This weekend is an important one for the running community in Austin, Texas.
The city is hosting the 19th annual Austin Marathon Sunday. The Palmer Events Center, which is hosting the marathon expo, has been buzzing since yesterday as runners picked up race packets, browsed booths and watched a few motivational speakers give brief speeches.
I caught up with one of those speakers – Runner’s World Chief Running Officer Bart Yasso. The legendary marathoner and ultrarunner sat down with me and we chatted a bit about training, running around the world, and how the sport is much more than just exercise. Yasso will be running the 26.2 on Sunday as well, so if you are running, take a look at the runners around you. You never know what famous runner you will be pacing yourself with.
Yasso spoke to a crowd of runners after our interview and gave advice on topics ranging from hydration to blisters to dealing with cramping.
Both the full and half marathon sold out this year and perhaps with good cause. The Austin-American Statesman published a story yesterday saying the course might be faster than expected despite undergoing some changes in the past few years. Pam LeBlanc, the fitness writer for the Statesman, also provided a great list of last-minute information on the race.
I won’t be running the race, but I’ll be volunteering at the Gazelle Foundation water stop around mile 8. Good luck to all the runners Sunday!
