Come Experience the Olympic Spirit at Trials Town!
On January 12-14, the Houston Marathon Committee will host Trials Town, a three-day interactive fan festival in celebration of the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon.
Located on Jones Lawn of Discovery Green in downtown Houston, Trials Town will be open on Thursday, Jan. 12 and Friday, Jan. 13 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on race day Saturday, Jan. 14.
Trials Town will feature:
United States Olympic Committee's "Road to London Tour:" an interactive fan experience for all ages to learn about what goes in to achieving the Olympic Dream as an athlete
Nike Zone: offering customized apparel, athlete appearances and giveaways
For the first time in U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon history, the men and women will compete on the same day on the same course at the same time for a coveted spot on Team USA. Designed to mirror the Olympic Marathon course in London, the Trials course is flat, fast and spectator-friendly. There are a number of great places to catch the action, and because athletes will run the eight-mile loop course three times to complete 26.2 miles, you'll catch the qualifiers multiple times!
USA Track & Field's Tracktown USA: an interactive fun zone for aspiring young athletes
On Friday, January 13 at 5:30 p.m., join us at Discovery Green for the Olympic Trials Opening Ceremony where we will celebrate and personally welcome Olympic hopefuls, recognize past and present Olympians, and feature local and industry leaders.
Spectator Information The Olympic Trials Marathon course consists of downtown Houston and Buffalo Bayou Park. The competitors will start on Avenida de las Americas, the street in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center. The men and women will both begin and end on this street. The men are scheduled for an 8:00 a.m. start, with the women just 15 minutes later. The convention center is located on the east side of Avenida de las Americas, while Discovery Green is located to the west. Discovery Green will be the Trials Town Fan Festival area that will open on Thursday. Click here for additional information on the schedule of events, including dates and times. The course will begin with a 2.2 mile loop of downtown and then continue on with 3 laps on an 8 mile loop. The design of the course was created to mirror the marathon course at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Spectators can watch from any area of the course. Click on the maps below and you can see the course layout as well as some suggested areas to watch. Please remember that there will be road closures to ensure the quality of the event and the safety of participants and spectators. Please adhere to posted signs and verbal instruction in regards to parking, traffic flow and spectating. Please help us be GREEN. Trash and recycle bins will be located along the course. Help keep the event, our city and our planet CLEAN & GREEN! Spectator & Course Restrictions The Olympic Trials Marathon has submitted an application to the city for the approval to utilize Buffalo Bayou Park, Sam Houston Park and the downtown areas. There are city ordinances that restrict or limit certain elements in being present in these areas or during this event. These restrictions include limitations on signage, tents and more. Please see below for more detail. We ask that you respect the events exclusivity of these areas. U.S. Olympic Committee Statement on Spectator & Cheer Zone Guidelines Maps Click below to see more detailed areas of the course. Click here for the entire Trials course. Downtown Houston Buffalo Bayou Park (West of Downtown to Shepherd) Downtown Downtown! You just can’t go wrong. Discovery Green will not only have the Trials Town Fan Festival area, but great views of the race. It is bookended by McKinney Street to the North and Lamar to the South. These roads will be closed to traffic from the George R. Brown Convention Center to Bagby (water station #1). Bagby will be where they make their turn to head to Buffalo Bayou Park, for the remainder of the 8 mile loop. The streets between McKinney and Lamar will also be closed, creating a great bridge between the outbound and inbound parts of the course. Feel free to stroll back and forth and up and down to watch these hopeful Olympians go for their dream. Buffalo Bayou Park Buffalo Bayou Park, Eleanor Tinsley Park, Sam Houston Park! Nature is the background for this part of the course, with downtown Houston just around the corner. Home to 2 water stations, almost 5 miles of course and plenty of spectator spots! Buffalo Bayou Park is 124 acres surrounded by Memorial Drive and Allen Parkway. All lanes of both streets will be closed along the course, from downtown to Shepherd Drive. Spectators can watch from the outskirts of the course or inside. A Police Memorial is located to the right of the runners on the early part of Memorial. The pyramid-like structure could provide a bird’s eye view of the course. The Henry Moore Statue is a good seat to have as you can get views of both sides of the course. Don’t forget Montrose and Waugh Drive. These roads will be closed to vehicle traffic creating a spectator bridge that connects the north and south part of the course. Eleanor Tinsley Park creates a good spot to anchor down. From the park you can see the runners as they make their way back to the Houston skyline. Just under the Interstate-45 overpass is Sam Houston Park and The Heritage Society. Visit these historical sites while you enjoy a view of the runners as they transition from the Buffalo Bayou Park to the Downtown area. Parking See the maps above for suggested parking. Also visit Downtown Houston for parking, attractions, restaurants and more. Be sure to adhere to all posted signs regarding parking restrictions. Street parking is not allowed in most residential areas. Parking lots and garages are independently owned, please be sure to read pricing information. Be prepared to pay cash. Directions & Transportation Visit the suggested links to help plan your marathon weekend. Please review the information below regarding directions, parking and street closures (5:30 a.m.). Remember that for the quality of the event and safety of both spectators and participants there will be volunteers and Houston Police monitoring the streets and the course. Please follow all posted signs or verbal direction. Be sure to review the posted maps and or information below for street closures and suggested alternative routes. Also, try this year’s mobile apps! DOWNTOWN Downtown Houston is the start and finish for all races on Marathon Weekend. The finish line is located on Avenida de las Americas. The George R. Brown Convention Center (Expo, Packet Pick-up, Reunion Area) and Discovery Green (Charity Village, VIP Tent, Fan Festival) are located on either side of Avenida. Avenida will close on Wednesday, January 11 at 12:01 a.m. Use the directions below to get to downtown then follow the map for parking locations. From Dallas, Conroe, The Woodlands, Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) I-45 South > Take I-10 East > Take Smith Street Exit > Turn Left on Texas or Rusk From Galveston, Clear Lake, Houston Hobby Airport I-45 North > Exit Pease Street (#45) > Right on Austin From Humble, Kingwood, Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) US-59 South > Jackson Street (Downtown Destinations) > Left on Franklin Street > Right on Hamilton Street > Right on Capitol Street From Galleria, Sugar Land, Missouri City US-59 North> Exit Polk Street (Downtown Destinations) > Left on Polk Street From Baytown, New Orleans, Channelview I-10 West > US-59 South > Jackson Street (Downtown Destinations) > Left on Franklin Street > Right on Hamilton Street > Right on Capitol Street From Katy, San Antonio I-10 East > US-59 South > Jackson Street (Downtown Destinations) > Left on Franklin Street > Right on Hamilton Street > Right on Capitol Street From Pearland, League City, Reliant Park 288 North > US-59 North> Exit Polk Street (Downtown Destinations) > Left on Polk Street From Austin, Cypress, Jersey Village US 290 East > 610 South > I-10 East > US-59 South > Jackson Street (Downtown Destinations) > Left on Franklin Street > Right on Hamilton Street > Right on Capitol Street BUFFALO BAYOU PARK Buffalo Bayou Park provides great views of the Trials. There are places where you can see the runners on both Memorial Drive an Allen Parkway. Spectators can view the race from Montrose or Waugh, which will be closed to vehicle traffic. There is also the turn- around at Waugh. Come out to the park! View the Buffalo Bayou map above for details. The directions below will get you to the area. From Dallas, Conroe, The Woodlands, Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) I-45 South > Take Dallas Street Exit (47D) > W. Dallas is the first main street south of Allen Parkway From Galveston, Clear Lake, Houston Hobby Airport I-45 North > Take Pease Street Exit (#45) > Follow to W. Dallas > W. Dallas is the first main street south of Allen Parkway From Humble, Kingwood, Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) US-59 South > I-10 West > I-45 South > Take Dallas Street Exit (47D) > W. Dallas is the first main street south of Allen Parkway From Galleria, Sugar Land, Missouri City US-59 North > 610 North > Take Woodway/Memorial Exit > Must take Shepherd exit (Memorial closed at Shepherd) OR US-59 North > Take Shepherd Exit > Turn Left on Shepherd From Baytown, New Orleans, Channelview I-10 West > Take Shepherd OR Studemont Exit > Turn Left From Katy, San Antonio I-10 East > Take Shepherd OR Studemont Exit > Turn Right From Pearland, League City, Reliant Park 288 North > US-59 North> Exit Polk Street (Downtown Destinations) > Left on Polk Street From Austin, Cypress, Jersey Village US 290 East > 610 South > I-10 East > US-59 South > Jackson Street (Downtown Destinations) > Left on Franklin Street > Right on Hamilton Street > Right on Capitol Street Helpful Links Discovery Green Downtown Houston George R. Brown Convention Center Greater Houston Visitors Bureau