FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Packed Elite Field Expected at 2016 Chevron Houston Marathon
and Aramco Houston Half Marathon
HOUSTON (December 23, 2015) - The 44th edition of the Chevron Houston
Marathon Race Weekend features stacked fields in both the Chevron Houston
Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon. Race-day for the 2016
Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon is Sunday,
January 17.
"The group that our Elite Athlete Committee has assembled, including a
two-time men's marathon winner and the second and third place finishers
from last year's women's marathon, are undoubtedly capable of high-level
performances and we can only hope for optimal conditions," said Chevron
Houston Marathon Race Director and Board President Brant Kotch. "We are
also particularly eager to see what the international stars can do on our
half marathon course: we have Boston Marathon and World Championships
Marathon winners on display in those races. All of the races have the
potential to be lightning-fast."
2015 Chevron Houston Marathon champion Birhanu Gedefa returns to the field
in 2016 to defend his title, while two-time Chevron Houston Marathon
champion Bazu Worku returns after a one year hiatus. Out to challenge them
will be 2015 Daegu Marathon champion Girmay Birhanu Gebru of Ethiopia, who
owns a personal best of 2:05:49 from his third-place finish at the 2014
Dubai Marathon.
2015 Chevron Houston Marathon runner-up Guteni Shone leads the pack in the
women's field and will be chased by 2015 Chevron Houston Marathon
third-place finisher Biruktait Degefa.
2015 Boston Marathon champion Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia leads the way in
the men's Aramco Houston Half Marathon field. Desisa owns a half marathon
personal best of 59:36 from his winning time at the 2014 RAK Half Marathon.
Compatriot Mosinet Geremew, who has a personal best of 59:11, will look to
challenge him. 2015 Aramco Houston Half Marathon champion Diego Estrada,
who has a personal best of 60:51 from that race, is the top American in the
field.
2015 IAAF World Marathon champion and Boston Marathon runner-up Mare
Dibaba, who owns a half marathon personal best of 1:07:13, is a top
contender in the women's Aramco Houston Half Marathon. 2014 IAAF World Half
Marathon Chamionships silver medalist Mary Wacera of Kenya and compatriot
Cynthia Limo, who is #20 on the all-time on the women's half marathon list,
will also be in contention. 2014 Boston Marathon runner-up Buzunesh Deba,
who owns a half marathon personal best of 1:08:59, is also entered.
Men's Marathon:
Ben Ashkettle (New Zealand)
Yitayal Atanfu (Ethiopia)
Girmay Birhanu Gebru (Ethiopia)
Sage Canaday (USA)
Steve Chu (USA)
Thomas Frazer (Ireland)
Birhanu Gedefa (Ethiopia)
Jovanny Godinez (USA)
Artur Kozlpwski (Poland)
Duncan Kwemboi (Ethiopia)
Mario Macias (USA)
Daniel Mesfun (Eritrea)
Pardon Ndhlovu (Zimbabwe)
Dominic Ondoro (Kenya)
Bazu Worku (Ethiopia)
Women's Marathon:
Polina Carlson (Russia)*
Ayantu Dakebo (Ethiopia)
Sechale Dalasa (Ethiopia)
Jovana De La Cruz (Peru)
Biruktait Degefa (Ethiopia)
Rachel Hannah (Canada)
Ariana Hilborn (USA)
Liina Luik (Estonia)
Leila Luik (Estonia)
Faviola Perez Igari (Mexico)
Dayna Pidhoresky (Canada)
Emily Samoei (Kenya)
Guteni Shone (Ethiopia)
Lisa Weightman (Australia)
*Has no affiliation with Russian Athletic Federation and is clear to compete.
Men's Half Marathon:
Mo Ahmed (Canada)
George Alex (USA)
Tom Anderson (Great Britain)
Kyle Brady (USA)
Sylas Chebogel (Kenya)
Josh Dedering (USA)
Lelisa Desisa (Ethiopia)
Jeffrey Eggleston (USA)
Diego Estrada (USA)
Ben Fletcher (USA)
Tanner Fruit (USA)
Samson Gebreyohannes (Eritrea)
Abdi Ali Gelchu (Ethiopia)
Mosinet Geremew (Ethiopia)
Patrick Gomez (USA)
Griffith Graves (USA)
Mo Hrezi (USA)
Cory Keehn (USA)
Sean Keveren (USA)
Craig Leon (USA)
Brandon Lord (Canada)
Nelson Mokori Oyugi (Kenya)
Tommy Neal (USA)
Ben Payne (USA)
Luke Puskedra (USA)
Phillip Reid (USA)
Patrick Rizzo (USA)
Ismail Ssenyange (Uganda)
Christian Thomspon (USA)
Carlos Trujillo (USA)
Jacob Wanjuki (Kenya)
Rob Watson (Canada)
Matt Williams (USA)
Jason Witt (USA)
Women's Half Marathon:
Ruti Aga (Ethiopia)
Obsie Birru (USA)
Juliet Bottoroff (USA)
Serena Burla (USA)
Buzunesh Deba (Ethiopia)
Misiker Demissie (Ethiopia)
Colleen De Reuck (USA)
Mare Dibaba (Ethiopia)
Krista Duchene (Canada)
Lindsay Flanagan (USA)
Emily Gordon (USA)
Alia Gray (USA)
Maegan Krifchin (USA)
Cynthia Limo (Kenya)
Katie Matthews (USA)
Samantha McClellan (USA)
Katy Moen (USA)
Sarah Pagano (USA)
Meghan Peyton (USA)
Simret Restle (Germany)
Jen Rhines (USA)
Biya Simbassa (USA)
Mona Stockhecke (Germany)
Susanna Sullivan (USA)
Aliphine Tuliamuk-Bolton (Kenya)
Mary Wacera (Kenya)
Katherine Ward (USA)
Jessica Watychowicz (USA)
Anna Weber (USA)
Nazret Weldu (Eritrea)
Kelly Williamson (USA)
For complete information on the 2016 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco
Houston Half Marathon, please visit http://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 2015, the Run for a Reason
Charity Program raised $2.5 million and the HMC retained Gold Certification
from the Council of Responsible Sport for industry-leading sustainability
initiatives. Host to 16 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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