HOUSTON (December 30, 2016) - The Houston Marathon Committee announced today the 41 athletes who will comprise the local elite field at the 2017 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon. Race weekend is set for January 13-15, 2017.
Local Elite status in the 2017 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon is awarded to the first local finisher per category who achieves the minimum qualifying standards in the 2016 Chevron Houston Marathon and each of the 2016 selected local qualifying races - the Space City 10 Miler, the Luke's Locker Half Marathon, the HMSA Classical 25K and the Fort Bend Kia 30K.
"Recognition of the best local athletes has been a pillar of our elite program for almost 25 years, and its tie-in to the Houston Area Road Runners Association's Marathon Warm-up Series events goes back almost as far," said Chevron Houston Marathon Race Director and Board President Brant Kotch. "The Houston metropolitan area has a terrific history of nurturing talented distance runners and many of them have passed through the Houston Marathon's invited local elite program. They're obviously a competitive bunch and our elite athlete committee is always on top of the results of each Warm-up Series race to see who has won the right to enjoy the perks afforded our elite athletes in the upcoming Chevron Houston Marathon."
To be considered eligible as a "local" for the Local Elite Program, runners must be able to prove permanent residence in one of the following 19 counties from the period beginning January 17, 2016 through race day January 15, 2017: Austin; Brazoria; Chambers; Fort Bend; Galveston; Grimes; Hardin; Harris; Jefferson; Liberty; Matagorda; Montgomery; Orange; Polk; San Jacinto; Walker; Waller; Washington; and Wharton.
Perks of the Local Elite Program include complimentary entry into the Chevron Houston Marathon or Aramco Houston Half Marathon, special elite athlete check-in and packet pick-up, along with a pre-race technical meeting hosted by the senior director of the Elite Athlete Program. Local elites are also granted access to the Elite Hospitality Suite for snacks and pre-race fueling and invited to the elite athlete pre-race dinner on Saturday evening. On race day, they will take a shuttle to the elite athlete start line tent and will be given a priority location on the start line, just behind the elite field. Following the race, local elites will have access to indoor post-race facilities to stretch and cool down, receive a massage and nourishment.
Entrants in the field this year include 2003 Chevron Houston Marathon champion Sean Wade, 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier Megan Saloom and two-time World Championships participant Mary Davies of New Zealand, who lives and trains in Houston.
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2016 Chevron Houston Marathon
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Men
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Women
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Open
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Austin Roth
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Megan Saloom
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40-49
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Michael Defee
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Laura Bennett
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50-59
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Francisco Garza
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Lilia Vasquez
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60-69
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Jerry Hammervold
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Carole Uttecht
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70+
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–
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–
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Other Local Invited Runners
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Men
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Women
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Most Houston Marathon Finishes
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Jack Lippincott
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Maria Camacho
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2003 Houston Marathon Men’s Open Winner
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Sean Wade
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|
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2016 Space City 10 Miler
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Men
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Women
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Open
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Drew Bean
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Mary Davies
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40-49
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Luis Armenteros
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Catherine Kruppa
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50-59
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Dan Byrne
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Allyson Serrao
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60-69
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Peter Mullin
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Sabra Harvey
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70-79
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–
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–
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2016 Luke’s Locker Half Marathon
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Men
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Women
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Open
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Zach Cater-Cyker
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Lauren Stroud
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40-49
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Peter Lawrence
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Stacy Holden
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50-59
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Wilmer Bustillos
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Barbara Stoll
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60-69
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Joe Melanson
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Billie Kay Melanson
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70+
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–
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Susan Waldau
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2016 HMSA Classical 25K
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Men
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Women
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Open
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Ryan Smith
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Jackie Tobin
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40-49
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Gabor Olah
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–
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50-59
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Sim Cuevas
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Suzy Seeley
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60-69
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Jamal Jamalyaria
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Theresa Pearsall
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70+
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Ben Harvie
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Cookie Thompson
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2016 Fort Bend Kia 30K
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Men
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Women
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Open
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Jeremy Saums
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Elizabeth Sauvageau
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40-49
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–
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–
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50-59
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–
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Joy Smith
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60-69
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–
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Donna Sterns
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70+
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–
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–
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For more information on the local elite field for the 2017 Chevron Houston Marathon, visit 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 is an IAAF bronze level event that retained Gold Certification from the Council of Responsible Sport and was awarded the 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 ChevronHoustonMarathon.com. or call 713.957.3453.
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