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Americans Vie for USA Half Marathon Titles; International Field of Talent for Chevron Houston Marathon
Locals Samia Akbar, Kathy Newberry, Renee High Among Women Entered in USA Half Marathon
From Chevron Houston MarathonJanuary 13, 2010
Houston, TX
Runners from Ethiopia, Kenya and the United States are expected to set the pace this Sunday in Houston, TX as a record 22,000 runners compete in the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon. The streets of Houston will also welcome participants in the El Paso Corporation 5K (EP5K), and Texas Children's Hospital Kids' Fun Run; the EP5K reached its field limit of 4,500, and four thousand are expected for Saturday's fun run.
The Aramco Houston Half Marathon is hosting the USA Half Marathon Championships. The women's field features three highly decorated runners, led by 2008 Olympian Shalane Flanagan of Portland, OR. The two-time Olympian won a bronze medal at 10,000m at the Beijing Games and is seeded second in her first half marathon. Defending champion Magdalena Lewy Boulet of Oakland, CA is the top seed--she won the 2009 USA title in 1:11:47. Colleen De Reuck of Boulder, CO holds the course record from 2004 (1:10:55). Serena Burla of Ballwin, MO and Heidi Westover of Walpole, NH are the 4th and 5th seeds in the women's race.
Josh Rohatinsky and Tim Nelson of Portland, OR, and the Minneapolis trio of Antonio Vega, Josh Moen, and Patrick Smyth are the top-rated men's contenders. The men's race is shaping up as a breakthrough opportunity for a number of up-and-coming runners. American runners will be competing for $59,500 in prize money, with $12,000 awarded to each national title winner.
In the 38th annual Chevron Houston Marathon, 2009 winner and course record holder Teyba Erkesso returns to defend her crown. Running her debut marathon in Houston a year ago, Ethiopia's Erkesso crossed the finish line in 2:24:18. Her blistering pace of 5:30 per mile clipped 22 seconds off the course record previously held by Boston Marathon champion Dire Tune of Ethiopia. The time is the fastest marathon ever run in Texas by a female. Joining Erkesso on the starting line are American Paige Higgins (seeded 2nd), Tara Quinn-Smith (seeded 3rd) of Canada, and Kenya's Lydia Kurgat (seeded 4th). Rounding out the top five seeds is Margarita Plaksina of Russia, who won the 2009 Helsinki City Marathon.
Kenyans are the top two seeds in the men's marathon. Jason Mbote, who ran 2:07:37 at the 2008 Seoul International Marathon, is the favorite, followed by Charles Kibiwott, who clocked 2:08:30 at the same race in Seoul. American Brett Gotcher of Flagstaff, AZ, third in the 2009 USA Half Marathon Championships, returns to Houston for his marathon debut. The former Stanford University All-American won his first national road title at 20K last September, and is seeded third. The 4th seed is cross-country specialist Zembaba Yigeze, while Hussan Adelo is the 5th seed--both are Ethiopians. Elite runners in both men's and women's marathons will be vying for $130,000 in prize money, with $35,000 for first-places.
The Aramco Houston Half Marathon hosts the USA Women's Half Marathon Championships for the fourth consecutive year, and the USA men's championship race for the sixth time. The competition begins Sunday, January 17 at 6:45 am with the wheelchair start for the marathon and half marathon. The Chevron Houston Marathon, a Running USA founding member, is the nation's premier winter marathon, annually attracting participants from all 50 states in the USA, and more than 20 foreign countries. In 2009, more than 26,000 runners participated in four marathon weekend events (marathon, half marathon, 5K run and children's run). The Houston Marathon has been ranked among the top five in the nation by Ultimate Guide to Marathons for fastest course, organization, and crowd support. More than 5,000 volunteers organize the race, which is Houston's largest single-day sporting event. For more information, see www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com or call 713-957-3453.