs along and other pleasant areas here.
After you come out of the park, during mile 4, there is a very deceiving hill. It’s not steep- It’s a very gradual incline but it lasts a little while. You get to the top, hang a left, and get some downhill to shake the legs out. The biggest hill in around mile 5 (there was a video about this hill specifically, so I knew it was coming when I got to that part of the course).
The next mile and a half or so are pretty flat. You are running past businesses and are on side of the road. Aside from the two parks, this race is all on roads. There are lots of police at intersections and cones fencing off the entire lane for runners. There is ample room to run and not worry about traffic on the busier streets.
Around the halfway point you’re back in TX. I did run under a train bridge with a train cruising down the line. That’s always a fun thing. A couple of turns and you enter a large park. Ballparks, pavilions, trails- it’s a very nice park. You pass mile 7 just before you enter and finish mile 9 just before leave. It’s fairly flat as well. The park definitely has sharp turning, winding paths that you run, and it mixes things up from regular road running.
After leaving the park, you run through neighborhoods for the next 3 or so miles. Lots of nice homes plus a guy in a Fireball costume trying to do shots with you as you come by! There are rolling hills through some of these neighborhoods. Nothing crazy, but just long enough to make you feel it.
The last mile and a half is fairly flat. You spend about 4-5 blocks running down State Line Rd- this is where you are actually “Running the Line”. You run around the Texarkana courthouse as you enter downtown and from there you have 3 SHORT blocks to the finish line.
Cool note about smaller races- the runner in front of me beat me by 45 seconds. The runner behind me finished almost 50 seconds later. So I ran the final portion and crossed the finish line all by myself. That’s when you know the cheers are for you. 🙂
The course had plenty of water stations, about half with Gatorade. There were a few bathrooms along the course as well but thankfully I didn’t need one, so I wasn’t paying attention. Tons of volunteers on the course and well-marked turns.
A really cool thing they have done here is the mile markers. They are metal signs that are in the shape of the state you’re in with the number stenciled into. They are dark red so you can spot them from a distance.
Finish line was great. Music, beer, folks grilling chicken and burgers. The hot burger was quite good. Cookies, fruit, and other snacks.
Swag: The medal is legit. They redesigned their logo this year with a local artist. And it’s thick. The shirt is a tech shirt with a retro vibe. Pretty cool- definitely going into my running shirt collection and not my “not ever wearing that” collection.
I would definitely run again if I were in that area.
Run the Line & Stay the Course
Pre race communication was sufficient Packet pick up was easy at the local shoe store which usually has a tent sale on running shoes Plenty of hotels to choose from … MORE
Pre race communication was sufficient
Packet pick up was easy at the local shoe store which usually has a tent sale on running shoes
Plenty of hotels to choose from and free parking at start/finish lines
Shotgun start was exciting, with several pacers from 1:45 to 2:45
Not very scenic, mostly on city streets with a 2 mile trail a mile in and 2 mile run through Spring Lake park around mile 8.
Course has a small rolling hills with about 300 feet gain
Aid stations were plentiful and well staffed
Finish line was at Hopkins Ice House where you could order food and drinks
Post race celebration was excellent, with hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, fruit, water, Gatorade, body armor, sodas, and beer.
Swag was super cool spinner medal with Texas on one side and Arkansas on the other side and shirt was dri-fit long sleeve shirt.
I definitely recommend this race and will be running it again since it is my hometown race.
Charming small town race
Race was flat and fast, taking you through both Texas and Arkansas as you navigate neighborhoods and small parks. Mile markers were adorably shaped in the state you were in, … MORE
Race was flat and fast, taking you through both Texas and Arkansas as you navigate neighborhoods and small parks. Mile markers were adorably shaped in the state you were in, since there was some back and forth. Final yards have you run down the state line.
Fan support in final neighborhoods was fun with houses that had kids blowing bubbles, leis & music, cocktails, shots, beer and more. Very fun vibe
Should allow 4.5 hours.
More road markings in neighborhoods when going straight. Very strict on 4 hour time even if hurt. Last runner was 80years old and timer didn't want to wait, even though3 … MORE
More road markings in neighborhoods when going straight. Very strict on 4 hour time even if hurt. Last runner was 80years old and timer didn’t want to wait, even though3 blocks out.
Twice as Nice in Texarkana U.S.A.
Pre race communication was sufficient Packet pick up was easy at the local shoe store which usually has a tent sale on running shoes Plenty of hotels to choose from … MORE
Pre race communication was sufficient
Packet pick up was easy at the local shoe store which usually has a tent sale on running shoes
Plenty of hotels to choose from and free parking at start/finish lines
Shotgun start was exciting, with several pacers from 1:45 to 2:45
Not very scenic, mostly on city streets with a 2 mile trail a mile in and 2 mile run through Spring Lake park around mile 8.
Course has a small rolling hills with about 300 feet gain
Aid stations were plentiful and well staffed
Finish line was at Hopkins Ice House were you could order food and drinks
Post race celebration was excellent, with hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken sandwiches, pinto beans, fruit, protein bars, water, Gatorade, body armor, sodas, and beer.
Swag was super cool medal with Texas and Arkansas both on it and shirt was dri-fit long sleeve shirt.
I definitely recommend this race and will be running it again since it is my hometown race.
Well-Done.
I was impressed with the whole thing; the organizers took the race very seriously. The check-in was totally fine. From start to finish, it went off smoothly while the course … MORE
I was impressed with the whole thing; the organizers took the race very seriously. The check-in was totally fine. From start to finish, it went off smoothly while the course was a bit challenging (not complaining about it). Two areas of improvement: 1) The tumblers for awards are way too cheap; hence, give out trophies instead; and 2) Train the volunteers to pass out water properly; after 10th mile or so, one dropped the cup on purpose, and it cost me badly for the final 5K, and I didn’t appreciate it. I might come back again in 2024 if I see a better overall setup.
Great Small City Race
Lots of aid stations and awesome course support. Well produced - great swag. I traveled from out of state to escape ice and snow - great weather for a half. … MORE
Lots of aid stations and awesome course support. Well produced – great swag. I traveled from out of state to escape ice and snow – great weather for a half. Both Shreveport and Texarkana airports are convenient.
My hometown race
Great pre race communication Expo and packet pick up was overall good at a local shoe store Course overall was awesome with paved trails, nice neighborhood areas, a couple of … MORE
Great pre race communication
Expo and packet pick up was overall good at a local shoe store
Course overall was awesome with paved trails, nice neighborhood areas, a couple of miles in a park, last mile was down state line which separates Texas and Arkansas.
Crowd support was phenomenal along with staff and volunteers
Aid stations were plentiful, I believe 7 total with restrooms at each.
Swag was a dri fit long sleeve shirt and medal was nice and heavy with both states in glitter
Post race had burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, cookies, and fruit
Free parking at starting line
Smaller races with 500 runners, they do offer a half marathon relay in 2 or 4 person teams
I most definitely recommend this race and I will run again
Tour of Texarkana USA
Race day arrival was very simple. I parked 40 minutes before the race started and was able to get a spot within a block of the start line. The temperatures … MORE
Race day arrival was very simple. I parked 40 minutes before the race started and was able to get a spot within a block of the start line.
The temperatures were in the high 30s to start the race and peaked somewhere in the high 50s. The weather was clear and it was a lovely day for a run. The course started in Texas and shortly crossed into Arkansas. It meandered through some city trails and some roads that were blocked off. The course headed back into Arkansas at about the halfway point and followed a similar out until it once again crossed into Arkansas for the finish line approach. I would assume the race is a pretty even split between distance in Arkansas and in Texas.
The police officers and volunteers that helped with the road crossings and the eight aid stations were fantastic for this race.
The overall course only had a few hundred feet of elevation gain and consisted of long gentle rolling train.
The finisher’s shirt did not mention the name of the race prominently on the front so this was a bit disappointing. The medal was nice for a race of this size. The food and snacks offered after the course were adequate. Several local restaurants were offering discounts for hardier meals.
I think this was a nice race and would run it again if I was near the Texarkana area.
Interesting town!
The weather ended up being great for this race. Better than I expected for February. It had a slight mist but it stopped after the race started. They have two … MORE
The weather ended up being great for this race. Better than I expected for February. It had a slight mist but it stopped after the race started. They have two starts-one for the people who could complete the race in under 2:15:00 and a second wave for the rest of the pack. There were runners/walkers in record attendance this year for the race. The tech long sleeve t shirt and medal were high quality. Not really a race expo as you pick your packet up at Racquet & Jog which is a sporting good store. They were having a shoe sale that Saturday which was nice. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this race but I truly enjoyed every minute of it. The mile markers would indicate which state you were in. There were plenty of aide stations along the course. Plenty of food for those who were in the back of the pack. The fireball/bacon/mimosa station was an interesting touch. I would come back to do this race again. I walked it as I was recovering from a nasty cold. Next time I am running the line! The fun part was trying to figure out what state you were in 🙂
Great Smaller Race
Well organized small race. I did not go to the Expo b/c I picked up the packet the day of the race. Things I liked, Fireballs at 11.5 and free … MORE
Well organized small race. I did not go to the Expo b/c I picked up the packet the day of the race. Things I liked, Fireballs at 11.5 and free beer after the course. The race was in two states Texas and Arkansas. This allowed me an Arkansas half this year b/c I already had Texas. I thought the course was really flat. I would have gone faster if my legs hadn’t been so tired after a week of racing. Cheers and happy running.