Spurs Sports & Entertainment Readies For Title Sponsorship Of Austin International Half Marathon

AUSTIN, Texas–Tucked inside the finish line of the Austin Marathon last year was a half court.

A basketball half court, that is.

It was part of an overall effort by Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E), the operating arm of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs and USL’s San Antonio FC, to connect with runners in Central Texas through fitness. “What we were trying to do is lean into our brand to be involved in our community in ways outside of sports,” said Brandon James, 41, SS&E’s senior vice president of strategic growth and deputy general counsel for business and basketball operations, “and meet the community where they’re at.”

With wellness, health and fitness events booming in the Austin Metropolitan Area, it made sense for SS&E, a sports and entertainment business, to get involved in a growing mass participation industry like running. But then again, they were also the first NBA team to strike up a deal with a half marathon organization, too.

Maybe that set a precedent, because in August SS&E announced a multi-year title sponsorship with the Austin International Half Marathon (formerly known as the 3M Half Marathon). “Sports will always, particularly in basketball, be our bread and butter, but if there are ways to reach our community and other avenues where entertainment and sports can connect, we’re always open and interested in that,” James said. “That’s why this race was a natural fit for us, because we’re aligned with some of the things that we value, which is health and wellness, structure, active lifestyle.”

Now the first iteration of the Spurs Austin International Half Marathon is quickly closing in on Sunday, with over 7,000 runners expected from nearly 50 states to turn out for one of Austin’s fastest point-to-point 13.1-mile races of the year. It will mark the beginning of a partnership with Austin’s High Five Events (also Austin Marathon’s operator) that could begin to re-shape the way people view the Spurs’ organization all together.

Spurs Sports & Entertainment Takes Steps Forward 

In an office located in the Seaholm District near Mañana Coffee, James has been at the center of it all, positioning SS&E across various channels.

On top of the organization’s involvement with the NBA’s Spurs and the USL’s SAFC, SS&E also operates a concert business at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio and recently invested in LOVB, the new Division I volleyball league which features a team in Austin (SS&E is part of new ownership group controlling the Austin franchise). “If you look across sports, gone are the days where a sports entity is just that,” said James, who earned his bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern and his dual J.D.-MBA from the University of Georgia.

Central to his objective is unifying two metropolitan areas together to coalesce into one big community – liken, perhaps, to the market size of Chicago or San Francisco. Four years ago, the Spurs took I-35 north to the Moody Center, where they began playing games once or twice a year. That strategy has grown in tandem with the organization’s G-League team, the Austin Spurs, playing games at the H-E-B Center in Cedar Park.

A mass participation running event is a different thought, but it also wasn’t out of left field.

James is a runner.

After moving to Austin in 2021 to head up SS&E’s Central Texas headquarters, James — a Sports Business Journal 40-under-40 honoree — dove head-first into the scene.

Some days he would show up at Morning Jos and the Purple Dragons—the first a well-known running group and the other a more if-you-know-you-know outlet. On other days, he’d drop 20 to 50 miles on his bike with The Breakfast Club.

Soon enough, he was clocking 40 miles a week and readying for his own races on the weekend. It wasn’t long before James was cracking 90 minutes for the half marathon.

He’s since completed the half triathlon distance of 70.3 miles, about 12 half marathons and his first full marathon this past October in Chicago. “It wasn’t great,” James said. “Messed up my Achilles …us big guys have to be careful with the distance and the pounding.”

What’s Next For Spurs Sports & Entertainment

James says the Spurs Austin International Half Marathon will be an opportunity for the organization to connect with people in Central Texas outside of basketball. “It’s a way to get in front of an audience where there are some natural synergies and build on that,” he said.

The race, which begins in North Austin and leads a point-to-point line toward downtown, will finish near the Texas State Capitol. Hundreds of volunteers and thousands of spectators will be on hand as live music plays at mile checkpoints.

The race’s mascot, Blaze, for one, has been prominently featured in marketing and digital campaigns. Meanwhile, the Spurs’ counterpart, Coyote, will also be on hand during race day. LOVB Austin, which began their season in January, may also be on hand.

One bit of Spurs’ imagery that will provide some tongue-in-cheek fun?

James says every half marathon trashcan will be outfitted with a tiny basketball hoop, so runners will be able to “shoot” their cups into a giant basket (a fun solution to get runners to actually throw their cups away).

And while he would not give away any secrets on race day – as to whether any Spurs’ players would show up – James did say that this first run will be a starting point for future iterations. “This is our first time doing it, so a lot of it is test and learn,” he said. “We just want to make sure we maximize our resources. That’s going to be an important part of our race to figure out how we build and grow from here.”

It’s ultimately an ambitious plan to grow the Spurs’ brand in ways outside basketball.

But James sees a real future in it.

And best yet, he’ll run on Sunday, too.

What To Know:

What: The Spurs Austin International Half Marathon

When: Sunday, January 18, 2026

Where: The 13.1 mile race, formerly known as the 3M Half Marathon and the Austin International Half Marathon, begins in North Austin on Stonelake Boulevard. The race then takes a point-to-point route south toward the Texas State Capitol, ending on San Jacinto Boulevard.

Check out the official route for the Spurs Austin International Half Marathon. Photo Credit: High Five Events