Statesman 10k Preview

The Participation Trophy Runners are one week away from the Statesman 10k in Austin, Tx. It will be my first trip to the Lonestar State as well. As I have become accustomed to doing, the following post will contain a detailed course breakdown. Let's start with everyone's favorite topic: elevation. The race organizers provided an incline/decline map to help us with that.

The first mile is broadly uphill. We will go up about 110 feet over that mile. The second mile levels out and ends up slightly downhill, but it leads to the course high point of 582 feet at the 2.5 mile mark. Before you stop reading in disgust, hear me out: the entire remainder of the route is downhill. We will drop 141 feet over the last 3.5 miles until crossing the finish line.
With the elevation picture clear, let's get some visuals of the race course. I've sourced route pictures from Google Maps that follow the official race map. As you can see from the top level map, we are doing a closed, rectangular route.

We start the race on the south side of the Colorado River and head north across the Congress Avenue Bridge. Here is a scenic picture of the memorial plaque near the race start.

Crossing the bridge will take us downtown, past our hotel and toward the Texas State Capitol building. From the bridge you can see the Austin skyline.

Once we leave the bridge the route continues on Congress Avenue toward the Capitol in the distance. Hopefully we do not have a run-in with any bicycling policeman as seen in this Google Maps picture.

When we get to the Capitol there will be a right turn onto 11th Street. This will lead to us circling around the building as we gradually change directions from north to west. There is an aid station, I'm guessing with water, just after this right turn.

The next turn is a left, shortly thereafter. You will see a La Quinta and turn in front of it onto San Jacinto Boulevard.

Then, there is another left turn onto 15th Street. This will take us behind the Capitol building and up the steepest hill of the race.

As you near a hilltop the Capitol building will be on the left.

This is one of the longest straight stretches of the race. Continuing on 15th Street, we will approach the 2-mile marker and the "King/Queen of the Mountains" point. The cross street for this will come at West Avenue.

Mile 3 will continue along 15th Street as it becomes Enfield Road. It looks like this name change takes place at the cross street W Lynn. It starts to look fairly residential in this area.

A quarter mile later, we will hit the 3-mile mark and run underneath a bridge. On the other side of this bridge we will make the first turn in 1.5 miles.

Here is the left hand turn that will guide runners from Einfield Road onto Winstead Lane. It almost looks like an interstate off-ramp.

Winstead features a slight uphill incline, which will be very rare on this section of the course. I promise. Don't get mad because there is a short section of incline.

Winstead becomes Atlanta Street and then makes a loop. It starts with a right turn on Lake Austin Boulevard and then an almost immediate left onto Veterans Drive.

Right onto Lake Austin at the Pawn Shop

Left onto Veterans Dr. at the small dog statue

Veterans Drive will curl left and follow the Colorado River. This is the last main drag of the race. It will take us the final two miles to the last bridge crossing and the race finish. The low point of the race comes when passing under the S Lamar Blvd. Bridge.

Hey dude, you're going to wrong way!

The road becomes W Cesar Chavez as it nears the bridge crossing. Then, we go from north to south of the river via the First St Bridge.

After crossing this bridge there is a right turn onto W Riverside Drive. It is our last road of the race! And the last picture I have with which to annoy you! We will finish the run somewhere around this roundabout looking thing.

The finish party will be to the immediate right of the finish line. There you can enjoy some live music while eating/drinking some post race refreshments. Food trucks are apparently setting up shop there also, so bring cash. Wet your whistle at the Bloody Mary & Beer Garden or get some brunch to refuel those tired legs.
In summation, this course appears mostly downhill after the first 2.5 miles. That alone is reason for optimism. Also, the hotel is a short hobble across the Congress Ave Bridge. So our sore legs will find rest in short order. Huzzah!