Austin is hilly. There, it's been said (it's really not that bad). Other than that, it's a really good city race, not too big, not too small. It's well organized and you can get lucky with the weather.

We stayed at the Sheraton across from the capital which is convenient to the start and finish. You can walk to lots of different restaurants but don't walk TOO much, hills lurk everywhere! DO go to the Roaring Fork for a Bigass Burger, but go after the marathon, not before :)

The start was easy to get to, although as is my usual complaint, there's never enough portajohns when the 15-minute mark hits and it's almost race time. I don't judge them; I'm not sure there is such a thing as "enough" portajohns before a marathon.

The course was fairly scenic, running through the city, past the river, the UT campus, and other historic areas. I remember it being pleasant and varied enough to be interesting. There was also good crowd support throughout the majority of the course.

The medal in 2015 was awesome, I think better than the 2016 anniversary medal (which I only saw pictures of). I ended up buying an Austin Marathon shirt at the expo which I liked better than the race giveaway (the swag was okay but the purchased shirt was better).

Bottom line, Austin is a great race, especially if you'e ticking off states. It's a fun city, lots to see and do if you have the time, good food, well organized, good support, and all around good race. The weather can be a factor, I suppose, but 2015 was somewhat humid but not hot, so worked out okay. Highly recommend it for your Texas marathon!