FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Elite Athletes from Around the World Headline
the 2020 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon
Athletes aim to break course records in the
World Athletics' Gold Label events
HOUSTON (January 17, 2020) - The Houston Marathon Committee (HMC) welcomed
a strong contingent of the world's best athletes to the stage today to kick
off its 2020 pre-race elite athlete press conference.
The 48th annual Chevron Houston Marathon and the 18th annual Aramco Houston
Half Marathon, both World Athletic Gold Label events, could see course
records go down in both the men's and women's races, and a potential world
record in the marathon for T46 (arm amputee) athlete Michael Roeger (AUS).
In addition to welcoming a strong global field of contenders, Houston
continues its legacy as one of the most competitive races for America's top
distance runners.
Defending champions Biruktayit Degefa (ETH) and Shura Kitata (ETH) are
back. Degefa could make history as the first athlete ever to win the
Chevron Houston Marathon four times. 2018 champions Ruti Aga (ETH) and Jake
Robertson (NZL) are also back to vie for the title.
Athlete Quotes
Chevron Houston Marathon
"I can win it on Sunday. I hope to win." - Belay Bezabeh (ETH)
"It's a big year - a Paralympic year. I'm hoping to put my competitors on
notice. If it is my day on Sunday, I believe I can go under 2:20. It will
be a good step toward Tokyo. I think the weather is going to be perfect on
Sunday." - Michael Roeger (AUS)
"I would like to thank the race organizers for inviting me here. I am well
prepared. I am prepared to win, that is my desire." - Kelkile Gezahegn
(ETH)
"I hope I win. That is my goal and why not? I am well prepared for my
fourth win." - Bekelech Gudeta (ETH)
"The [Olympic] dream has already been reignited. If it happened, it would
be pretty amazing. I fell in love with running again last year." - Malindi
Elmore (CAN)
"I have not raced in two and half years so I'm really excited to be here.
I've missed this. I've missed the energy of race weekend so thank you,
Houston . . . I am really excited to be able to put in the miles again . .
. For me, the goal is to qualify for the Olympic Trials." - Neeley
Spence-Gracey (USA)
Aramco Houston Half Marathon
"My goal for Sunday is the course record. I am prepared for the weather
conditions." - Jemal Yimer (ETH)
"To be honest, I'm not thinking about his [Zane Robertson's] record. I'm
here to compete and if the weather is good, I think the course record could
be gone. The field is stacked here. Anything could happen." - Jake
Robertson (NZL)
"I am so happy about my rematch with Jemal [Yimer]." - Shura Kitata (ETH)
"I'm happy to be back. Last year was a huge breakthrough performance for
me. I paid my way out here last year and bought my singlet at the Expo. The
field is loaded. Most Americans here are looking at this as a fast tune up
. . . I'm ready to be right there up front." - Reed Fischer (USA)
"First of all, thank you for inviting me here. I'm prepared to improve my
time, and I am ready to win." - Ruti Aga (ETH)
"We have a really strong group of women running the marathon in the U.S.;
we could probably send two full teams to fight for medals [in Tokyo]. A lot
of women are showing up to run the half here to use it as a test [for the
Trials]." - Molly Huddle (USA)
"I am enjoying running more and more every year. I never thought I would be
doing this for fifteen years. I have so many great memories in Houston. I
am grateful to the race organizers; this has been a special place for both
Ryan and I." - Sara Hall (USA)
"We've all been injured and faced that difficulty in coming back. You have
to keep the faith and perseverance you can get back. It has definitely been
a journey for me, and I've learned a lot . . . I'm healthy and I've always
wanted to come here and race the half. This is a great tune-up and test
going into next month." - Laura Thweatt (USA)
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 in the
program, and many will make this their final attempt to achieve the Olympic
Trials Qualifying standard to compete in Atlanta in just six weeks. To
qualify for the Trials, women need to run faster than 2:45:00 in the
marathon or 1:13:00 in the half marathon, and men need to run faster than
2:19:00 in the marathon or 1:04:00 in the half marathon.
Athlete Stories to Watch
Steve Schmidt (USA) will line up on Sunday in an attempt to run a sub-three
hour marathon for the sixth decade. He has recorded the following PRs over
the decades: 2:46:22 (1979); 2:37:03 (1984); 2:49:23 (1997); 2:53:38
(1995); and 2:59:54 (2014).
Matt and Andrew Leach, a father-son duo from Great Britain, will attempt to
break the Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest father-son duo to
run a half marathon. In order to break the record, they will need to
collectively run faster than 2:20:33.
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
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