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For the 25th time the streets of Austin were packed with thousands of runners competing in the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon. While many spent their Valentine's Day competing against the clock, others were focus on competing against themselves.
"I just needed something to push myself even harder and I needed a challenge to really accomplish so I went after it," Candace Jennings, a first-time competitor in the Austin Half Marathon, said.
For Lisa and John Bell it was their fifth and final marathon and just like they started the race they ended it the same way, together.
"We do it together. I mean we wake up and we run and just being together, it was really fun, " Lisa Bell said.
"It's a good thing to be together on Valentine's Day. We do this and then go and catch some dinner later," John said.
Chris and Teresa Shanahan held their marathon medals proudly as they finished yet another race together. A race they've grown to love as much as the city they call home.
"I've been (in Austin) my whole life and this is definitely an Austin tradition," Teresa said.
"It's so much better than running by yourself." Chris said. "It's like you've got a group of people just cheering you on the whole, entire way and there is nothing better. It's amazing."
The race featured runners from every corner of the world. Each one being pushed by thousands of fans, cheering them on the entire way.
"When they say your name and they look at you and say that 'you can do it,' we had a guy say today that we are adorable and that pushes you through," Lisa Bell said.
"I saw my daughter on the side just watching me and it just made me want to run faster," Jennings said.
Jennings crossed the finish line and earned not only a big hug from her daughter but also a medal. A medal that was well earned.
"This is my reward. This is what I went for. It's just a piece of metal but it means a lot more than that to me," she said.
The silver anniversary of the marathon proved to be a successful one for thousands of participants especially the male and female overall winners.
Austin's own Chandi Moore was the first female to cross the finish line with a time of 3:02:17. On the men's side Hayato Sonoda won the male competition with a time of 2:23:29