Courtesy: event release

The Houston Marathon Committee has increased the number of participants it will allow into the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon to 18,000 for the January 18, 2009 event, a bump of 1,000 over the 2008 race cap.

The 18,000 limit is a combined cap for the marathon and half marathon. The field for the EP5K, the companion 5K race presented by the El Paso Corporation, will be limited to 5,000. Race organizers encourage runners to register early. The marathon and half marathon reached their 2008 combined limit of 17,000 on September 28, 2007, fourteen weeks before race weekend.

"Our participant growth rate and the demand to enter our races over the last seven years have been phenomenal," Race Director Brant Kotch said. "But we want to manage that growth appropriately to ensure that every runner has a great experience in Houston."

Online registration re-opens April 1 for the marathon, half marathon and 5K. Early registration was open from race weekend until Jan. 31, with more than 3,000 participants taking advantage of the early sign-up.

Runners can register for any of the races online at www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com. The registration fee is $90 for the marathon and $65 for the half marathon through May 15, when both prices increase $10. The entry fee for the EP5K is $20 through October 31.

The three races, along with the Texas Children's Hospital Kid's Fun Run on the Saturday of race weekend, attracted 20,000 runners in 2008, making the event one of the largest of its kind in the country.

More information is available at www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com or by calling (713) 957-3453.