FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Houston Marathon Committee Announces 2020 Elite Athlete Fields
HOUSTON (January 7, 2020) - The Houston Marathon Committee (HMC) announced
today a stellar elite field for the forty-eighth running of the Chevron
Houston Marathon and the eighteenth Aramco Houston Half Marathon events
taking place on Jan. 19, 2020.
For the first year ever in HMC history, both the Chevron Houston Marathon
and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon are World Athletic Gold Label events.
This makes Houston home to the only Gold Label marathon and half marathon
events in the United States, as well as the only Gold Label marathon and
half marathon events in the world that are hosted on the same day. This
status is awarded by meeting several criteria with the caliber of the elite
field playing a major role.
"The awarding of gold label status marks the culmination of many years of
dedication to the elite athletes in our sport," said Chevron Houston
Marathon Race Director and Board President Brant Kotch. "We are proud to
showcase our support of these athletes through this recognition and feel it
further emphasizes our commitment to clean sport."
Returning Champions
The Chevron Houston Marathon welcomes back defending 2019 women's champion
Biruktayit Degefa, where she will try to become the only woman to break the
tape in Houston four times. The Aramco Houston Half Marathon returns three
former champions; 2018 female champion Ruti Aga, and past male winners;
Shura Kitata (defending 2019 champion) and Jake Robertson (2018).
Elite Field as of Jan. 7, 2020
Men's Marathon Citizenship Personal Best
Woldaregay Kelkile Gezahegn ETH 2:05:56
Hassan El Abbassi BRN 2:04:43
John Langat KEN 2:07:11
Benson Seurei BRN 2:07:37
Dominic Ondoro KEN 2:08:51
Abdi Ibrahim Abdo BRN 2:08:32
Paul Maina KEN 2:08:49
Bonsa Dida ETH 2:09:04
Tsegay Tuemay ERI 2:09:07
Tariku Bekele ETH 2:09:30
Belay Tilahun Bezabeh ETH DEBUT
Stephen Scullion IRE 2:12:01
Birhanu Dare KEN 2:12:21
Mark Lokwanamoi KEN 2:08:39
Alexis Nizeyimana TAN 2:13:06
Jose Antonio Uribe Marino MEX 2:14:45
Craig Hunt USA 2:15:29
Rory Tunningley USA 2:16:25
Tony Migliozzi USA 2:16:44
Dylan Belles USA 2:16:59
Thomas Puzey USA 2:18:20
Michael Roeger AUS 2:23:31
Dan Harper USA 2:17:32
Amanuel Mesel ETH 2:08:17
Women's Marathon Citizenship Personal Best
Bruktayit Degefa Eshetu ETH 2:22:40
Askale Merachi ETH 2:24:13
Shuko Wote Genemo ETH 2:24:28
Muluhabt Tsega ETH 2:25:48
Belaynesh Fikadu ETH 2:26:41
Meseret Belete ETH 2:26:56
Milliam Ebongon KEN 2:27:16
Bekelech Gudeta ETH 2:27:40
Sechale Dalasa ETH 2:28:46
Alexi Pappas GRC 2:43:38
Ayantu Dakebo Hailemaryam ETH 2:30:06
Malindi Elmore CAN 2:32:15
Hiruni Wijayaratne LKA 2:34:10
Adriana Nelson-Pirtea USA 2:35:45
Natasha LaBeaud CAN 2:37:11
Dylan Hassett IRE 2:39:55
Brenda Flores Munoz MEX DEBUT
Neely Spence-Gracey USA 2:34:55
Anne Johnston CAN 2:43:02
Andrea Soraya Limon MEX DEBUT
Ursula Sanchez MEX DEBUT
Men's Half Marathon Citizenship Personal Best
Tola Shura Kitata ETH 59:16:00
Jake Robertson NZ 59:58:00
Bernard Kipkorir Ngeno KEN 59:07:00
Andamlak Belihu Berta ETH 59:10:00
Jemal Yimer Mekonnen ETH 58:33:00
Abel Kipchumba KEN 59:29:00
Shadrack Kimining Korir KEN 59:32:00
Philemon Kiplimo KEN 59:57:00
Gabriel Gerald Geay TAN 1:00:26
Jared Ward USA 1:01:42
Sam Chelanga USA 1:00:37
Diego Estrada USA 1:00:51
Bethwel Yegon KEN 1:00:57
Shadrack Biwott USA 1:01:25
Reed Fischer USA 1:02:06
Matt Llano USA 1:01:47
James Ngandu KEN 1:01:51
Jerrell Mock USA 1:02:15
Cameron Levins CAN 1:02:15
Dominic Korir KEN 1:02:17
Andrew Colley USA 1:02:24
Willie Milam USA 1:02:26
John Raneri USA 1:02:31
Futsum Zeinasellassie USA 1:02:33
Matthew McClintock USA 1:02:34
Brogan Austin USA 1:02:39
Alex Monroe USA 1:02:44
Luis Alberto Orta VEN 1:03:09
Louis Serafini USA 1:03:14
Andrew Epperson USA 1:03:17
Kevin Lewis USA 1:03:26
Tyler Jermann USA 1:03:31
Clayton Young USA 1:03:40
Danny Docherty USA 1:03:47
Kai Takeshita JAP 1:03:53
Tyler Pennel USA 1:04:06
Daisuke Momozawa JAP 1:04:09
Matt Leach GBR 1:04:21
Raymond Magut KEN 1:04:22
Juan Paredes USA 1:05:09
Grant Fischer USA 1:05:26
Rory Linkletter CAN DEBUT
Joel Reichow USA DEBUT
Andrew Leach USA
Women's Half Marathon Citizenship Personal Best
Caroline Chepkoech Kipkirui KEN 1:05:07
Lonah Chemtai Salpeter ISR 1:06:09
Gelete Burka ETH 1:06:11
Dorcas Jepchirchir Tuitoek KEN 1:06:33
Ruti Aga ETH 1:06:39
Brillian Jepkorir Kipkoech KEN 1:07:12
Molly Huddle USA 1:07:25
Jordan Hasay USA 1:07:55
Sara Hall USA 1:09:27
Hitomi Niiya JAP 1:11:41
Monicah Ngige Wanjuhi KEN 1:07:29
Dorcas Kimeli KEN 1:07:44
Caroline Rotich KEN 1:08:52
Gotytom Gebreslase ETH 1:08:58
Aliphine Tuliamuk USA 1:09:16
Rachel Cliff CAN 1:10:08
Laura Thweatt USA 1:10:17
Katy Jermann USA 1:10:27
Molly Seidel USA 1:10:27
Natasha Wodak CAN 1:10:33
Elaina Tabb USA 1:10:44
Bethany Sachtleben USA 1:10:44
Stephanie Twell GBR 1:10:52
Becky Wade USA 1:11:15
Dayna Pidhoresky CAN 1:11:46
Lindsay Flanagan USA 1:12:05
Sarah Inglis GBR 1:12:23
Samantha Bluske USA 1:12:32
Jessica Watychovicz USA 1:12:35
Alexis Zeis USA 1:12:43
Jennifer Bergman USA 1:13:15
Molly Grabill USA 1:13:19
Allison Cleaver USA 1:13:21
Keira D'Amato USA 1:13:32
Maggie Montoya USA 1:13:33
Dakotah Lindwurm USA 1:13:39
Kelsey Bruce USA 1:13:41
Valerie Sanchez USA 1:13:44
Julia Kohnen USA 1:13:47
Meghan Armstrong-Peyton USA 1:13:56
Nell Rojas USA 1:14:17
Emily Durgin USA DEBUT
Annie Frisbie USA DEBUT
Prize Purse
The 2020 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Marathon will continue
to award prize money to the top eight finishers in all four races. A total
of $291,000 in guaranteed prize money will be awarded, including a $45,000
first place payout for both the men's and women's champions at the 2020
Chevron Houston Marathon and a $20,000 first place payout for both the
men's and women's champions at the 2020 Aramco Houston Half Marathon.
For a complete list of prize money please visit:
www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com/participants/elites/
Additional Athlete Stories of Interest
Chevron Houston Marathon
- Thomas Rivers Puzey - The outlier story of the 2019 Chevron Houston
Marathon, Puzey returns to Houston with unfinished business. After pacing
through the 30K of 2019's race on track to run 2:14, the wheels came off
for Puzey. He managed to stumble across the finish line with an official
finish time of 2:20:19 and a trip to the medic. He will undoubtably again
push himself to his limits.
- Biruktayit Degefa has an opportunity to make history in her seventh
consecutive appearance - if she wins, she will be the first athlete in
Houston Marathon history, male or female, to win the race four times. In
2019, she became just the third female in race history to win three times.
Degefa started running marathons at age 19, and she is one of the most
prolific elite runners competing today. Over the last decade, she has run
an incredible 31 marathons (she ran six alone in 2014), landing on the
podium 20 times and winning eight times. She returns this year as a
favorite for the title, especially on the heels of her PR in Toronto,
2:22:40, to close out 2019.
- Alexi Pappas, a 2016 Olympian for Greece in the 10,000m (she holds dual
Greek-American citizenship), arrives in Houston with a 2:43:38 marathon
personal best, but possesses the talent to completely obliterate that time
and run closer to the 2:29:30 Olympic standard that she needs to make it to
Tokyo for another Olympic appearance. Pappas experienced an extraordinary
Olympic debut performance in Rio. She set the Greek national 10,000m record
and a new PR to finish 17th in 31:36.16.
- Neely Spence Gracey runs her first marathon post-pregnancy after
welcoming a baby boy in July of 2018. She has her sights set on qualifying
for the 2020 Olympic Trials, after injury and illness kept her from
competing in both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Trials. Prior to pregnancy,
Neely won the 2016 Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Half Marathon and then made
her debut at the Boston Marathon. She finished in 2:35 - securing her spot
as the top American, and ninth overall. After recovering from Boston, Neely
won the Rock 'n; Roll Chicago Half Marathon, and then closed out the year
with an 8th place finish, (2nd American behind Molly Huddle), at the 2016
TCS New York City Marathon (2:34).
Aramco Houston Half Marathon
- Shura Kitata will look to defend his 2019 title on the heels of his
fifth-place finish at the New York City Marathon just a few short months
ago. He will be facing several of the same challengers from the 2019 Aramco
Houston Half Marathon, so if past precedent remains the same, we are sure
to see a fast and competitive race from the gun.
- Jake Robertson, 2018 Aramco Houston Half Marathon Champion, returns to
Houston after a troubled 2019 fighting injury and rebuilding. After winning
in Houston, he went on to win a competitive Beach to Beacon 10K and
finished out the year with a fifth-place finish at the Toronto Marathon in
2018 but hasn't toed the start line in over a year. All eyes will be
watching to see his return to the racing scene.
- Ruti Aga - Aga returns to familiar territory in Houston as the 2018
Women's Champion of the Aramco Houston Half Marathon. Her finishing time of
1:06:39 from the race remains her personal best. Aga is certain to be in
the lead pack vying for the win once again.
- Molly Huddle - The Women's American Half Marathon Record Holder, Huddle
returns to Houston and the course she set the current standard of 1:07:25
on to test her fitness going into the 2020 Olympic Trials in February. She
currently lives and trains in Providence, Rhode Island with her husband
Kurt Benninger and Coach Ray Treacy.
- Jordan Hasay - With a marathon PR of 2:20:57 and now working alongside
Coaching Advisor, Paula Radcliffe, Hasay is a favorite to make the U.S.
Women's Marathon Team for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. After a string
of hamstring injuries that left Hasay on the sidelines for most of the past
year, she comes to Houston as part of her final build to gauge her fitness
heading into the Olympic Trials in Atlanta next month.
- Sarah Hall - Hall enters the 2020 season with her eyes set on making a
third U.S. Olympic team. On the heels of a massive marathon PR of 2:20:16
in Berlin last year, Houston will be a preview of her fitness level and her
future in 2020.
Athlete Development Program
The 2020 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon boasts
the largest Athlete Development Program field in the history of the events.
More than 450 runners have met the qualifying standard to be categorized in
this field where many will make their last attempt at achieving the Olympic
Trials Qualifying standard to compete in Atlanta in a mere six weeks.
About the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc.
Established in 1972, the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc. (HMC) is a
founding member of Running USA and annually organizes the nation's premier
winter marathon, half-marathon and 5K. Over 300,000 participants,
volunteers and spectators make Chevron Houston Marathon Race Day the
largest single-day sporting event in Houston. Recognized by World
Athletics, the Gold Label Chevron Houston Marathon has been the race site
for three U.S. Olympic Trials Marathons and the Gold Label Aramco Houston
Half Marathon has held 16 U.S. Half Marathon Championships. For eight
consecutive years, the events have garnered Gold Certification from the
Council of Responsible Sport and were also 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
addition to its economic impact, the HMC facilitates social responsibility
through its Run for a Reason Charity Program which has raised over $31
million since its inception and the Houston Marathon Foundation, which
serves the greater Houston area through support of youth and community
organizations that promote access to and participation in running. The
event is televised annually national and international syndication airing
on ESPN3 and the Longhorn Network. For more information,
visit www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com or call 713.957.3453
For more information, visit www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com.
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