Flat, fast, fun

The best way to experience the most diverse city in the United States is to run the Chevron Houston Marathon or Aramco Houston Half Marathon – and quite likely set a new personal record as well. The Houston Marathon Committee’s four USATF Gold Label elite athlete fields host athletes who regularly set American Records in our cool conditions, encouraged by over 300,000 people cheering them to the finish line.

Hotel amenities and access to the start line and finish line in Houston are well-known for convenience and hospitality. When you wake up on race day in the historic downtown square you walk to the George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB) for bag check, stretch, warm-up and to keep warm before walking to the start line corrals. After crossing the finish line you immediately re-enter the GRB after a short walk beneath the shade of the oak trees alongside Discovery Green Park. Before you know it you are back inside where it all began. Here you pick up your gear, take finisher photos, grab a massage, have a hot breakfast and reunite with your friends and family. Finally, you exit the GRB to celebrate on the art-filled lawn of Discovery Green for our RunFest post-race party.

If all this ease and culture doesn’t inspire you our Boston Qualifier stats and PRs most certainly will. American records continue to fall on these courses. Including Kiera D’Amato smashing the national record for the women’s marathon (and Houston’s course record) in 2022 with a time of 2:19:12. That same year Sara Hall set the Women’s Half Marathon AR with 1:07:15 only for it to be broken a year later when Emily Sisson ran 1:07:11.

In the last 52 years since the inaugural running of the Houston Marathon hundreds of thousands of athletes have run this increasingly popular race. Over 5500 runners have chosen to ‘Run For A Reason’ in the last five years. Since the RFAR charity running program’s inception in 1995 over 36 million USD have been raised to benefit over 188 local charities.

Our January race-day temperature averages around 45ºF (7ºC) on the start line and 60F (15ºC) at the finish line. Runners encounter various iconic and artistic artefacts spread throughout the courses. Running through the Kinder Land Bridge and Prairie Tunnels at mile 21 (34km) of the Chevron Houston Marathon is an awe-inspiring experience. This 100-acre space restores nearly 45 acres of native coastal prairie, re-introducing endangered native Gulf Coast prairie to the city. Runners participating in the Aramco Houston Half Marathon have the privilege of running under 100-year old oak trees for miles before wrapping around the Mecom Fountain. The Fountain is an iconic fixture in the centre of Houston’s Art and Science Museum District.

Athletes wanting a shorter distance can take part in the We Are Houston 5K presented by Aramco and Chevron on Saturday, 13 January (the day before the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon). When participants run both a Saturday and Sunday race with us they receive a bonus “Houston Double” medal.

If you’re ready to join the 33,000 plus registrants who enter each January, we are ready to host you. Come experience the most diverse city in the United States in a whole new way. This is your year to make your mark on these flat, fast, fun, record-breaking courses with world-class hospitality.