FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Houston Marathon Committee Announces Course Changes
HOUSTON (October 8, 2014) - The Houston Marathon Committee announced on
Wednesday the course changes for the 2015 Chevron Houston Marathon and
Aramco Houston Half Marathon. Slight alterations were made to both courses
to accommodate civic enhancement projects downtown and on Shepherd. The
2015 races will start at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, January 18.
"Downtown Houston is rapidly evolving and as this occurs over the next few
years we have to plan accordingly to ensure that we continue to provide the
best race day experience for our runners," stated Wade Morehead, Executive
Director of the Houston Marathon Committee. "We are very fortunate to have
the support of the Mayor's Office of Special Events, HoustonFirst, Metro,
West University Place, Public Works, and the Downtown Management District,
as well as all of the local agencies and districts who work with us
year-round to help us host a world-class event annually."
Following are a few of the changes to the two courses in 2015:
- The Start Line will be moved forward 190 feet to Congress at San
Jacinto.
- The Finish Line is moved to Lamar at Crawford in front of the Grove
Restaurant between the Hilton Americas and Discovery Green Park.
- To accommodate the construction on Shepherd, the course will not go
south on Shepherd to San Felipe from West Gray. All runners will now
continue straight/westward on West Gray/Inwood and then south on Kirby, in
the northbound (east side of the street) lanes.
- The Aramco Houston Half Marathon course will now turn south on
Montrose, then north on Main Street and west on Bissonnet before turning
north on Montrose again, passing the Mecom Fountain and Museum of Fine Arts
landmarks.
The Houston Marathon Committee announced the new courses last year, and for
those areas new to hosting the event and those where race day has become an
annual tradition, local businesses and residents alike are proud to be a
part of the largest single-day sporting event in Houston.
"Residents of West U always express how much they look forward to the
Houston Marathon each year," said Bob Fry, Mayor of West University Place.
"We are excited to celebrate another Houston Marathon and look forward to
supporting the runners."
"The Houston Marathon is an outstanding annual event for the City of
Houston," added Jamie Brewster, President and Executive Director, Upper
Kirby District. "The residential and business communities really flock to
this event as a way to come together, not just in support of the runners,
but also in support of their City. Upper Kirby is proud to host a length of
this event on Kirby Drive. It truly is an asset to the community that we
can look forward to each year."
The 2015 Race Weekend will also play host to the U.S. Half Marathon
Championships, to be run in conjunction with the Aramco Houston Half
Marathon, as well as the ABB 5K which will be run on Saturday, January 17.
The new course map for the Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston
Half Marathon can be found here: 2015 Chevron Houston Marathon & Aramco
Houston Half Marathon course map. For more information on the Chevron
Houston Marathon Race Weekend, visit www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com.
About the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc.
Established in 1972, the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc. (HMC), a Running
USA Founding Member, annually organizes the nation's premier winter
marathon, half-marathon, and 5K. Over 250,000 participants, volunteers and
spectators make Chevron Houston Marathon Race Day the largest single-day
sporting event in Houston. Race Weekend generates over $50 million in
economic impact for the region annually. In 2014, the Run For a Reason
Charity Program raised a record $2.6 million and the HMC retained Gold
Certification from the Council of Responsible Sport for industry-leading
sustainability initiatives. Host to 14 U.S. Half Marathon Championships
since 2005 and the 1992 women's Olympic Trials Marathon, the HMC conducted
the nationally-televised 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, which featured
men and women competing on the same course simultaneously for the first
time, vying for the chance to represent Team USA at the 2012 Olympic Games.
For more information, visit www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com or call
713.957.3453.
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