Really fun experience! It's a transition for me to participate even though I don't run the entire distance and end up walking towards the end. The tribute to fallen US military members is especially touching and brings me to tears every time. read more

From a visitor's standpoint, I was not impressed by San Antonio's race layout -- it included what appears to be backroads and did not include the Alamo as previous years have mentioned. Actually, I didn't see any beauty of San Antonio, which could be far from the truth. At one point we were running along a cemetery! It was not a way to respect those who passed. As for the race organization, I found the event well organized with plenty of food and fluids at the finish line. However, having it every 2 miles can be hard for some if they skip a station or aren't super aware of the limited number of stations available. On the bright side, there are less opportunities for congestion/ bottlenecks when you have fewer stations (and aiming for a PR), right? I appreciated the section in the race which pays tribute to our serviceman who have died while in combat. It truly reminds us of those who sacrificed their lives for own livelihood, freedom, and our great land of opportunities. The race started on time (7:15am) and it was easy to get to our corrals. I was in the 7th corral and started about 30 min later. Their expo are always average at best. Sometimes you will get to meet a famous athlete, but this race didn't feature anyone at the expo. Since the race finished at a cool 50F for us half marathoners, I wished they were passing out space blankets! read more

This is a very fun half marathon and a challenging full marathon. The course itself is very flat. The half features incredible crowd support with the Alamo being the historical eye candy of the route. The full is a more lonely experience. Crowds are sparse, roads are quiet but you are rewarded with historical views along the full Mission Trail. The uphill at the end to the finish will eat your lunch, but organizers do an excellent job of making you feel celebratory as you cross the line. read more

San Antonio Rock n Roll Marathon - Races & Competitions Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I returned for the 2015 edition of the RNRSA Remix weekend. A lot of the details are in my 2014, but I'll put the highlights here. This is one of the larger RNR events, and they offer a remix challenge with a 10K distance on Saturday and options of a 5K, Half Marathon or Full Marathon on Sunday. We hit up the expo on Friday to grab our 10K bibs. Feedback was listened to and we got gender specific shirts for both distances--thank you! We got there late, so revisited the expo on Saturday after the 10K to see the vendors. A few of my faves were missing, but still an awesome selection. Same as last year, the 10K started at the Alamodome and concluded at the Alamo. While the course isn't super interesting, it is fairly flat (a few small inclines) and I love that some of the local running clubs come out to support along the course. Thank you to all the people who were cheering for us. The best part is finishing in downtown and running straight past the Alamo--cool! Sunday, we headed back to the Alamodome for the half. I learned my lesson from last year and did a few things to head off the chilly temps: 1) wore a hoodie and did gear check (which I never do) 2) Paid for the VIP upgrade, which included breakfast (and shelter in a tent) and post-race brunch Course was the same as last year and San Antonio is a great city for crowd support. I personally had a rough race (leg cramps the whole way--yuck), but still felt super motivated by all the awesome volunteers and spectators. Thanks again to the zoo team and all the people at Trinity U... you all make a tough section of the course so much better! Finally the finish line was back at the Alamodome. Again, it's a big race, so the finisher chute is long, but there are plenty of supplies to go around. We collected medals and snacks before heading to the VIP tent for brunch. One nit on VIP--no vegetarian food. I'm not vegetarian, but a friend of mine is, and she is certainly not alone in this. Plenty of food and drinks to go around. I signed up for a massage, but after waiting over an hour, we just left. Another great experience in lovely San Antonio and a great way to end my race year! read more

I would not recommend this race to anyone due to the extremely poor customer service. Despite finishing the San Antonio half marathon, my bib chip didn't record an official time. The only contact is an email which is very delayed on getting any reply. Each response from them requested more time to sort through results, but eventually they would be able to resolve the bib chip error. It's been nearly 2 months and still nothing. I've been ghosted by the customer service team after a couple emails requesting an update. It's very disappointing after training so hard for the race. read more

This race is currently still planned for 2020 but the last few years that I've run this it's been a very good experience. The Rock 'n' Roll marathon series concludes the year in San Antonio. As a result, there are a few more activities, festivities, and even celebrities. The expo is little bit larger than the norm and the race itself draws a good amount of participants and is very well organized and run. read more

The Pro: - Love the medals you get at end of the race - Very well organized event The Con: - Not a big fan of you are not allowed to pickup for your friends, we had a group of 5 ppl and we had to go separately, and because everyone have to do the same, it caused heavy traffic during the rainstorm. Also, I had to fly from CA for this event and I had rush from Austin airport to pick my package on Friday (I'm running Saturday), it was exhausting. Overall, still very good event, and being attending two years in a row, I can see the improvements read more

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I usually run two major races per year but this is the first Rock-N-Roll I've done in SA. I have to admit, I didn't really enjoy the course. First, let me state that with all the bad weather, I think the organizers and volunteers did a tremendous job. Folks were (sporadically) out there cheering us on despite the inclimate weather which was nice. At the end, they gave runners much needed space blankets, gatorade, fruit (cups which is kind of gross), and the like. I thought the medals they handed out were cool. Parking at the Alamodome proved to be a good idea too, I just wish it wasn't so expensive ($15!). I wonder why they don't just start/end the race there? If you're gonna have it downtown, that seems like an appropriate place to do so in my opinion. What I didn't like about the race was the course. Ok, I get it..you want to show off various parts of the city: the Alamo, the Pearl, Brack, HemisFair Park, etc. Fine. But can we not have a zigzaggy course that goes down alleys and back streets? It was ridiculous. In Austin, they have the marathon go through residential neighborhoods which actually incentivizes people to come out and cheer on the runners. Going down a back alley/side streets in downtown San Antonio has the opposite effect. Hell even Grand Rapids, Michigan had a better course that avoided alleyways. On the plus side, the course is mostly flat, but that's about it. Also, letting people go in waves was ridiculous. I can understand why you'd want the 2hr marathoners at the front. Fine. But having the race start at 7:30 and have some waves not pass the start line until 8:10 or after is just too much. There was absolutely no need to have that much wait time. Maybe if you didn't have people all start in a corral on Commerce st then you wouldn't need to send groups in waves. Finally, I HATED how the expo was at the Henry B. Gonzalez convention center (i.e. the place that no one ever goes to). For people that don't stay downtown, it's super inconvenient to pay exorbitant parking prices ($12) for a fifteen minute packet pickup. I spent more time trying to find a place to park than I did in the expo itself (which was run well). I don't think I'd ever do another Rock-N-Roll in SA unless they design a much better course. read more

I received a comped entry to run this half marathon this past Sunday (yes, being a blogger has its perks)! I've had this race on my list for quite some time now. I really enjoy running the Rock n Roll race series, because for the most part they are always super organized from start to finish. The expo/packet pickup is always such a neat experience, and I without a doubt always spend money there because there is so much swag. San Antonio for the most part was great as far as the half marathon course was concerned. I've heard things about the full course not being as well thought out, so I'm not sure I'd ever go back for that distance. If I'm running 26.2 I'd prefer not to be bored to tears with the scenery. Anyway, 13.1 was mostly flat and fast. The weather was humid and rainy but it was mostly decent. Parking was convenient but expensive. $20 to park at the Alamodome and a bit of a hike to get to the start and finish line. But I needed to move my legs when I finished so I didn't mind going the distance after to get to my car. Overall this race was good, not a ton to look at, but great if you want to come out to get some good grub and kind of cruise around the Riverwalk area after. I probably wouldn't call it much of an exciting destination type race. But if you're local it's a good race check off of your list. I'd probably go back with friends if super convinced but generally speaking I wouldn't go out of my way to run it again. read more

San Antonio Rock n Roll Marathon - Half mary finish!! - Races & Competitions Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

This was my first ever half marathon and I had such a good experience I will be doing it again. I liked how frequent the water and Gatorade stops were and the bathroom placements along the course. I also enjoyed the live music, I wished that Ever Clear had taken the stage just a bit later, so I could of enjoyed more of the music. My only complaint is packet pick up. I don't live in San Antonio so having to drive down from Austin to get the packet is frustrating. I wish there was an option for a friend to pick it up. read more

I love this event. My first half marathon! I am hooked! I am now signed up for phoenix, Washington DC and have one more city to select from... Ruth Seattle or San Diego. read more

San Antonio Rock n Roll Marathon - Races & Competitions Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Never contacted me when I enquirers about my end of the year medal, NO FOLLOW UP when you run multiple races. I ran 3 races in 2017 New Orleans, Dallas, and San Antonio, I did not receive a end of the year medal toward the end of January so I emailed them regarding the issue, the site clearly states to give them 7business days (which I did) and they never replied back on my missing medal for completing 3 races in 2017, I sent another one in February and another one in mid February and still no reply or response. They do NOT follow through. Horrible! read more

1.5 stars, maybe. The race felt unorganized to me from the very beginning. We signed up really early, when it was originally scheduled for December 7th. Then received an email stating that the date had been moved back to November (I would not have signed up for a November race in Texas...) But, we had to be flexible... unfortunately, when I found out I was pregnant, I called to ask to switch from the full marathon to the half. Were they flexible? No. Obviously, they let me just run the half... with no refund, or discount, or promotional coupon for next year, and wouldn't consider adding another runner to the half either. No flexibility at all (and this was still 4 months out....) The mandatory, in-person packet pick-up the day before was horrendous. I have run several other races in which someone else has had to pick up my packet due to travel or time constraints. There was no announcement of this requirement prior to signing up, and had I known that it was a requirement, I would never have registered for this race!!! My sister was coming in from out of town and had to schedule her whole arrival so that she could be there in person... when I could have easily just picked it up for her (and my husband, but no, we had to find a babysitter so we could drive thirty minutes downtown and both be there...) I've never seen this before. Ridiculous. Just so they can force you to fight insane parking, and a huge crowd to walk through the expo?! The weather (which was fantastic on the December date we originally signed up for...) was insanely hot, and made this the single worst race of my life. And where the hell were the bananas????!!! All the way at the end, that's where. They had cases and cases of them there, but not one on the whole course! The only snacks offered on the course were pixie sticks and salt packets and one pack of goo?!?! I have run (much cheaper) races where there are literally CAKES and bananas and snickers all the way through the course, and with the price of this race... and the miserable heat... I just could not believe the lack of anything but water and nasty gatorade at the stations. I thought the 'Rock-n-Roll' aspect sounded fun, and chose to run without my ipod because they touted the bands all over the place. Well... they really aren't very frequent, and you run by them in 30 seconds... none of them were anything special. There were supposed to be spirit squads and cheerleaders and energy all throughout, but it was much more sparse than they led on, and with the heat... basically no energy anywhere. The students at University of the Incarnate Word were quite motivating though... probably because they lined themselves up the biggest hill I have ever seen on a supposedly 'flat' course. It was a lot hillier than they led on as well... guess I should check the elevation graphics carefully, rather than just taking the promoters' word for it. Anyway, it was my sister's first race, and we ran it together since I was pregnant... I spent the entire time apologizing to her for how horrible it was and promising her that they are ALWAYS much better. We spent forever in the corrals, forever in port-a-john lines (there weren't enough along the course, so we lost at least ten minutes standing in line...) The course ran through some really ugly areas of San Antonio, and the Alamo was alllll the way at the beginning... the last stretch was a disgustingly long piece of straight hot pavement with no shade whatsoever (this is important here....) and nothing to look at.... They seriously need to reconsider the course layout. This was, hands down, the worst race I have ever been a part of (and the last one I ran in 40-degree-pouring-rain in a foreign country where I couldn't speak the language and had to walk two miles to the train after finishing, so it's not like they've all been just blissful) ... It also was the most expensive. Nope, never again will I sign up for a Rock-N-Roll series... I would highly encourage you to avoid this race and run literally ANY other race. read more

This was my 16th full marathon, and not my favorite. The course was ok, it was nice running on paths in parklike setting. Most People run the half, very sparse on the full course after the split, which is fine. Very few spectators, also fine. My issue was having water stations only every 2 miles. Almost every marathon I have done, has water stations every mile. Some years, the temps are in the high 90s and humid. How do you not provide runners, who pay a lot of money, with at least water every mile. If I had known, I would have brought my hydration vest, so I recommended doing that if doing the full. Sparse on aid stations as well. Overall, I wouldn't do this one again and recommend sticking with the half. read more

Considering there were not many alternative marathons in San Antonio, I gave in and signed up for this expensive race. I am not a fan of mandatory packet pickup with additional parking fees and wasted time through an advertising maze. The music was also way too loud (I even covered my ears). My body is going through enough, I don't need any additional hearing damage as well. The pace groups also ended at 3:30 which was a little disappointing. I would have loved a 3:40 pace group. I did enjoy that the half marathoners did not intersect too much with the marathoners. I would have appreciated if crowds were more considerate of the faster marathoners and did not hang out in the course at the end. The weather was also horrendous this year so I would probably run a different time of year or sign up last minute. read more

The customer service is not responsive to any inquires regarding Tour Pass holder registration. Possibly an indication that the RnR brand is declining since they do not appear to be at all concerned about participant issues. Hopefully there will be a replacement for this race in the future as RnR appears to be an easy cash grab. read more

Will be back next year!!! I thought that the start was perfect-we stayed at the Marriott Riverwalk and it was so nice to be able to get right to our coral with little worry. The water stops were frequent and had lots of great volunteers. It was warmer than I was prepared for so having water more frequently really helped. I also liked the cold beer (unauthorized I am sure) by the good folks in the neighborhood around mile 3. The course was fun and the crowds created a festive experience along the whole route. I have done the San Diego and Las Vegas Rock n Roll and San Antonio is by far the best. Good job...looking forward to coming back to San Antonio next year. read more

This was my first ever marathon, so obviously don't have much to compare it to. I had a great experience!! There were a few things I would have changed though. First off, mile 22 mile marker was missing. Okay - when you're running your first marathon and only trained up to 18, mile markers are CRUCIAL. When 22 never showed up, I was almost in tears thinking i'd never make it past mile 21, until mile 23 showed up. PHEW!! Next, miles 15-25 REALLY could have used some music. I mean, the park is great, but after being in it for 10 miles, it really starts to get monotonous. Especially when you've gotta go up those rolling hills. I was sortof looking forward to seeing the whole city, but after the marathon split off from the half marathon it was like "ok lets put you on the outskirts/sketchy areas of san antonio and make you run without music :)" Bottom line, I finished in 4:16 (anything was a PR for me!! :) ) and i mayyy do another one but we''ll see. read more

This marathon was great due to the amount of runners that were participating. People all around running with you. I ran the full Marathon and my husband ran the Half. This was my third marathon and my first time doing SA, which I was excited about because it's my hometown. My husband and I ran together until he had to veer off to finish his half. My only complaint is that the Half was where all the awesome was. People lined the streets on both sides for the first 13 miles, and then the full marathoners split into a park where it was way too hard for spectators to come out (that and we were running on concrete - my knees!). My parents were able to spot my husband and I at least 4 times during the first half and I saw my folks only 2 times on the second half: at mile 14 and then at mile 24. They said it was way too difficult to get into the park (which explains the lack of spectators). Also, bands were EVERYWHERE for the first half but no bands at all while in the park. We entered the park around mile 14 and didn't get out of it until mile 23. A long long long grueling 10 miles in a park, on concrete, with no spectators, and no bands. They're going to need to change this up. I would do the half here in SA again, since it appears the half is what maybe it's geared toward, but never again am I doing the full here in SA unless they change the second half of the course. read more