2022 Ascension Seton Austin Marathon Opens Elite Athlete Program

October 14, 2021

$20,000 prize purse includes marathon and half marathon

AUSTIN, Texas, October 14, 2022 — The Ascension Seton Austin Marathon presented by Under Armour is accepting applications from elite runners for the 2022 Elite Athlete Program. The program creates a competitive field of elite male and female runners while discovering emerging talent, pushing the entire talent pool to reach Olympic standards. FloTrack’s live coverage highlights the competition amongst the elites, following runners throughout the event and showcasing their accomplishments throughout the broadcast. The 30th annual Austin Marathon, owned and produced by High Five Events, will take place on February 20, 2022.

“The Austin Marathon is serious when they talk about discovering emerging talent because I’m one of those runners,” said Joey Whelan, two-time Austin Marathon champion who hit the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials B Standard in 2019(2:17:03). “It’s a world-class event in an amazing city that comes alive on race day and provides endless amounts of energy and support.”

The $20,000 prize purse breakdown is $15,000 for the marathon and $5,000 for the half marathon. The Austin Marathon will award the top five male and female finishers. The Austin Half Marathon will award the top three male and female finishers. Athletes accepted into the Elite Athlete Program must meet the program’s standards. If accepted, they’ll receive a comped entry, possible bonuses, and comped entry to the 3M Half Marathon set to take place on January 23, 2022. They’re also eligible for hotel and transportation reimbursement up to $350.

Runners who fall within a 10-15 minute window of Program standards could still be accepted into the Elite Field and receive a comped entry. Only runners that are accepted to the Elite Athlete Program or the Elite Field are eligible for prize money. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until December 31, 2021.

“We’re excited for the return of the Elite Athlete Program after we postponed it for our rescheduled date earlier this year due to COVID,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “Since we brought the Program back in 2017, we’ve seen the competition increase, discovered emerging talent, and witnessed several Olympic Marathon Trials qualifiers.”

To be eligible for prize money and reimbursement, athletes must be accepted into the Elite Athlete Program and start the race. All athletes are subject to random drug testing pre- and post-race. Read more about program details, including eligibility standards, here. Interested athletes and coaches with questions can contact elites@youraustinmarathon.com.

The Austin Marathon will celebrate its 30th year running in the capital of Texas in 2022. Austin’s flagship running event annually attracts runners from all 50 states and 35+ countries around the world. The start and finish locations are just a few blocks apart and within walking distance of many downtown hotels and restaurants. The finish line is in front of the picturesque Texas State Capitol. The Austin Marathon is the perfect running weekend destination.

About High Five Events:

Beginning with the launch of a single triathlon in 2003, High Five Events has grown to become one of the largest privately owned event production companies in the United States. High Five Events is a community-centric company based in Austin, Texas. Their staff has more than 100 years of combined experience organizing large events across different venue types in a variety of locations. High Five Events has been on the Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Companies for 2020 (ranked 1853) and 2019 (2163).