San Antonio Marathon
San Antonio, United States · December · Independent
Why people love it
- Start at Main Plaza and finish at Hemisfair, passing the Alamo.
- USATF-certified Boston qualifier with a seven-hour cutoff.
- Themed miles through the Pearl, King William and Alamo Heights.
- Friday night 5K under Christmas lights.
Watch out for
- Only one edition so far, and the organiser and course changed in 2025.
- Timed checkpoints near 16 and 18 km (10 and 11 mi) can reclassify or turn back slow runners.
- Rolling hills between 16 and 32 km (10 and 20 mi).
- Humid warm spells reached 21 to 26 °C (70s °F) in 2025.
- Crowded corrals, and all distances sold out in 2025.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Tough
- Racer satisfactionLoved3.9
Only one edition exists. RaceRaves has 8 ratings averaging 4.5 of 5 and local news quotes runners praising the atmosphere. · Low confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.7
RaceRaves production is 4.6 of 5, but half runners reported a chaotic start, crowded corrals and a tracking error. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyDoable3.4
A seven-hour cutoff and big crowds help. Timed checkpoints near 16 and 18 km (10 and 11 mi) can reclassify or turn back slow runners. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialAverage3.2
Designed as a fast BQ course and one runner calls it flat, but RaceRaves reviewers describe rolling hills and heat. · Low confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryBeautiful3.8
RaceRaves scenery is 4.0 of 5. The Botanical Garden, the Pearl and Alamo Heights are praised; one reviewer found quiet stretches. · Low confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points3.0
Crowded corrals and a shared start with the half, plus a reviewer who wanted fewer turnarounds. Over 15,000 runners passed without major incident. · Low confidence
- Road surfaceGood3.7
Paved road throughout per RaceRaves. No surface complaints, but no detail either. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed3.7
A city-run event with a published closures page. No reviewer describes traffic conflicts. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessRolling3.0
Gain of 212 to 277 m (696 to 909 ft) depending on source, in the rolling band. · Low confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Point-to-point between two downtown sites, so little net change. · Low confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSome waiting3.2
Gear check and expo are praised. Complaints cover corral placement, a long wait for back waves and a crowded start. · Low confidence
- Pacers and timingGood3.5
Pace groups exist, though one group dropped out in the heat. The tracking app had an error for one reviewer. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportStrong3.9
Runners describe great crowd support, with families holding homemade signs and themed miles. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsGood3.6
Eighteen water stations are listed and reviewers praise water stops and volunteers. One marathoner found aid sparse late. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindSome wind3.3
Peak wind is about 21 km (13 mi)/h (13 mph). No reviewer mentions wind. · Low confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant3.5
Typical dawn temperature of 7 °C (45 °F) rising to 19 °C (66 °F), but 2025 turned humid. · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
Past highs ranged from 14 to 26 °C (57 to 79 °F) in five years, with fog, humidity and warm spells. · Low confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy3.5
Downtown start and finish plus a Friday 5K. Viewing points are possible but not documented. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.8
San Antonio is about 200 m (650 ft) above sea level. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood4.0
Downtown San Antonio has many hotels within walking distance of the start and finish. · Medium confidence
- Hotel valueNormal3.4
December downtown prices are moderate. No race-specific data found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable4.2
Start at Main Plaza and finish at Hemisfair, both walkable from River Walk hotels. · Medium confidence
- Travel easeEasy4.2
San Antonio airport is 13 km (8 mi) from downtown. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.6
A smooth expo and gear check are praised, but corrals were crowded. No shuttle is offered. · Low confidence
- Town and foodGreat4.5
The River Walk, the Alamo, the Pearl and Tex-Mex food are all close by. · High confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inRegister early3.2
All three distances sold out in 2025, so register early. No qualifier needed. · Medium confidence
- Value for moneyFair3.4
Fee rose from USD 89 at launch to 179 for 2026. Swag and medal are praised, but race photos cost extra. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- San Antonio, Texas, United States
- Typical month
- December
- Latest or next date
- 6 December 2026
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 3,335 athletes
- First held
- 2025
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- point-to-point
- Start time
- 07:15
- Cutoff
- 7 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Road
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Yes
- Entry fee
- About $179
- Air temperature
- 8–19 °C (46–66 °F)
- Humidity
- Often humid; about 80% at dawn per RunDida
- Altitude
- 200 m (655 ft)
- Nearest airport
- San Antonio International (SAT), 13 km (8 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Downtown, River Walk, Southtown, Hemisfair area
- Booking
- Downtown start and finish; many downtown and River Walk hotels within walking distance.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRaves San Antonio Marathon (8 ratings)Raced 2025 · aggregator · Positive
Eight ratings average 4.5 out of 5 (difficulty 3.3, scenery 4.0, production 4.6, swag 4.3). Marathoners praise the Botanical Garden, Pearl and Fort Sam Houston sections and the water stops, but note rolling hills, heat, quiet stretches and sparse late aid; half-marathoners cite a chaotic start and crowded corrals.
- KSAT inaugural race coverage (7 Dec 2025)Raced 2025 · article · very positive
Over 18,000 sold-out participants, no problems reported, families with homemade signs along the course. Winners 2:22:25 and 2:53:45.
“It's the people around me that kept pushing me forward”
- News4SA and CBS Austin runner reactionsRaced 2025 · article · Positive
Runners praise organisation and atmosphere and one calls the course flat and fast, though two name the hills as their least favourite part. Fog and cloud at the start, warm and humid later.
“the organization was excellent, and the atmosphere was fantastic.”
- BibRave reviews of the earlier Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio (2016 to 2023)Raced 2017 · aggregator · mixed-positive
About 31 reviews of the predecessor event (a different organiser) with 93% recommending. They report a mostly flat city course, one runner finding it dull on highways, earlier hot November runs with scarce water and a rainy December. Kept for context only.
Raced San Antonio Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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