Great Springs Trail Race - Austin
Race: 5K, 10K, 13.1 miles, 26.2 miles, 50K, Youth 1 Mile
When: March 8, 2025
Where: Southeast Metro Park - Austin
4511 Highway 71 East, Del Valle, TX 78617
Closest cities: San Marcos, Kyle, Buda
Closest bigger cities: Austin, San Antonio
This race has it all and is right in Austin’s backyard. The venue is a huge city park with massive playgrounds, sports fields, big fields, tons of parking, huge shade trees, and fun trails! These fun trails sit on a bluff above Onion Creek, surrounded by woods and wildlife. You will forget you are in the big city of Austin and just down the road from the Austin Bergstrom Int’l Airport. The course features single track, double track, rolling hills, challenging short uphills, fast downhills, and the Tejas Trails spirit!
This race is made possible by the hard work of the Great Springs Project. Not familiar with it yet? Check out the link below or come to the race to learn how the Edwards Aquifer beneath these trails is crucial for providing sustainable clean water to our growing cities. We are incredibly proud to support their impressive efforts through this trail race!
We are also extremely thankful to the Travis County Parks Foundation, which supports all Travis County Parks. Their mission is to create a powerful community resource that increases awareness, engagement, and community support for Travis County parks. They are providing volunteers for trail building and hosting the party at the finish line!
Race Day Results & Timing & Scoring
Start Options
We will have a mass start per distance. Sometimes we start more than one distance together, so pay attention to the Schedule for this event. We also leave the start line open for a little while longer for those who want to avoid the mass start, enjoy a more casual entry onto the course, and don’t care about overall awards.
Results and Live Split Updates
Click this button on race day to see updated results each time a runner passes a timing mat on the course and the final results. Timing mats are always at the start/finish/next lap line, and sometimes an additional mat is placed out on the course.
Timing and Scoring
The results page will show two times for each runner. “Gun Time” and “Chip Time”. Here’s what that means for you:
“Gun Time” is the time from the mass start (when the starter officially starts your distance) until when you cross the finish line. This is everyone’s “official time”, no matter when you enter the race course; and is the time that is used for all rankings and awards.
“Chip Time” is the time from when you actually cross the start line until the time you cross the finish line. This is not used for official times or award rankings. But if you begin after the Mass Start you can see this time in the results to know the time you actually covered the course in.
Race Schedule
EVERYTHING HAPPENS AT THE RACE SITE
TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY
Course Marking and Race Hub Setup: Sun up to sun down pretty much.
FRIDAY
Packet Pickup: 4:30pm-7:00pm at Primitive Trailhead (Google Map Link)
Pre-Race Briefing: 6:00pm-6:30pm Pre-Race Briefing and Q&A w/ drinks provided by Tejas Trails (not mandatory)
SATURDAY
Packet Pickup:
6:00am-8:45am (for all distances)
9:30-10:00am (for Youth Races)
Start:
6:30am: 50k Start
7:00am: 26.2 mile Start
8:15am: 13.1 mile Start
8:30am: 10k Start
8:45am: 5k start
10:30am: Youth 1 Mile Start
Final Lap Cutoff: 1:00pm (must be on your last lap)
Final Cutoff: 2:30pm (course closed)
Teardown: Saturday all day (Yes, we always need help.)
Course Information
RACE DISTANCES: 1 Mile Youth Run, 5k, 10k, 13.1 mile, 26.2 mile, 50k
ROUTE DETAILS:
The race features a gorgeous and well-marked 6.5 mile loop. You’ll roll through the trail parties at the aid station and the start/finish line approximately every three miles.
The loop starts with wooded single track, then leads into a short two-way traffic section perfect for high-fives. Next, fire up your quads for a steep, short descent followed by an equally steep climb. Then, hit your groove as you wind through mesquite trees and tall oaks along Onion Creek. At the midway point, you’ll find smiling faces at the Pump Aid Station. After you fill up on snacks and cheer, you will head back towards the start/finish with just that one section of two way traffic. The last half mile of the loop is a rough jeep road and all uphill! Yep, you read that right. Time to dig in and finish strong!
Get the inside scoop!
Get to know these trails first hand by joining the Tejas Trail Crew to build them.
August dates to choose from for now. We will be out there in later months too.
Course Markings
We go above and beyond on our course markings, and have become known around the world for it. We will have orange Tejas Trails caution tape blocking off any open intersections; yellow arrows stapled to stakes, signposts, fences, and trees; and hundreds of confidence markers between. You never have to navigate or use a map.
Course markings are not color-coded per distance. When you get to an intersection where a shorter distance breaks off from the longer main loop, there will be signs with distances on them pointing the appropriate ways. Simply follow the signs with your distance on them. If you don’t see your distance, you just missed your turn. Don’t ever cross caution tape. It usually is required that we keep the caution tape on the ground, but it’s always obvious, and will act as a guardrail for you at open intersections.
Now of course, you can get off course… So if you’re new to trail running, you have to train your brain to keep looking up; and especially don’t trust the person in front of you. We have a special “Lemming Award” for those who blindly follow someone else off course and then get mad at us.
Aid Stations
We will provide a lot of aid station support for you.
There will be 1 on course aid station plus one at the start/finish line.
The main start/finish aid station + the on course aid station a little past the halfway mark will have some other grab n go snacks, fruit, water, Tailwind, and a few different various other sweet and salty goodies if you need more than a quick water refill.
We will have cold sodas and water waiting for you at the finish line.
Drop Bags
We are not offering drop bag locations for this course. Please do not leave any personal bags or belongings on the course.
You are welcome to leave a drop bag anywhere around the race hub for when you come through on each lap. Please do not put it in the start/finish chute or packet pickup tent, etc.
Volunteering
We fully recognize we could not (and would not want to) put on any of these events without your help. Volunteers breathe life into these events. You make them personal for people. We no doubt need you and love this component to our business. So, know that we will always do everything we can afford to do to help you enjoy your time out there in the trenches helping those runners achieve their goals and dreams.
As a volunteer, you get:
Park entry fees and Camping fees paid for (if your role requires you to sleep at the park)
Food brought to you while you are volunteering
Shirt, hat, race swag, etc.
Loads of good memories
All the gear you need to successfully accomplish your task
Volunteer hours exchanged for future race entries
We can always use help, specifically for: course marking, packet pickup, aid stations, finish line, course sweeping, teardown, and more!
Swag & Stuff
Your race entry comes with a bunch of good stuff! You’ll get the comfort of our world-renowned course markings so you don’t have to worry about getting lost. You’ll get our notorious staff and volunteer support (and probably leave with new friends you met at an aid station or the finish line)! We will offer a plethora of aid station food and drink options, as well as finish line drinks. There will be a relaxing race hub area with backyard games and toys for kids to play with for your spectators, friends, and family.
You can also expect awesome gear you’ll actually want to wear, and a truly unique medal that you’ll be proud to have. Those who sign up before the shirt cutoff (when we actually have to put the shirt order in) will receive a nice shirt. Sometimes long sleeve, short sleeve, sleeveless, tank top, or something else we find that’s cool and different from the year before. Those who register after that date will receive a cool non-size specific item, such as a hat, beanie, arm warmers, scarf, drink ware, or something else we find.
If you don’t like the swag item you received, you may swap your item after the final Packet Pickup is over (when we have ensured everyone got the item they signed up for). You can also purchase the other item(s) if you like all of them. This will all happen from the Tejas Trails merchandise tent when it’s onsite, and otherwise will be made available at the Packet Pickup Tent or the Finish Line Tent.
Please note, we don’t always get the shirt color we had planned these days, as things are goofy with shipping and fulfilling. If the shirt color changes, sometimes we have to change the design colors too. But you can count on a quality item.
Timing & DNF
Chip Timing
All races will be chip timed. Chips will be attached to an ankle strap, picked up on RACE MORNING ONLY at the event venue, and must be worn on your ankle during the race. Chips are likely to not work if worn anywhere other than your ankle.
Once you finish, we will have a bin for you to place your chip into. Our head timer will take care of it from there.
Please reference the “Start Options” section above for exact details of how we are utilizing “Gun Time” vs “Chip Time”.
Check Out
If you leave the race for any reason before completing the full race distance, you must turn in your timing chip. If we have your Chip, then we know you have left the course & we won't go looking for you all day & night.
DNF (Did Not Finish)
If you decide to not finish the distance you registered for, you may get a finisher medal to commemorate the miles you did finish if you completed a shorter race distance; but you will be a DNF in the results. You will not be in contention for awards for the shorter distance category.
Split Time Collection
Some races may have mid-point reads to help us track progress during the race. If you see a timing mat on the course, make sure you run over it.
Pacers
Pacers are not allowed for this event.
Overall Awards
We love celebrating our top finishers! However, we don’t have awards ceremonies at most of our events. But all the top finishers will receive some really great stuff!
We will have some fun, special, handmade overall awards to hand out when you cross the finish line. Volunteers will check results as you cross, but sometimes there’s a delay since our events are mostly remote. So, if you think you may be in contention for one, please ask before leaving.
Please note, we do not mail awards to anyone who leaves without their earned award. If there is any signal, you can also look up how you did on the results page (found in the pre-race email and at the top of this event webpage).
For this race, we award the Top 3 Overall + Top 1 Masters (50 & Older).
There are special awards handed out uniquely for the Tejas 250, Tejas 300, and Tejas 400.
For anyone who completes 500, 1000, 1500km or miles at the same event, we give away special fleeces for you to make others jealous with.
Families & Youth Run
Capacity for this event is very limited, so we won’t have our usual Youth One Mile Race. This is the only event we can’t do this at, so we hope to see your little ones at the next race!
Tejas Trails is for families! We have a few things going on to help everyone have fun on race weekend.
For you runners who are trying to figure out how to train and race while trying to be a good friend, partner, spouse, or grandparent.
For you family members and friends who are trying to support your runner, but get bored out of your minds trying to keep your young ones safe and busy.
Our goal is for the runner’s family and friends to have fun things to do, enjoy hanging out, exercise, play in the woods, and create great life-long memories together. Bottom line, we want families to grow closer together because of Tejas Trails events. So, we will provide things like family discounts, yard games, practically free youth races, and a family-friendly environment.
Getting Here
Everything happens at Southeast Metro Park
Parking
Parking will all be at the large sport field parking lots just south of the primitive trailhead. This Google Maps link will take you right to the parking lot: PARKING. There will be a runner drop off at the Primitive Trailhead for those who want to shorten the walk.
Once you get parked, you will follow the signs for the 0.25 mile walk on sidewalk path that goes to the north towards the Primitive Trailhead.
Camping & Lodging
There is not camping at this event, but the good news is that the race course is right in the middle of Austin, which has more than ample options for camping, BnBs, and hotels.
History, Records & Registered Runners
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