Many assume that once the races are over, staff and volunteers finally get a well-deserved rest. In reality, the work is just beginning. “There is a marathon of clean-up and tear-down activities that happens after the marathon,” says Cowtown’s Executive Director Heidi Swartz.
Cowtown takes pride in leaving the 31-mile course cleaner than it was before race weekend. Just as the race is meticulously organized, so are the post-event operations:
- Immediately After the Race: On Sunday at around 3:30 p.m., when the course officially closes, crews hit the route to pack up signage, fluid station and entertainment equipment, flags, and more. Back at Will Rogers, staff and volunteers dismantle the start and finish lines, palletize leftover food, water, medals, and equipment, while the facility team cleans the lots and barns.
- Vendor Contributions: Vendors such as Capsule, Taylor’s Rentals, and Cadence Sports collect barriers, rental tents, heavy equipment, storage units, and racking.
- Eco-Friendly Initiatives: Cowtown is a certified green race. All cardboard is recycled, while cans and water bottles are collected separately. With help from Cowboy Compost in Fort Worth, food waste is composted.
- Volunteer Efforts: On Monday, teams collectively logged more than 26,000 steps—the same number as the registered athletes for all event distances—while picking up trash along the route.
- Clothing Recovery and Donation: Clothing discarded along the route (mostly found in the corrals and at the start line) is collected, and hundreds of pounds of jackets, gloves, blankets, and more are transported to the Cowtown warehouse in the Westcliff neighborhood of Fort Worth. There, items are laundered, sorted by color, and organized for athletes to pick up in the weeks following the race. Any unclaimed clothing is donated to Union Gospel, the Salvation Army, and Under the Bridge Fort Worth.
- Volunteer Appreciation: None of this would be possible without the efforts of thousands of volunteers led by more than 100 chairpersons. To show appreciation, a volunteer marathon run is organized—allowing those who work the race to run the route, earn a medal, and receive a finisher shirt. An appreciation dinner is also held, featuring award ceremonies for the most spirited, dedicated, and longest-serving members of our volunteer force.
This weekend marked the 47th running of The Cowtown—the largest multi-event road race in North Texas —with over 26,000 runners registered from all 50 states and 14 countries.
Next year’s Cowtown weekend will take place Feb. 27-Mar. 1, 2026. For more information, please visit: www.cowtownmarathon.org
