SPECIAL EVENTS

 The 2011 Chevron Houston Marathon invites you to be a part of Houston’s largest single-day sporting event.  Combined with the Aramco Houston Half Marathon, the EP5K and the Texas Children's Hospital Kids' Fun Run, more than 20,000 participants, 200,000 spectators and 5,000 volunteers will take to the streets of Houston on Sunday, January 30, 2010. This will be the 39th running of the Houston Marathon.

Chevron Houston marathon runners get to take in some of Houston’s most beautiful and unique neighborhoods during the 26.2 mile sojourn. From the quaint Victorian homes in The Heights to the lush canopy of trees that line Allen Parkway, the true personality of the city is evident throughout the course.

The first Houston Marathon took place in December 1972 with 113 runners on a five-mile loop course with a parked station wagon marking the turn. Forty volunteers, many of whom remain active volunteers today, and a spectator crowd estimated at 200 people, five dogs, and three cats, cheered on the runners. Thirty-nine years later, the Chevron Houston Marathon ranks among the world’s best marathons and has been named the “fastest winter marathon” and “second fastest marathon overall” by Ultimate Guide to Marathons.

More than 30,000 runners are expected to lineup at the start lines of the Chevron Houston Marathon, Aramco Houston Half Marathon and El Paso Corporation 5K (EP5K) on Sunday, January 30, 2011, representing all 50 U.S. states and more than 15 foreign countries.

Chevron returns as title sponsor of the marathon for the seventh consecutive year. On the 26.2-mile journey along a fast, flat course, marathoners run past scenic Bayou City neighborhoods, through the historic Heights and Montrose areas, past Hermann Park and Rice University, over to the Galleria shopping area, and then up by Memorial Park to Allen Parkway, finishing downtown on Rusk Street in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB).

Ethiopia’s Teshome Gelana and defending Chevron Houston Marathon champion Teyba Erkesso set two new marathon course records in 2010, both marking the fastest marathon runs in Texas. Gelana broke the one-year-old marathon course record by 15 seconds clocking a 2:07:37, and Erkesso, running her second Chevron Houston Marathon at 2:23:53, broke the course record she previously set in 2009 by 25 seconds.

This year marks the 10th anniversary running of the companion Aramco Houston Half Marathon, with Aramco Services Company returning as title sponsor for the seventh year. Ryan Hall from Mammoth Lakes, California, set an American Record in the half marathon in 2007, clocking 59:43 to top the previous record, set in 1985, with a time of 1:12. Aramco Services Company will again host the 2011 USA Men’s and Women’s Half Marathon Championships for the seventh and fifth consecutive years respectively. The combined prize purse for the championships will top $62,500 and the race is expected to draw some of the nation’s fastest talent.
New to 2011, the Championships will be run on the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Marathon course, an eight-mile loop route designed to give athletes a preview of the Olympic Trials course. The 2011 Championships will take place on Saturday, January 29, one day prior to the 39th annual Chevron Houston Marathon.

El Paso Corporation, sponsor of the half marathon in its first two years (2002 and 2003), returns to race sponsorship this year with the EP5K, which rounds out the Sunday running events. The companion 5K is a favorite among many runners who “Run for a Reason.” Participants also start and finish in front of the GRB.

The ABB Team Challenge, sponsored by automation technology giant ABB for the third consecutive year, is an exciting opportunity for participants in the marathon, half marathon and 5K to turn their race into a competition. Participants can create teams to compete against each other in one of four categories: marathon, half marathon, 5K or mixed (including at least one participant in each of the three races). Awards are presented to the top three racing teams in each category.

The Texas Children’s Hospital Kids’ Fun Run will again be part of marathon weekend. On Saturday, January 29, 2010, some 5,000 students, kindergarten through eighth grade, will run in a non-competitive 1K and 3K event, a joint effort of Texas Children’s Hospital, local schools, the Houston Police Department and the Houston Marathon Committee.

In the past 38 years, nearly 200,000 runners have taken the challenge, with many returning year after year. They are cheered on by a quarter of a million spectators, making the marathon the city’s largest single-day sporting event. More than 7,500 volunteers help coordinate every phase of the race, quite literally from start to finish.

The Chevron Houston Marathon race weekend of events is more than just four races. Participants, organizations and individuals are encouraged to “Run for a Reason” and raise money for participating charity organizations. Through the Run for a Reason charity program, the marathon, half marathon, 5K and team challenge provide an established fundraising vehicle that allows all funds collected to go directly to the participating non-profits. In 2010, the program generated a record-setting $1.8 million for 46 nonprofit organizations, surpassing the $10.4 million milestone in charitable donations in the program’s 16-year history.

The Chevron Houston Marathon combines a competitive athletic event with a city-wide festival of community spirit. Runners and spectators enjoy miles of non-stop entertainment provided by the “Hoopla.” Professional and some not-so-professional performers, ranging from jump rope squads to jazz bands to belly dancers, encourage runners to keep their feet moving in the right direction. The Chevron Houston Marathon pioneered the concept of “hoopla” and other races have duplicated its success.

The Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon have repeatedly been selected for numerous world-renowned road races, most recently the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon. Houston will be the first single city to host both the men’s and women’s events. Other selected road races include: 2005-2011 Men’s USATF Half Marathon Championship; 2007-2011 Women’s USATF Half Marathon Championship; 1998 Women’s USA Marathon Championship; 1992 Women’s USA Olympic Marathon Trials; and 1979 Men’s and Women’s USA Marathon Championship.

The Houston Marathon Committee is administered by a board of volunteers and managed by a staff of eight. The race is a founding member of Running USA, a joint venture of leading American road races and USA Track & Field. For more information the Houston Marathon Committee and its annual races, the Chevron Houston Marathon, Aramco Houston Half Marathon, EP5K and ABB Team Challenge, call 713-957-3453 or visit chevronhoustonmarathon.com.

Want to cheer on the athletes?
Watch the Chevron Houston Marathon Sunday, January 30, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

You can be a part of the Hoopla Brigade, the more than 200,000 spectators who cheer on these determined athletes. Belly dancers, Elvis impersonators, tuba players, marching bands, radio stations, cheerleaders, bag pipers and a multitude of believers in the human spirit line the course from start to finish.

Just pick your spot along the route!  We hope to see you there!

From race organization, to course entertainment, to state-of-the-art technology, the Chevron Houston Marathon is truly a Texas-sized experience… be part of it!

For viewing opportunities, click here for a Houston Marathon course map.

And don't miss the Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine EXPO January 15-16.