FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2017 Chevron Houston Marathon Race Weekend
HOUSTON (January 10, 2017) - On January 13-15, the 2017 Chevron Houston
Marathon Race Weekend will attract over 250,000 participants, spectators
and volunteers to the streets of Houston, making it the largest single-day
sporting event in Houston. An IAAF bronze labeled half marathon and silver
labeled marathon, the elite fields in this year's races feature 12 Rio
Olympians, including three Olympic medalists.
Health and Wellness EXPO
Race Weekend kicks off on Friday, with the Memorial Hermann Ironman Sports
Medicine Institute EXPO. The two-day EXPO will attract over 25,000 visitors
each day and feature over 100 industry vendors.
Run for a Reason
Thousands of race participants will arrive on the starting line to run for
personal accomplishment and to help others through the event's Run for a
Reason charity program. This year's fundraisers will run for official
charities and continue to build on the $2.3 million garnered in 2016. The
Chevron Houston Marathon's Run for a Reason charitable program has
generated over $25 million in its 23-year history.
Elite Field
Aramco Houston Half Marathon race record holder (59:22) and 2016 Olympic
men's marathon silver medalist Feyisa Lilesa of Ethiopia will be challenged
by two-time Olympic medalist Galen Rupp. Two-time Chevron Houston Marathon
champion Bazu Worku will drop down in distance to race in the men's half
marathon. Kenyan Mary Wacera, the 2016 Aramco Houston Half Marathon
champion, is the top contender in the women's half marathon. Out to
challenge her will be 2011 Chevron Houston Marathon champion Mamitu Daska
of Ethiopia and 2015 World Marathon Champion Mare Dibaba, who finished
third in the 2016 Aramco Houston Half Marathon and went on to claim the
bronze medal in the women's marathon at the 2016 Olympic Games.
Ethiopian Biruktayit Degefa, the 2016 Chevron Houston Marathon champion,
will return to defend her title in the women's marathon. She will be
challenged by compatriots Meskerem Assefa, who has twice finished in the
top three in Houston and Sechale Dalasa, who has twice finished in the top
four in Houston. Former Rice University standout Becky Wade and Houston
resident Mary Davies of New Zealand are also entered. Two-time Chevron
Houston Marathon defending champion (2015 and 2016) Birhanu Gedefa of
Ethiopia and 2016 Chevron Houston Marathon runner-up Yitayal Atanfu will
race in the men's Chevron Houston Marathon.
Honorary Starters
On Sunday, the honorary starter for the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco
Houston Half Marathon will be four-time Olympian Meb Keflezighi. The 2004
Olympic silver medalist in the men's marathon and a two-time Aramco Houston
Half Marathon champion, Keflezighi won the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon
Trials in Houston. Other special guests include Houston Mayor Sylvester
Turner and award-winning soprano Nancy Curtis.
Chevron Houston Marathon Race Weekend By The Numbers
- 200,000 - Estimated number of spectators along the 26.2-mile course
- $51+ million economic impact to the city of Houston
- 47 - Number of countries represented
- 3 - Number of wheelchair racers
- 15 - Number of handcycle racers
- 13 - Number of visually impaired racers
- 7 - Number of wheelchair duo racers
- 42 - Average age of male participant
- 39 - Average age of female participant
- H-E-B's free post-race participant breakfast serves:
- 22,000 eggs, 22,000 sausage links, 12,000 biscuits,
150 gallons of gravy and 200 gallons of coffee
2017 Media Schedule of Events (subject to change)
Friday, January 13
9:00a.m. - 5:00p.m. Media Center Hours of Operation
Room 360
9:00a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Media Accreditation
Room 370
11:00a.m. Press Conference - Elite Athletes, Mayor
Room 360
Saturday, January 14
7:00a.m. - 2:00p.m. Media Center Hours of Operation
Room 360
8:00a.m. ABB 5K
8:00a.m. - 2:00p.m. Media Accreditation
Room 370
Sunday, January 15
5:00a.m. - 2:00p.m. Media Center Hours of Operation
6:45a.m. Wheelchair Start
7:00a.m. Chevron Houston Marathon
Aramco Houston Half Marathon
10:00a.m. (tentative) Champions Press Conference
Room 360
For complete information on the 2017 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) 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. A
founding member of Running USA, the HMC hosts the IAAF bronze labeled
Aramco Houston Half Marathon and silver labeled Chevron Houston Marathon.
For four consecutive years, the events have garnered Gold Certification
from the Council of Responsible Sport and were awarded the 2015 AIMS Green
Award for industry-leading sustainability initiatives.Race Weekend
generates over $50 million in economic impact for the region annually. In
2016, the Run for a Reason Charity Program raised $2.3 million, while the
Houston Marathon Foundation supported youth and community running
initiatives. Televised annually by broadcast partner ABC13, 2016 was the
first time that the event was syndicated live nationally and
internationally on ESPN3 and the Longhorn Network. Host to 16 U.S. Half
Marathon Championships since 2005 and the 1992 women's Olympic Trials
Marathon, the HMC also conducted the 2012 men's and women's U.S. Olympic
Trials Marathon.
For more information, visit www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com or call
713.957.3453.
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