FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cap Increases for 2009 Chevron Houston Marathon,
Aramco Houston Half Marathon
Registration Re-opens April 1
The Houston Marathon Committee has increased the number of participants it
will allow into the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half
Marathon to 18,000 for the January 18, 2009 event, a bump of 1,000 over the
2008 race cap.
The 18,000 limit is a combined cap for the marathon and half marathon. The
field for the EP5K, the companion 5K race presented by the El Paso
Corporation, will be limited to 5,000.
Race organizers encourage runners to register early. The marathon and half
marathon reached their 2008 combined limit of 17,000 on September 28, 2007,
fourteen weeks before race weekend.
"Our participant growth rate and the demand to enter our races over the
last seven years have been phenomenal," Race Director Brant Kotch said.
"But we want to manage that growth appropriately to ensure that every
runner has a great experience in Houston."
Online registration re-opens April 1 for the marathon, half marathon and
5K. Early registration was open from race weekend until Jan. 31, with more
than 3,000 participants taking advantage of the early sign-up.
Runners can register for any of the races online at
www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com. The registration fee is $90 for the
marathon and $65 for the half marathon through May 15, when both prices
increase $10. The entry fee for the EP5K is $20 through October 31.
The three races, along with the Texas Children's Hospital Kid's Fun Run on
the Saturday of race weekend, attracted 20,000 runners in 2008, making the
event one of the largest of its kind in the country.
The Chevron Houston Marathon, a Running USA founding member, is the
nation's premier winter marathon, annually attracting participants from all
50 U.S. states and nearly 30 foreign countries. The marathon offers the
only closed marathon course in Texas and is ranked among the top five in
the nation by the Ultimate Guide to Marathons for fastest course,
organization and crowd support. More than 5,000 volunteers help organize
the race, which is Houston's largest single-day sporting event.
More information is available online at www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com or
by calling 713-957-3453.
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