3M Half Marathon races through Austin

AUSTIN (KXAN) - With an estimated seven-thousand participants the 19th annual 3M Half Marathon kicked off Sunday in Austin just as colder temperatures arrived.

MORE: 2013 race results

Race participants and their supporters sang along to the National Anthem shortly before the race began.

The half-marathon began in north Austin’s arboretum neighborhood and wound through to completion at Congress Ave. just in front of the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.

Out of thousands of runners, nearly 200 participants logged a sub-90 minute finish time. San Antonio local, Sammy Kiplagat Cheptoo, age 39 and originally from Kenya, finished first with a time of 1 hour, 6 minutes and 5 seconds (1:06:05). Austin local, Chass Armstrong, 25, crossed the finish only seconds behind him with a time of 1:06:54. Jared Carson, 26 and from Georgia, finished third with a time of 1:07:02. The record for this event is 1:01:05 held by Martin Fagan, set in 2009.

Austin triathlete Kelly Williamson, 35, claimed the top spot in the women’s open division with a time of 1:16:19. San Antonio’s Amy Shackelford, 25, took second crossing the finish with a time of 1:17:06. From Dallas, Lauren Barnett, 28, rounded out the top three with a time of 1:19:05.

In the female masters division, Austin’s Jennifer Fisher, 45, claimed the top honors with a time of 1:24:28, and Richardson’s Jose Garcia, 40, garnered the 2013 male masters division title with a time of 1:17:45.

Wheelchair champion Matt Davis out of Kentucky clocked in at 1:02:49, while the women’s wheelchair division winner was Kristen Messer, Austin local, with a time of 1:29:13.

The race, certified by USA Track and Field, is a mostly downhill course, ideal for setting personal records.

The 3M Half Marathon donated $30,000 last year to the non-profit, Communities in Schools. This year organizers added an additional $10,000 to that number for a total donation of $40,000 that will help at-risk students stay in school.

This year’s race is up by 1,000 participants when compared to last year . There have been over 6,000 volunteers in the 18-year history of the marathon which also includes wheelchair races.

Las year, almost 95 percent of runners were from the Lone Star State, 65 percent from right here in Austin.

2012 race results: Individual runners | Wheelchairs | 3M Employees

Over half of 2012’s contestants were participating in the race for the first time. In all, 60 percent of runners were female.

The oldest participant in last year's 13.1 mile run was 86.

The 3M Half Marathon is Austin’s second largest distance road racing event.

By the numbers

• One of the largest stand-alone half marathons in Texas
• Named “Best Schwag” by Runner’s World‚ January 2008
• Named in Runner’s World list of “Better Halfs” in 2007
• “Austin Race of the Year” by Austin runners in 2007 & 2002
• Named top half marathon by Competition Texas magazine in 2006