Courtesy: event press release

The Chevron Houston Marathon will mark its 36th running with its biggest and best race ever this weekend, when more than 20,000 runners take to the streets of Houston in three events. The fastest runners will compete for a prize purse that tops $230,000.

Registration for the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon reached the combined field limit of 17,000 and closed in late September, a record 14 weeks prior to race day. Registration for the EP5K will be available at the Roger Clemens Institute EXPO at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Friday, Jan. 11 and Saturday, Jan. 12. The three races are scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 13.

"Runners from the local and regional running communities and athletes from around the world are once again beating a path to Houston," Brant Kotch, race director, said of the record participation. "We've seen a constant increase in participation for six years in a row and that trend continues this year. We capped the marathon and half-marathon three years ago to ensure runner safety and make sure runners had a great race experience. With some adjustments, we were able to increase that cap this year and still deliver that same quality experience."

The Aramco Houston Half Marathon will host the USA Men's Half Marathon Championship for the fourth consecutive year and the USA Women's Half Marathon Championship for the second year in a row. Both races will bring in many of America's top male and female distance runners, who will compete for $62,500 in prize money in the half marathon. The race will host the Championships through 2011.

Houston Mayor Bill White will fire the starting gun to begin the marathon and half marathon at 7 a.m. The EP5K will get under way at 7:30 a.m.

Elite athletes won't be the only winners in this year's race. Record participation again this year is expected to generate $1 million through the race's Run for a Reason charity program, which raises money for 44 different charities. Runners raised a record $852,000 in 2007.

Runner packet pickup and on-site registration for the EP5K begins Friday at the Roger Clemens Institute EXPO. The EXPO, which includes more than 100 exhibitors and seminars on health, fitness and running, is open Friday, Jan. 11 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, Jan. 12, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Staged in the George R. Brown Convention Center, Hall D, first level, the EXPO is free and open to the public. There is no runner packet pickup on race day.

For the first time ever, the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon will feature a wave start this year. The first wave will start at 7:00 a.m. and the second wave will start at 7:10 a.m.