Posted: January 14, 2005

Athletics: Houston Headlines U.S. Race Calendar This Weekend

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

A marathon and half-marathon in Houston headline the U.S. road racing calendar this weekend; both races are on Sunday.

The Aramco Houston Half-Marathon will host the U.S. Men's Half-Marathon Championships for the second consecutive year. Defending champion and 2004 Olympian, Dan Browne, will line up against a raft of challengers, including Chris Graff, Justin Young, and Matt Gabrielson amongst others.

"The field is very good and looking at race day weather, with no wind and temperatures between 35 and 40 at race time, we should have some fast performances," race Athlete Coordinator David Chester told Running USA Wire. "Graff and Young say they are ready for a good one, so maybe they will give Dan a run for the title."

A total purse of $17,500 is on the line and the winner will receive $5,000. The top two U.S. finishers (the race also has an all-comers division) will be invited to join the U.S. team for the IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships in Edmonton, Canada on 01-Oct.

A complete list of entries for the championship are located at the following link: USATF.org.

The women's half-marathon in Houston is not the U.S. championships race, but America's top 40+ runner and four-time Olympian, Colleen De Reuck, will kick off her 2005 season there. She'll be challenged by Lyubov Denisova, the Russian who finished third at last year's ING New York City Marathon.

The HP Houston Marathon will see Marek Jaroszewski of Poland defend his title in the men's race against three Ethiopians, including Tesfaye Eticha. American Kelly Keane looks like the top entrant in the women's race, hoping to defeat Tatiana Boirsova of Krygyzstan, Wioletta Kryza of Poland and Valentyna Poltavska of the Ukraine.

The marathon will have a prize purse of $69,500.

Some 16,000 runners are expected to compete in three HP Houston Marathon weekend races, including the Houston Press 5-K.