The Austin Marathon celebrates its 20th running this year with its biggest field ever, an exciting and socially significant new title sponsor in Livestrong, and, yes, once again, a modified course. The course has changed, to some degree, 17 times in the last 20 years, almost always due to a combination of events outside the organizers’ control, and the desire to make improvements for the runners and the community at large. The race went to a looped course in 2007, which traded the crazy-fast downhill point-to-point routes for a looped course that displays more of Austin, and brings it within the post-2006 USA Track and Field guidelines for Olympic qualifying courses.

While some runners avoid Austin because of its hills, and some running pundits even gripe and whine about the course, every year, thousands of runners return to the race, attracted by the city, the well-run event, and by what many believe to be a course that’s challenging, but fair, and continues to qualify more runners for the Boston Marathon than other, "flatter," "faster" Texas races. And, the 2011 incarnation of the Austin course just might be the fastest of the looped courses, and possibly the easiest on the legs.

In previous years, runners started on Congress, near Cesar Chavez, and within a few blocks began up to a three-mile climb of almost 200 feet. As a runner and a coach, I believe that the timing of the uphills and downhills on the 2007-2010 courses resulted in more fatigue, and maybe more cramping later.

For 2011, the start has moved to 16th and Congress, north of the Capitol. The race now opens with over two miles of downhills and flats before hitting that steady climb. That, combined with a longer, faster, downhill with fewer turns in the final miles, should make this a faster course.

The key to getting the most out of this course, or at least minimizing the chances of having a bad day, is having an intelligent plan of attack. Aside from proper training, nothing else will flatten hills and shorten miles like familiarity. This series of articles will hopefully give local runners a race-ready perspective on their home course, and will give visiting runners a vision and a plan for their race. I recommend following along on the course maps.

Originally, a wave start was planned, but was ditched as a variety of factors rendered it unworkable. So, the largest field ever assembled for the event, almost 18,000 runners, will mass start at 7:00 am. Runners will stage by pace time south on Congress, around either side of the Capitol.

From the start line, it’s three blocks on a very slight downhill to the first turn, a 90-degree right onto Martin Luther King Blvd. The simple fact: the turn's gonna get crowded, and it could potentially bottleneck a bit. I suggest you use this to keep you from making the most likely and biggest mistake of the day – going out too fast. Let the crowd slow you down and calm you down – decide you’re going to be the calm runner in the crowd. I’m telling my runners to line up on the left, so they’ll be on the outside in the turn , rather than getting pinched into the inside curb.

MLK is a good downhill, and a good place to start enforcing another rule for the day – be conservative on the downhills. You will see runners barrel down, actually burning more energy than they would on flat ground. Use the downhills – you can recover and relax and still pick up time, and you’ll end up seeing, and passing, those other runners. It just takes discipline.

Those without that discipline are about to have their first rude shock, as they turn right onto San Jacinto, which is a long flat to “false-flat” – it looks flat, but really has just enough of a slope to make a difference. That leads into the first challenging uphill of the day, which all runners will see twice – now, and at the end. Going up the hill to 11th Street, feel solid and strong, and decide that you’re not intimidated by the hill. Remember how that feels, because you’ll need that feeling later.

11th pitches downhill to Congress, where you can see the massive finish line structure, a block to your left. There’s another good uphill or about a block and a half, and then the left turn onto Guadalupe. Guadalupe is a great, long downhill, for the better part of a mile. This is where you want to start thinking about settling into your pace, even though you’ll end up with slightly quicker times. The first water stop, staffed by Livestrong, is just past 5th Street, and runs down both sides of the block.

The course turns left at Cesar Chavez, past the St. James Men’s Chorus at City Hall, on to the right turn onto Congress. Over the bridge is a short downhill, and then the big, extended challenge of South Congress, which real Austinites do not call “SoCo.”

South Congress is really best seen as a series of hills. The first is the steepest, up to the big beige wall of the Texas School for the Deaf. It flattens a little – recover and relax. The next climb takes you up to about Monroe before it levels out a bit again. The slope up to Live Oak is much more moderate, and then it’s a fairly moderate gradual climb to the right turn onto the access road of Ben White/Hwy 71.

The access road itself holds a sharp downhill, and a short, tough uphill that is often overlooked. At the top, however, about 5.5 miles in, you get the flipside of the long climb – the long downhill on South First. Just accept that the South Congress to South First portion of the course is going to take some time from you, much of which you’ll get back. South First is a rolling downhill with flat bits interspersed, but the descent will still be faster.

You’ll cross over Lady Bird Lake again, turning left onto Cesar Chavez in front of City Hall, the only time you’ll see another part of the course coming at you. Think about what you’ve just beaten since you were last at this intersection, and work on settling into a comfortable rhythm. Cesar Chavez is mostly downhill, until you get to the climb up, the downhill, and the second climb on the ramp towards Lake Austin Blvd.

This year, though, the long, often windy stretch of Lake Austin Blvd., followed by the sharp turn and long climb on Enfield, is gone. Instead, you’ll turn right onto Atlanta, which becomes Winstead – the southbound access road to Mopac. This involves a long, steady climb up to West 10th, then a downhill and flat to where the course splits at mile 10.8, at Enfield Road, where the marathoners will go left, and the half marathoners will turn right. For the remainder of this segment, we’ll follow the half marathoners from “the split” to “the merge,” where the two courses meet again.

The half marathoners will see a long, gradual climb for about a quarter-mile, then some gently rolling terrain until a long downhill a little over half a mile from the split. At almost 12 miles in, any half marathoner that doesn’t feel incredibly energized and strong needs to reserve some energy for what is perhaps the toughest hill on either course.

Coming up from the overpass over Lamar, Enfield, which is now 15th Street, rises over 80 feet in less than a quarter of a mile. That may not sound like much, but it’s eight stories, in a very short span. Going into it, relax, shake your arms and hands out, and focus on keeping your form together – hips under you, head up! Pick a point up ahead, just get to it, then pick another one and repeat.

It’s time to assess how you feel. You’re going into a long downhill before a short, gradual uphill, but you do still have a little over a mile left. If you increase your pace, it needs to be by small increments.

15th takes you downhill to just past the last water stop, at Nueces. It then pitches back up to Congress, then, it’s a good downhill back to San Jacinto, where you’ll meet up with the marathon course for the final stretch.

To be continued…

Note: Rob Hill has worked with the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon since 2007, and has coached runners for the race since 2007 with Team Spiridon, a nonprofit group that raises money for local animal welfare organizations. His opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the Austin Marathon's organizers or sponsors, and his articles fall outside of the scope of his work for the race.