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More than 2,000 people have registered for the 2002 Compaq Houston Marathon race weekend, double the number of runners registered by this time last year.

"We are off to a fantastic start for the 2002 race," said David Hannah, race director, Compaq Houston Marathon. "We felt that the addition of the half-marathon would encourage more runners to participate in race weekend, and our registration numbers seem to reflect just that. We're on pace for record participation to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Compaq Houston Marathon."

Of the 2,000-plus who have signed up to participate, 1,600 registered online at last month's kick-off party at Memorial Park. Among those registered are 400 half-marathoners who will be running in the EP 13.1-miler, Houston's first half-marathon.

Runners may continue to register online on the Compaq Houston Marathon Web site, www.compaqhoustonmarathon.com, and registration forms are available at most local athletic clubs, YMCAs and the Tennis Center at Memorial Park.

The marathon is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 20, 2002, which marks the event's 30th anniversary. In addition to the marathon and the EP 13.1-miler, runners can participate in the Uptown Park 4, a four- mile race designed to give every level of runner the opportunity to participate in race weekend.

As in past years, the two-day Subway Health & Fitness Expo will kick off race weekend Friday, Jan. 18. The Texas Children's Hospital Kids' Fun Run follows Saturday, Jan. 19, with a noncompetitive two-mile run for area middle-school students.

For those who register for the marathon on or before Nov. 23 the registration fee is $60. On or before Dec. 21, it is $65, and after Dec. 21, and at the Expo until 6:00 p.m. on Jan. 19, the registration fee is $70. The registration fee for the EP 13.1-miler starts at $40 and increases accordingly with the marathon fees. All entries are $18 for the Uptown Park 4 until Nov. 23 and are $20 after that date. Participants can save $5 off the entry fee for the marathon and the EP 13.1-miler by registering online by Jan. 12. There will be no race-day registration. Entry fees are non-refundable. Participants cannot mail their entries after Jan. 8. Late registration will be held Friday, Jan. 18, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday, Jan. 19, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will be no packet pick-up on race day. Minimum age for the marathon is 12 years on race day.

The Compaq Houston Marathon is administered by an executive committee of volunteers and involves more than 5,000 additional volunteers on race weekend. The city's largest single-day sporting event, the race is a member of Running USA, a nonprofit group devoted to improving the status of road racing in the United States. The 2002 event will be Compaq's second year to sponsor the Houston Marathon.

For more information visit the marathon Web site - www.compaqhoustonmarathon.com or call (713) 957-3453.