Course Map
About this Race
The San Antonio Marathon is the city's own successor to sixteen years of Rock 'n' Roll racing, a locally organized course that starts at Main Plaza in downtown San Antonio and winds through the historic King William and Monte Vista districts before climbing into Olmos Park and Alamo Heights. The route passes the Alamo, threads through Fort Sam Houston, and rolls through the green expanse of Brackenridge Park before finishing at Hemisfair. Staged cutoffs from mile six reclassify or redirect slower runners, keeping the course moving on race day. Held in early December, it typically offers mild but sometimes humid Texas conditions. It suits runners who want a genuinely local, community-run Texas race through a mix of historic neighborhoods and shaded parkland, tracing a course built and organized by the city itself rather than a national promoter.
Course Insight
San Antonio's course starts at Main Plaza downtown and climbs gradually into Olmos Park and Alamo Heights before looping back through Fort Sam Houston and Brackenridge Park to the Hemisfair finish, a route with more genuine undulation than the old downtown-and-River-Walk course it replaced. Staged cutoffs from around mile six mean slower runners risk being reclassified to the half or redirected, so know your target time going in. December in San Antonio is usually mild, though humidity can linger. Pace the Olmos Park and Alamo Heights climbs by effort rather than fixed splits, and the shaded stretches through Brackenridge Park offer a welcome break before the run to the finish.
Difficulty Breakdown
Mostly due to significant climbing (270m), tough late hills.
Course Details
- Course type
- Point-To-Point
- Elevation gain
- 270m
- Elevation loss
- 268m
- Highest point
- 245m
- Lowest point
- 190m
- Net elevation
- +2m
- Start
- Main Plaza, Downtown San Antonio
- Cutoff time
- 7h 0m
Race History
The San Antonio Marathon launched in 2025 when the city ended a sixteen-year run with the Rock 'n' Roll Running Series and took over organizing its own marathon. The inaugural race closed roads through downtown and the historic King William and Monte Vista districts, establishing a course distinct from its predecessor. Run each December, it remains a young, locally run event still building its own identity and traditions.
Plan Your Trip
Everything you need to know to get there, get settled, and get to the start line.
- Nearest airport(s)
- San Antonio International (SAT), Austin (AUS)
- Best area to stay
- The River Walk downtown for proximity to the route and full hotels, the Pearl District for trendy, characterful stays, and Southtown for hip, value options.
- Getting to the start
- The start is downtown near the Alamodome/Hemisfair; walk from downtown hotels, as it's a compact central course.