Good News For Dallas Marathon Runners

A new course means fewer big turns.

On Dec. 8, thousands of runners will take to the streets of Dallas for that city’s marathon and half marathon. Race officials hope that these will be happier runners this year thanks to a series of changes that they’ve implemented.

One big difference is the elimination of 180-degree turns on the course.

“By eliminating the 180-degree turn, the half marathon course should allow for faster finish times, but most importantly, this change will greatly enhance the runner experience,” said race president Patrick Byerly.

Last year, runners were presented with a turn like this shortly before the finish of the half marathon. The turn allowed them to see the finish before they had crossed it.

“You want to have as much of the course the same as possible year after year,” executive director Marcus Grunewald said. “We’re very close to stabilizing it and minimizing the changes made year after year.”

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