San Antonio Marathon

Location: San Antonio, Texas
Country: United States
Website: https://sanantoniomarathon.com/
2025 Marathon Date: 07/12/2025
2026 Marathon Date: TBC
Winning Time 2025: 2:22:25
% Sub-3s: 1-2% # Sub-3s: 10-49 Total Finishers: 3-10k

The San Antonio Marathon is a new addition to the U.S. marathon calendar, with its inaugural edition held in December 2025. Designed as a community-first event, it was created to keep the city’s flagship marathon rooted in San Antonio itself, both culturally and economically, while offering a certified Boston-qualifying course that highlights the city’s depth of history and neighbourhood character.

San Antonio is one of the oldest cities in the United States, and the marathon is deliberately structured as a journey through that layered past. The race begins at Main Plaza in the historic downtown core, placing runners immediately among some of the city’s most recognisable landmarks. Early miles pass San Fernando Cathedral and The Alamo, before moving into older residential districts where tree-lined streets and preserved 19th-century architecture define the atmosphere.

The 42.195 km route is USATF-certified and follows a point-to-point layout, finishing at Hemisfair, near the Tower of the Americas. Rather than aiming for an ultra-flat profile, the course is best described as gently rolling. Total elevation gain is approximately 212 metres, spread across the distance in small, manageable rises rather than sustained climbs. This makes the course physically honest without being punishing, rewarding steady pacing and rhythm rather than aggressive early running.

As the race unfolds, runners move through a wide cross-section of the city. The route passes through the King William Historic District and Southtown, continues north through Brackenridge Park, and enters Fort Sam Houston, one of the most historically significant military installations in the country. Later miles feature the Museum Reach section of the River Walk and the Pearl district, blending green space with restored industrial architecture and modern cultural hubs.

The marathon places strong emphasis on runner support and experience. Aid stations are frequent and well distributed, and themed sections of the course reflect aspects of San Antonio’s cultural identity, from military heritage to local arts and food traditions. The finish at Hemisfair is designed as a celebratory focal point, reinforcing the event’s community-centred ethos.

Overall, the San Antonio Marathon offers a distinctly local marathon experience. It is not defined purely by speed or spectacle, but by a thoughtfully constructed course that tells the story of the city mile by mile, while remaining accessible to runners seeking a well-supported, Boston-qualifying race in early December.