San Antonio is gearing up to host a brand-new marathon in 2025, signaling a significant shift in the city’s running landscape as it moves forward from the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon San Antonio. Executives from San Antonio Sports and the City of San Antonio made the official announcement, unveiling the San Antonio Marathon, a city-owned event set to debut in December 2025.
This new venture marks the end of an era for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series in San Antonio, which has been a fixture for 16 years. The inaugural San Antonio Marathon, organized by the city’s nonprofit sports commission, will take the place of the popular Rock ‘n’ Roll event. Registration for the new marathon is already open, inviting runners to be part of this fresh chapter in San Antonio’s running history.
The announcement coincides with The Running Event, North America’s largest running convention, scheduled to take place in San Antonio in early December. The San Antonio Marathon is slated for December 7, 2025, and organizers anticipate attracting over 18,000 runners and walkers. This ambitious goal underscores the city’s commitment to creating a premier running event.
The Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio series communicated its departure to past participants, expressing disappointment in not returning to San Antonio after years of partnership. Their final event in the city is scheduled for December 7th and 8th, 2024. The email to runners conveyed that the decision came as the City of San Antonio and San Antonio Sports opted to develop their own event rather than continue collaborating on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series.
Jenny Carnes, CEO of San Antonio Sports, emphasized that the timing was right for San Antonio to establish an event that truly reflects the city’s identity. “Over the course of 16 years, we have seen our city grow and evolve, as has San Antonio Sports, which is why now is the right time,” Carnes stated at the event unveiling the new marathon’s name and logo. She envisions the San Antonio Marathon as a “destination marathon” that showcases the unique beauty and story of San Antonio, attracting both local and international participants.
Josh Furlow, formerly CEO of Competitor Group which operated the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series event in San Antonio starting in 2010, is now playing a key role in the new San Antonio Marathon. Furlow, now Founder and CEO of The Trust Group, is partnering with the city and San Antonio Sports to bring this vision to life. He highlighted the local focus of this new event, stating, “It’s just time for the city to take the pride, take the ownership, and really control the ownership of what they want this event to turn into. It’s all local. It all stays local.”
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon San Antonio has been known for drawing thousands to downtown San Antonio, offering various race distances and incorporating live entertainment along the routes. While the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series will continue in other cities, San Antonio is now charting its own course with a marathon designed to be uniquely San Antonian.
The Trust Group will manage the San Antonio Marathon’s business strategy, operations, and course design. Adding further prestige, U.S. Olympian Meb Keflezighi is involved in designing a Boston Marathon-qualifying course. Keflezighi expressed his enthusiasm at the announcement, stating, “Running is difficult. But you’re all here to do one thing: To be the best version of yourself. And I’m glad to help bring the San Antonio Marathon to downtown, where so many people can cheer you on.”
The San Antonio Marathon will feature themed miles, including The Yanaguana Mile, the Fiesta Mile, the Military Mile, the Rodeo Mile, and the Culinary Mile, promising a race experience deeply rooted in local culture.
Online registration for the San Antonio Marathon opened immediately, offering special inaugural rates. Despite ongoing construction in downtown San Antonio, CEO Carnes expressed confidence in the city’s ability to be ready for the event, pointing to preparations already underway for the NCAA Final Four event in 2025. San Antonio is poised to embrace this new marathon era, creating an event that reflects its community and spirit.
