Run for the Roses Sunday at Auditorium Shores: Roads Close Until 1 p.m., and the Recommended Garage Is Hosting a Coffee Festival

Livestrong's Run for the Roses starts at 8 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at Auditorium Shores in Austin, Texas, and roads along the course are closed from 3 a.m. to 1 p.m. According to ATX Things' read of the race's own pages, the organizers' top-recommended parking is the Palmer Events Center garage, and the Palmer is also hosting the Austin Coffee Festival and Markets for Makers the same morning. Packet pickup is today, Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and pickup on race morning is also offered.

This is a plan built from Livestrong's event, FAQ and course-map pages, the Palmer's event listing, and a National Weather Service forecast. We have not run it and we did not reach the organizers. Where a detail is missing, we say so.

AI-generated illustration, not a photo of the event.

When does Run for the Roses start, and what do you need to do today?

The FAQ says check-in opens at 6 a.m. Sunday and every race starts at 8 a.m., in this order: survivors, then 10K runners, then 5K runners. The site is Auditorium Shores (Vic Mathias Shores), 900 W. Riverside Dr., on Lady Bird Lake.

Today is the easy day to get ahead of it. Packet pickup runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Livestrong headquarters, 623 W. 38th St., Suite 105, in the Sunflower Bank building. The FAQ says race-morning pickup is also available Sunday, but it does not give a time, so assume the morning is for people who could not make today.

Two requirements are easy to miss. Everyone must have medical insurance on the day and agree to a waiver at registration. And the FAQ asks you to bring a refillable water bottle.

What does it cost, and can you still sign up?

The registration page lists a 5K run at $85, a 5K walk at $70, a 10K run at $120, a 10K walk at $70 and a virtual option at $70. Every distance carries a "Price Increase Saturday" banner. Because that is today, we cannot tell whether the numbers on the page have already stepped up. A listing we recorded on Oct. 7 had lower prices: $65 for the 5K run, $50 for the 5K walk, $85 for the 10K run and $60 for the 10K walk. Treat the prices as moving and check the page before you pay.

Children under 12 participate free, per the FAQ, and anyone under 18 must be accompanied by a registered parent or guardian. Strollers are welcome. Registration includes a bib, a T-shirt, a finisher medal, on-course hydration and a post-race area with snacks and drinks. Runners get a timing chip; walkers and virtual participants do not.

The page showed 1,259 entrants when we read it Saturday morning. It also shows $168,159 raised against a $200,000 goal, while the FAQ says the 2026 goal is $100,000. The two pages disagree and we did not resolve it. Fundraising is optional, the FAQ says.

Where do you park, and which streets are closed?

Livestrong's FAQ is blunt. Some parking lots near Auditorium Shores are closed Oct. 16 through 18, and roads along the course are closed on race day from 3 a.m. to 1 p.m. The organizers recommend rideshare, CapMetro, biking or carpooling, and name three garages:

Source: Livestrong Run for the Roses FAQ, read Oct. 17, 2026.

Two things we could not confirm. The race pages do not say which streets close, other than the course itself, and we do not know whether the Palmer's Riverside Drive entrance is reachable during the 3 a.m. to 1 p.m. closure. The Palmer's parking page, as we read it Friday, lists event parking at $12 per vehicle, cashless, and says Riverside Drive is closed at the roundabout through Nov. 13. If you plan to use that garage, call the Palmer at (512) 404-4500 and ask which entrance works during the closure.

What is the course, and when does it close?

Livestrong's course map shows both distances starting and finishing at Auditorium Shores. The 5K is one lap and the 10K is two. From the start, the course crosses the South 1st Street bridge, runs west along Cesar Chavez Street toward Lamar Boulevard, and turns around beyond it. The map marks two aid stations, one near the start and one on the Lamar side.

The map also carries the rules that decide whether you finish:

• The course closes at 11 a.m., and everyone must be done by then.
• 5K and 10K participants must be clear of the South 1st Street bridge by 10 a.m.
• 10K participants must begin their second loop by 9 a.m.
• If you bring a stroller, start at the back.

What is the weather, and what is the yellow rose?

The National Weather Service forecast for Austin, pulled Saturday morning, has Saturday night near 49°F and Sunday mostly sunny with a high near 74°F, light wind and no rain. An 8 a.m. start will be cool, so dress in layers you can tie around your waist.

Every cancer survivor who finishes is handed a yellow rose, the FAQ says, a tradition from Livestrong's early days that "marks another year of life as a survivor." Survivors get a survivor bib so other survivors can spot them on the course. The money raised supports Livestrong's survivorship programs, which the FAQ lists as fitness, resources, fertility services and advocacy.

What else is happening on the lake this weekend?

Sunday is also the second day of two other events at the Palmer, and the first weekend of the city's Roots & Wings Festival. On East 12th Street, the Eastside Kings Festival runs both days. This desk publishes every morning and afternoon on what is open, happening and worth the trip.

Run for the Roses questions

Is Run for the Roses on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026? Yes, per Livestrong. Check-in opens at 6 a.m. and the races start at 8 a.m. at Auditorium Shores.

Can I pick up my packet on race morning? The FAQ says yes, but gives no time. Saturday pickup is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 623 W. 38th St., Suite 105.

Can kids and strollers come? Children under 12 are free, strollers are welcome, and anyone under 18 needs a registered adult with them. Strollers start at the back.

When do the roads reopen? Livestrong says roads along the course are closed from 3 a.m. to 1 p.m. on race day.