AUSTIN, Texas — Summer heat is leading to changes at a popular Austin fun run.
Organizers of the Maudie’s Moonlight Margarita Run are pushing back their start time for Wednesday’s fun run two hours from the prior year. It will now start at 8 p.m.
“It’s Austin,” said Hanna Cofer, interim CEO of The Trail Conservancy, which benefits from the 5K event. “It’s a rollercoaster.”
While it will still be warm outside, it’s more comfortable and safer for those 2,000 or so people who will run toward Tex-Mex and margaritas at the finish line.
“Anytime you have an event kicking off the summer in Texas, you just got to sort of reevaluate every year, and that’s what we did,” said Cofer.
Cofer said the decision was made long before the current run of feels-like temperatures in the triple digits. It followed feedback from participants from the 2023 event and internal discussion among stakeholders.
“We’ve bumped it later before, but this year, [we did it] particularly after the heat last summer was so awful,” said Cofer. “It’s obviously pretty bad right now. So, we’re doing it so we get out of those heat advisories.”
Cofer said the route will have lots of hydration stations and paramedics.
During a heat safety news conference on Tuesday at Austin City Hall, Austin and Travis County leaders said they’re watching the heat closely too.
Chief Robert Luckritz said Austin-Travis County EMS had responded to 177 heat-related illnesses since the start of April.
“[That’s] almost a 90% increase over last year,” Luckritz said.
Luckritz and other leaders shared tips to stay safe in summer.
“Use sunscreen; drink lots of water; wear light, loose clothing and hats; take frequent breaks; limit your activities to the early morning or evening, if you can, ” said the chief.
It’s outdoor advice echoed by Cofer.
“We’re encouraging everybody to pre-hydrate,” she said.
Along with cold margaritas at the finish line, Cofer said there will also be cold towels to help people cool down.
As of Tuesday afternoon, registration for the event was still open online.
Parts of Cesar Chavez, South First, and West Riverside will be closed on Wednesday evening.